The University of Massachusetts Amherst
Graduate

Graduate Admissions

[In light of the political turmoil in Iran, the Philosophy Department is offering additional flexibility to prospective Iranian students affected by the current events, including but not limited to: application fee waivers, additional time to provide official English proficiency test results, additional time to submit official transcripts, and additional time to submit the application. We encourage applicants from Iran to get in touch with us as soon as possible so we can discuss the possibility of fee waivers.]

We are pleased that you are considering applying for admission to our program. Various links have been provided above to documents containing answers to many frequently asked questions about our department and the admissions process. We hope you will find useful information in these documents. In addition to these links, also consult links to the left, including especially Graduate Program and Graduate Courses. For general questions about the application process, also consult the UMass Graduate School website.

The application process is very competitive. Your chance of admission, and your chance of receiving financial aid, are much improved if you have successfully completed a strong undergraduate philosophy major. Also helpful are strong letters of recommendation, a strong writing sample, and a high grade-point average. We do not admit new students to our MA degree program. We are happy to consider applications from students who have completed MAs in philosophy elsewhere.

Summary Admissions Data (for class entering Fall 2020)

  • Ph.D. program applications received – 75
  • Ph.D. applicants offered admission – 11
  • Students entering the Ph.D. program – 5

If you have further questions about the Department or our admissions process, please contact the Graduate Admissions Director, Alejandro Pérez Carballo, apc@umass.edu.