Graduate School

Should you go to graduate school in philosophy? It all depends: Is making lots of money really important to you? Is it really important that you decide where you're going to live? Are you bad at self-directed work that involves sticking to your own schedule without concrete deadlines to act as a motivator?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then graduate school is probably not for you. Most professors don't make tons of money; the state of the job market means that you probably won't have much say about where you'll live; and a good portion of PhD work is a relatively solitary affair that demands serious self-discipline.

If, on the other hand, you really love philosophy, are good at it, can imagine working on it for the rest of your life, don't mind (ideally, actually like) teaching and don't mind having a job without highly defined hours that you can leave behind at the end of the day, then graduate school may well be for you.

The following resources will help you decide whether grad school's right for you and navigate the process of applying to and picking a school. And of course, you're surrounded by resources in the department: don't be afraid to ask professors and current graduate students about their experiences and advice they may have. As always, we'll be holding an info session on applying to graduate school in Fall quarter.

  • The Philosophical Gourmet Report
    • For all its supposed faults, it is still an excellent resource for learning about philosophy departments. Be warned though: the report does NOT purport to be a measure of the quality of graduate programs. It is, instead, a measure of faculty reputation.
  • Richard Heck's Concerns about the PGR
    • A different perspective on the PGR. The take home message that is probably well worth keeping in mind when considering graduate school: DON'T obsess about the rankings.
  • Matthew Lu's Advice on Grad School
    • Very down to earth and helpful advice on applying to and choosing a school.
  • Why Do a Ph.D.?
  • The APA
    • The American Philosophical Association website will give you some idea of what the life of the professional philosopher is like. There are also interesting links under the “Profession” heading about jobs and salaries. Unfortunately, you can’t access the Jobs for Philosophers info without being a member. But we usually have a copy in the lounge – if you’re interested in seeing it, let me know.
  • The College at the University of Chicago
    • Some good generic information on applying to graduate programs.

    • Updated Jan. 2nd, 2007