Philosophy
- Application Deadlines
- Application Requirements
- Contact Information
- Curriculum
- Degree Programs (Ph.D., M.A.)
- Faculty
- Overview
Overview
The graduate program in philosophy at Loyola University Chicago is strongly pluralistic. Our primary research areas are in continental philosophy and ethics/social-political philosophy. We also have supporting strengths in the history of philosophy, philosophy of religion and epistemology.
Degree Programs (Ph.D., M.A.)
The Department of Philosophy offers both Ph.D. and M.A. degree programs.
Ph.D. Degree Program
Full-time students usually complete the program in about six years. It is possible to be enrolled part-time, in which case the time to completion will vary.
M.A. Programs
The Department of Philosophy offers the following specialized M.A. degree programs.
M.A. in Philosophy: The master's program in philosophy can be used either as a terminal degree or as a stepping-stone to admission to a doctoral program in philosophy.
M.A. in Health Care Ethics: This program focuses on both theoretical and practical issues concerning the health care profession.
M.A. in Social Philosophy: Primarily geared toward students with more practical than academic interests, this program can involve participation in internship programs.
Full-time students usually complete their respective master's program in two years. It is possible to be enrolled part-time, in which case the time to completion will vary.
Curriculum
Our graduate programs offer a wide range of seminars in the history of philosophy and in contemporary continental and analytic philosophy.
For a catalog list of courses and courses for the current semester, visit www.luc.edu/philosophy/courses.shtml.
Faculty
James Blachowicz, Ph.D. (Northwestern University) Professor
Areas of research: Philosophy of science, history of metaphysics, Hegel's logic, contemporary epistemology and theories of discovery and inquiry
Thomas L. Carson, Ph.D. (Brown University), Professor
Areas of research: Metaethics, theories of value, business ethics and utilitarianism
Ardis B. Collins, Ph.D. (University of Toronto), Associate Professor
Areas of research: Medieval and renaissance philosophy, modern philosophy, especially Kant and Hegel and metaphysics
Andrew Cutrofello, Ph.D. (Northwestern University), Professor and Graduate Program Director
Areas of research: Kant, continental philosophy, and metaphilosophical reflections on the history and meaning of the analytic/continental distinction
Blake D. Dutton, Ph.D. (University of Pennsylvania), Associate Professor
Areas of research: Medieval and early modern philosophy and philosophy of religion
Peter Facione, Ph.D. (Michigan State University), Professor
Areas of research: Ethics, logic and critical thinking
Alfred Gini, Ph.D. (Aquinas Institute of Philosophy), Associate Professor, Managing Editor of Business Ethics Quarterly
Areas of research: Business ethics and contemporary moral issues
Daniel Hartnett, Ph.D. (University of Chicago), S.J. Visiting Professor
Area of research: Social philosophy, especially social justice.
David B. Ingram, Ph.D. (University of California, San Diego), Professor
Areas of research: Hermeneutics and critical theory, social and political philosophy, and ethics
Heidi Malm, Ph.D. (University of Arizona), Associate Professor
Areas of research: Ethical theory, applied ethics and philosophy of law
Hugh Miller, Ph.D. (University of Toronto), Assistant Professor
Areas of research: Philosophy of religion, metaphysics and business ethics
Paul K. Moser, Ph.D. (Vanderbilt University), Chairperson and Professor
Areas of research: Epistemology, theories of rationality, philosophical psychology and metaphilosophy
Thomas O'Brochta, Ph.D. (Loyola University Chicago), Associate Professor
Areas of research and expertise: Philosophy of human nature, business ethics, Asian philosophy, philosophy of religion and process philosophy
David T. Ozar, Ph.D. (Yale University), Professor and Director for the Center for Ethics
Areas of research: Health-care ethics, professional ethics, metaethics, normative ethics, history of ethics, social contract theory, social/political philosophy and philosophy of law
Jennifer Parks, Ph.D. (McMaster University), Associate Professor
Areas of research: Health-care ethics, ethical theory, feminism and social philosophy
Adriaan Peperzak, Ph.D. (University of Paris-Sorbonne), Arthur J. Schmitt Professor
Areas of research: Ethics and political philosophy, philosophy of religion, metaphilosophy, Hegel, French phenomenology and Levinas
David Schweickart, Ph.D. in philosophy and Ph.D. in mathematics (Ohio State University and University of Virginia), Professor
Areas of research: Social and political philosophy, theories of socialism, feminist philosophy and critical theory
Jacqueline Scott, Ph.D. (Stanford University), Assistant Professor
Areas of research: Friedrich Nietszche, 19th-century philosophy, ethics, African-American philosophy and race theory
Kenneth F. Thompson, Ph.D. (Columbia University), Associate Professor
Areas of research: Early modern philosophy, especially Descartes and Hume, Whitehead, philosophy of mind and philosophy of religion
J. D. Trout, Ph.D. (Cornell University), Professor
Areas of research: Philosophy of science, metaphysics, philosophy of psychology, philosophy of mind, psycholinguistics and speech perception
Daniel Vaillancourt, Ph.D. (DePaul University), Professor
Areas of research: Philosophy of human nature, contemporary French philosophy and philosophy of religion
Arnold vander Nat, Ph.D. (University of Pittsburgh), Associate Professor
Areas of research: British empiricism, especially John Locke, formal logic, philosophy of mind and epistemology
Julie Ward, Ph.D. (University of California, San Diego), Associate Professor
Areas of research: Ancient philosophy, especially Plato, Aristotle, Hellenistic philosophy and feminism
Mark H. Waymack, Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins University), Associate Professor
Areas of research: Health-care ethics, ancient Greek ethics, especially Plato, early modern philosophy, especially Hutcheson, Hume and Scottish moral philosophy
Victoria S. Wike, Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University), Professor
Areas of research: Early modern philosophy, especially Descartes, Spinoza, Kant, Kant’s moral philosophy and health-care ethics
Thomas E. Wren, Ph.D. (Northwestern University), Professor
Areas of research: Aristotle's ethics, normative ethics, metaethics, moral psychology, moral education, social philosophy and action theory
K. David Yandell, Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin, Madison), Associate Professor
Areas of research: Early modern philosophy, especially Descartes, metaphysics, and social and political philosophy
Senior Professors and Professors Emeriti
Robert M. Barry, Ph.D. (Fordham University), Professor Emeritus
Areas of research: American pragmatism, especially James and Dewey and philosophy of social science
Francis J. Catania, Ph.D. (St. Louis University), Senior Professor
Areas of research: Medieval philosophy, especially Albert the Great, Aquinas, Scotus, and Ockham, and philosophy of religion and ethics
Suzanne Cunningham, Ph.D. (Florida State University), Senior Professor
Areas of research: philosophy of mind, perception, American pragmatism, contemporary epistemology and Husserl
Peter J. Maxwell, Ph.D. (Marquette University), Senior Professor
Areas of research: Early modern rationalism and Kant's speculative philosophy
Thomas Sheehan, Ph.D. (Fordham University), Professor Emeritus
Areas of research: Contemporary German philosophy, especially Heidegger and Greek and Medieval philosophy
Richard J. Westley, Ph.D. (University of Toronto), Senior Professor
Areas of research: Aristotle's ethics, medieval philosophy, especially Aquinas, Kant’s ethics, Kierkegaard, Feuerbach, Marx, philosophy of religion, ethical theory, Christian ethics and health-care ethics
Frank J. Yartz, Ph.D. (St. Louis University), Associate Professor
Areas of research: Ancient philosophy, the Presocratics, Plato, Aristotle, medieval philosophy, especially Aquinas, and early modern philosophy
For more information about our faculty, visit www.luc.edu/philosophy/faculty.shtml.
Application Requirements
Applicants to M.A. degree programs generally have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0; applicants to a Ph.D. degree program generally have a GPA of at least 3.3. Normally, admission to the Ph.D. degree program is only granted to students whose background includes an undergraduate major in philosophy or its equivalent.
- A $50 application fee
- A completed application form. To apply, go to www.luc.edu/gpem
- Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work
- Scores for the GRE (general examination)
- Three letters of recommendation (usually from referees familiar with the applicant's academic work. Applicants who have not recently been in school, especially those applying for an M.A. degree in applied philosophy, may wish to supply letters from other sources)
- A statement of purpose describing academic and research interests, as well as professional goals
- A research paper
- Either a TOEFL or IELTS score report is required for international applicants whose native language is not English. For the TOEFL, a score of at least 213 on the computer-based test or 550 on the written test is required. The minimum score for the new TOEFL iBT (Internet-based test) is 79. For the IELTS, a minimum score of 6.5 is required.
- International applicants, or U.S. applicants who completed school abroad, are required to submit non-U.S. transcripts to Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE). For more information, contact ECE at 414-289-3400 or visit www.ece.org
Please request a general evaluation report and have the official report sent to Loyola University Chicago, Graduate Enrollment Management, 820 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.
Application Deadlines
Ph.D. Degree Program: Fall admission, January 15 (for assistantship applicants) or April 15
M.A. Degree Program: Rolling Admissions
Deadlines and application requirements are subject to change. Visit www.luc.edu/philosophy for the most up-to-date information.
Contact Information
The application and all supporting documents must be sent to Graduate Enrollment Management at the following address:
Graduate Enrollment Management
Loyola University Chicago
820 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Phone: 312.915.8950
E-mail: GradApp@luc.edu
For more information about the academic program, or to arrange a visit, please contact:
Department of Philosophy
Loyola University Chicago
6525 N. Sheridan Road
Chicago, Illinois 60626
Phone: 773.508.2291
Fax: 773.508.2292
www.luc.edu/philosophy