Philosophy Essay Clinic

What is the Philosophy Essay Clinic?

The Clinic is intended to help students learn to compose philosophy essays and to deal with the special problems of philosophical writing. The Clinic is not designed to provide instruction in basic writing skills, and it certainly cannot provide individual tutorials in the subject matter of philosophy courses. What the Clinic can do is help the student identify the basic types of philosophy essay, the ways an argument can be built and the ways an essay can go wrong.

The Clinic is most helpful when an essay is in its initial stages and there is a rough draft. A last minute visit to Clinic right before a deadline is of very little value.

Who is it for?

Clinic services are available to any undergraduate student enrolled in a PHL course on the St. George campus.

When does it run?

The clinic will be open starting January 29th, 2024 until April 5th but closed during reading week (February 20th-23rd). It will be open for appointments on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9:00am-2:00pm and occasionally on Thursdays.

During busy periods, we may offer additional timeslots.

Do you offer drop-in appointments?

In-person drop-in appointments will be scheduled during busy times at the clinic. Please note that drop-ins are only available on a first-come, first-served basis and the clinician can only see students within the window indicated. There is no guarantee that you will be able to see the clinician during drop-in hours if the clinic is busy.

How do I use the Clinic?

Students should book an appointment through our online booking system by clicking the link below:

Book Essay Clinic Appointment

You must send your paper or draft by email to the clinician 24-hours prior to your appointment. Details will be provided when your appointment is scheduled. Due to high demand for clinic services, students will be limited to only 2 scheduled appointments at any time and only 1 appointment per week. If you book appointments beyond these limits, we will cancel the extra appointments without notice to you.

Where is the Essay Clinic?

The essay clinic will be held virtually via Zoom. You will receive details when you book your appointments.