This page provides information about admission to the MA and PhD programs in philosophy at the University of Memphis. This page is intended as a helpful supplement to the university's Graduate Bulletin (catalog), which takes precedence in any case of conflict. Students should be familiar with the policies and regulations set forth in that document.

Prospective students are admitted in the fall semester of each academic year. Admission is very competitive. The following prerequisites must be met to be considered for admission to either the PhD program or the MA program.

(1) A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
(2) A minimum of a 2.5 GPA (4.0 scale).
(3) Graduate Record Examination (GRE) taken within the last five years.
(4) At least 18 semester hours in undergraduate philosophy courses including the following courses or their equivalent: introduction to philosophy, ethics, elementary logic, intermediate logic, history of ancient philosophy, and history of modern philosophy.

A Note on GRE Scores
Students applying to the Department of Philosophy graduate programs must take the GRE and submit their scores with their application. (The University of Memphis GRE code is 1459.) There is no minimum score requirement. GRE scores are used as just one part of the overall assessment of a candidate's likely prospects for graduate study. Factors other than the GRE scores are particularly important for the Department's admission decisions. The writing sample, letters of recommendation, the student's GPA generally and specifically in philosophy courses, and the statement of purpose are weighted more heavily than the GRE scores since we have found that these other components of an application are more reliable indicators of a student's readiness for graduate study in philosophy.

A Note on Coursework
Students lacking any of the required undergraduate courses may be admitted to the program on the condition that the course is taken without graduate credit at the earliest opportunity.

To be considered for admission to the MA or PhD program, you must submit two applications: one to the Department of Philosophy, the other to the University of Memphis Graduate School. Both applications should be submitted by January 15. Failure to submit both applications by the deadline may result in no consideration.

1. Department Application
The following materials should be submitted directly to the Philosophy Department:

(1) Completed department application
(2) A writing sample (10-20 pages)
(3) Transcript (transcript provided to the Philosophy Department may be an "unofficial" copy)
(4) A statement of purpose (1-2 pages)

These materials should be sent by post to the following address:

Director of Graduate Admissions
Department of Philosophy
University of Memphis
327 Clement Hall
Memphis, TN 38152

(5) Three confidential letters of recommendation (there is no accompanying form for recommendation letter writers to submit) should be sent directly to the department by the letter writers. The department will accept electronic submission of letters of recommendation. They can be sent as an attachment (on letterhead and original signature is expected) to: cwilhelm@memphis.edu

2. University Application
The following materials must be submitted directly to Graduate School (not to the Philosophy Department):

(1) Application to Graduate School
(2) Transcripts (official transcripts must be mailed directly from the issuing institution)
(3) GRE test scores (test scores must be sent directly to Graduate Admissions by the testing agency)

The issuing institutions or testing agencies should mail official transcripts and GRE scores to the following address:

Office of Graduate Admissions
101 Wilder Tower
University of Memphis
Memphis, TN 38152

Application Deadline
The deadline for receipt of all application materials is January 15.