Admission Requirements

​For full admission, students must have the following:

• Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy or its satisfactory equivalent.
• Previous academic work must present clear evidence of the applicant’s ability to pursue successfully the doctoral program.
• Students who did not major in Philosophy may be admitted conditionally, with the requirement that they complete certain undergraduate courses or directed study before being fully admitted into the program.
  

All applications are processed through the Graduate Admissions Office of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Inquiries concerning the application process should be directed to Graduate Admissions at (773) 325-7315 or toll free 1-800-4DEPAUL (outside Illinois). Or, send an e-mail to lasgrad@depaul.edu.

Applications should be made through our online application portal.

All applications must include the following:

1. A completed Online University Graduate Application including a $40 domestic application fee, $75 international application fee.
2. Official transcripts of all previous academic work. Transcripts should be sent to gradtranscripts@depaul.edu directly by the issuing institution. Unofficial transcripts can be submitted for the application review. Official transcripts will be required upon admission.

   Please see the International Admission page for information about credential evaluations.
   

3. The DePaul Graduate Program does not consider Graduate Records Exam (GRE) scores for admission to the program.
   
4. Three letters of recommendation from professors familiar with the applicant's work. Recommenders can submit their letters through the online application.
5. A personal statement indicating why the applicant desires to pursue graduate work in DePaul's philosophy program specifically.
   
6. A writing sample (e.g., a term paper, seminar paper, senior thesis, or MA thesis or portion thereof). A standard writing sample is 15-20 pages long (3750-5000 words). 
   
7. Proof of English proficiency (required for all students educated outside of the U.S.). The minimum requirement is a TOEFL score of 80 (ibt)—with all section scores at 17 or better—or a 6.5 on the IELTS, or a 115 on Duolingo. The Philosophy program prefers to see scores of 96 (ibt) with all section scores at 22 or better—or a 7.0 on the IELTS, or 125 on Duolingo. DePaul’s institution code is 1165.

To be considered for admission in the following academic year all materials must be received by the application deadline.  Applications for Fall 2025 are due January 6, 2025.​

If you wish to be considered for a Teaching Fellowship with tuition waivers and stipend of $22,000 and a $3,000/year subsidy to help defray cost of living expenses such as the purchase of health insurance, rent, or other out of pocket expenditures, you must apply to the MA/PhD program (even if you do not yet have an MA).

Most years, DePaul University will be closed from the end of business day before Christmas Eve until the beginning of the business day on January 2. Please do not send materials via UPS, Fed Ex or any other courier service during this Holiday break. It is best to send via regular mail or wait until the University reopens on January 2 at which time UPS, Fed Ex and other courier services can delivery without difficulty.

Do not send your application materials directly to the Philosophy Department.

Select applicants will be invited by the graduate director to visit campus in early March. The first round of offers of admission and funding are generally made in early February, though a waitlist is also compiled at that time and final offers may be made as late as April. All inquiries concerning the graduate programs should be addressed to the Director of Graduate Studies in Philosophy, Professor Kevin Thompson (kthomp12@depaul.edu)

Learn more about Graduate Admission.

Ready to apply?

If you need assistance to complete your application and/or have questions, contact the LAS Graduate Admission office at (773) 325-7315 or lasgrad@depaul.edu.