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MA Program

• undergraduate degree and 30 undergraduate credits in philosophy*
• graduate program supplemental information form (download form)
• statement of objectives (download form)
• sample of academic writing
• three letters of recommendation
• official GRE General Test scores
• official TOEFL scores — 600/250/100 or above (Required of most non-native speakers of English. Click here for information on exemptions.)

* Applicants with course deficiencies who are otherwise qualified may be admitted. They must make up the deficiencies before they may be advanced to candidacy.

PhD Program

• graduate degree (equivalent to the master's level at UHM) in philosophy
• completion of PHIL 445 Symbolic Logic or equivalent*
• GPA of 3.3 or above
• graduate program supplemental information form (download form)
• statement of objectives (download form)
• sample of academic writing
• three letters of recommendation
• official GRE General Test scores
• official TOEFL scores — 600/250/100 or above (Required of most non-native speakers of English. Click here for information on exemptions.)

The Department of Philosophy at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (UHM) offers graduate programs leading to the MA and the PhD. Although the Western philosophical tradition serves as the fundamental frame of reference for the department, the department is committed to the principle that graduate education in philosophy should draw upon the richness of world resources. Accordingly, the departmental faculty consists of specialists in both Western and non-Western philosophical traditions. The expertise of the departmental faculty is augmented by distinguished visiting scholars who participate regularly in various capacities.

The MA program is geared toward both students who plan to continue their studies in philophy at the doctoral level, and students who intend to teach at community colleges or who study philosophy for other purposes. The MA curriculum provides training of interdisciplinary relevance to many other disciplines.

The department offers the only graduate program in the U.S. that leads to a PhD with areas of specialization in Western, Buddhist, Islamic, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and comparative philosophy. Regardless of the chosen specialization, students who intend to complete a PhD program in philosophy at UHM must acquire a thorough knowledge of the history and problems of Western philosophy. Students who intend to specialize in comparative philosophy must master a specific topic in philosophy that can be approached through the resources of two or more philosophic traditions.

The MA and PhD programs in Asian and comparative philosophy participate in the Western Regional Graduate Program administered by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). The program enables legal residents of WICHE member states to enroll in selected out-of-state professional or graduate programs at reduced tuition rates. For more information, see Financial Matters < WICHE Program.

MA Degree Requirements
Students may select either Plan A (thesis) or Plan B (non-thesis).

• Plan A requires 30 credits (including six credits of thesis research), a written thesis and defense of the thesis.
• Plan B requires 30 credits and a final exam.

Both plans require the following:

• GPA of 3.3 or above,
• two or three papers,
• culminating exam,
• four semesters (or demonstrated equivalent) of at least one philosophically significant language other than English, such as Arabic, classical Chinese, French, German, Japanese, classical Greek, Latin, Pali or Sanskrit.

PhD Degree Requirements
The PhD program requires the following:

• 30 credits of course work beyond the MA level, in preparation for departmental and language exams,
• GPA of 3.3 or above,
• demonstrated competence in each of three general areas: history of philosophy, meta-physics, epistemology, logic, and philosophy of science; ethics, aesthetics, social and political philosophy, and philosophy of law,
• demonstrated proficiency in at least one (and where deemed necessary two) philosophically significant language(s) other than English, such as Arabic, classical Chinese, French, German, Japanese, classical Greek, Latin, Pali or Sanskrit.
• two exams in an area related to the dissertation topic,
• dissertation,
• final oral exam / defense of dissertation.

Courses
To view a listing of courses offered, visit www.catalog.hawaii.edu/courses/departments/phil.htm.