Course Selection
To remain in good standing, each student in the five-year PhD program must complete a minimum of 6 graduate courses (3.0 FCEs) in Philosophy, with a minimum A- average, by the end of Year 1, and a minimum of 6 further graduate courses (3.0 FCEs) with an A- average by the end of Year 2 (12 courses (6.0 FCE) total across the two years), including:
- At least 4 courses (2.0 FCE) which must comprise courses from philosophical traditions from different geographical regions and/or different historical periods (HIS/GEO).
- At least 4 courses (2.0 FCE) which must comprise problems of philosophy courses (VAL, MLL, MES).
- The proseminar in philosophy (PHL1111H) worth 0.5 FCE during the Fall or Winter terms of Year 1.
Course selections must satisfy our Breadth Requirements.
Further stipulations:
- Students may take up to 2 courses (1.0 FCE) as Reading Courses, also called Independent Study courses, as part of their degree, without prior agreement from the DGS. These must be done with a faculty member of the department and are permitted only when suitable regular courses are not available.
- With departmental permission, a student may replace up to 2 courses (1.0 FCE) in Philosophy with graduate courses offered by other departments, provided the student’s planned research requires these courses. Note that courses taught in other departments by faculty members with a graduate appointment in philosophy and posted on the Courses page are recognized as philosophy graduate courses.
- A student may take additional graduate courses beyond degree requirements; these will be recorded as ‘extra’ courses on the official transcript kept by the School of Graduate Studies (SGS). Extra courses have a final grade on the student’s transcript, but are not taken for credit.
Grading and Deadlines
Courses taken for graduate credit are assigned a letter grade according to the following scheme: A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, and FZ (which replaces C, D, and F). For more information on assessment, see the University Assessment and Grading Practices Policy on the School of Graduate Studies website.
Deadlines for course work, as set by the Department and the School of Graduate Studies, apply to all students taking philosophy courses, regardless of the department, centre, institute, school, program, or university in which they are enrolled. The instructor in each course is required to inform the students in writing of the deadlines for course work at the first meeting of the course. For further information on coursework extensions, see the Policy on Departmental Coursework Extensions in the Policies and Procedures section of this website.
Students wishing to audit a course must receive permission of the instructor. The instructor may require active participation in seminar meetings as a condition of auditing.