Application FAQ

Q. How do I apply?

A. The only way to apply for Admission and Financial Aid is ON-LINE through the following linked site from The Graduate School at Northwestern . The on-line application for the current academic year is available. All supplemental materials should be mailed in a single envelope directly to the Department of Philosophy, to the following address:

Northwestern University
Department of Philosophy
Graduate Admissions
Kresge Hall Room 2- 335
1880 Campus Drive
Evanston , IL 60208-2214

Please note that the Department of Philosophy requires the following supplemental materials :

• TWO official transcripts (bearing the registrar's signature and/or the institution's seal) from each post-secondary institution attended. This means that students working toward a master's degree at another institution should submit official transcripts of all undergraduate work as well as official transcripts of all graduate work completed at the time of filing the application.
• A minimum of two letters of recommendation . You may submit reference letters electronically or on paper . The recommendation form is available as part of the online application.

• Electronically : Electronic recommendations are sent directly to the admissions office through the online application system. Prior to requesting that your providers complete the recommendation online, be sure to check with them to ensure they have a personal email address and access to the Web.
  INSTRUCTIONS : Click on "Recommendations" on the left hand menu section of the online application. Click the "Recommendation Provider List" button. Click the "add" button in the "Current Provider List" box. Input the names and contact information for each recommender. Be sure to include an email address. Mark "Yes" for the online submission question on the Provider Input Form.

• Paper : Paper recommendations are sent directly to the Department of Philosophy as part of the supplemental materials packet. You do, however, still need to submit the recommendation provider's contact information electronically.
  INSTRUCTIONS : Click on "Recommendations" from the left hand menu section of the online application. Click the "Recommendation Provider List" button. Click the "add" button in the "Current Provider List" box. Input the names and contact information for each provider. Mark "No" for the online submission question on the Provider Input Form.
  The Graduate School does not have a specific recommendation form. Recommendation letters submitted through mail should be printed on official letterhead and contain the original signatures of your recommenders.  Your name and the name of the program to which you are applying should be included in each letter.  Be sure to have your recommenders sign the envelope across the envelope seal.  Submit your unopened letter of recommendations along with your other supplemental materials directly to the department of philosophy.

• Statement of Purpose (Your statement may be submitted electronically as part of the on-line application. The statement should not exceed 5,000 characters.)
• Writing Sample (10-20 pages)
• GRE Scores - Official scores must be less than five years old and must come directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The institutional code assigned to The Graduate School at Northwestern is 1565.
• TOEFL Scores are required for applicants whose undergraduate education , in whole or part, was taken at an institution in a country where English is not the native language . The language examination will be waived only for those who have completed all four Undergraduate years in a U.S. , British, Australian, or New Zealand institution, or in an English speaking institution in Canada or South Africa . Official scores must be less than two years old and must come directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The institutional code assigned to The Graduate School at Northwestern is 1565. The minimum TOEFL score for admission is 560 for the paper-based test and 220 for the computer-based test. The Graduate School will accept the results of the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) as a substitute for the TOEFL, with a floor of 7.0. For information regarding the internet based TOEFL exam and an explanation of the exam, please consult http://www.tgs.northwestern.edu/admission/materials/

Q. What is the deadline?

A. Your application and all supplemental materials must be received by December 31 .

Q. May I be admitted to the program without receiving financial aid?

A. No. All admitted students receive funding in the form of a University Fellowship (12-month stipend plus tuition waiver) for the first year. It is our policy to support graduate students through at least the fourth year, contingent on satisfactory progress in the program, in the form of teaching assistantships (9-month stipend plus tuition waiver). We also offer summer grants for continuing students, years 2-4 who are in good standing, to help them continue their research or obtain language instruction.  

Q. If I'm accepted, may I wait until winter or spring to begin graduate study?

A. No. Entering graduate students must begin their studies in the fall quarter.

Q. Do you have a master's degree program?

A. No. The department does not offer a terminal Master's Degree. You may, however, be awarded a Master's Degree en route to the Ph.D. Students who have completed two years of course work and satisfied the department's logic requirement are eligible for a Master's Degree.

Q. If I don't receive a University fellowship, may I get a teaching assistantship?

A. Teaching assistantships are awarded only to second-, third-, and fourth-year graduate students in good standing. Often such support is available to fifth-year students as well.

Q. How can I get more information about the Department of Philosophy?

A. Complete information about the department is available on this website. There is no other brochure or catalog produced by the department at this time. If you have questions that were not addressed in this site, write to the Graduate Secretary, Department of Philosophy, Kresge Hall Room 2-335, 1880 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208-2214, phone 847/491-3656, send a fax to 847-491-2547, or email the department at philosophy@northwestern.edu.

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