PhD Program Admissions
Admissions Information
The only way to apply for admission to the Philosophy PhD program is by filling out an online application. The application can be accessed via the following linked website from The Graduate School at Northwestern:
The online application for matriculation in Fall 2025 is now available. All application materials are submitted via the online application system, CollegeNet, at the above link. Your application and all supplemental materials must be received by the application deadline of Monday, January 6, 2025. NOTE: The application deadline has passed, and applications are now closed. We will open the application program for the 2026-27 academic year sometime in September.
Application Materials
The Department of Philosophy requires the following supplemental application materials:
- Transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended. Students working toward a master's degree at another institution should submit transcripts of all undergraduate work as well as transcripts of all graduate work completed at the time of filing the application. The department accepts the uploading of unofficial transcripts when you apply. Once accepted into the program, The Graduate School will require the submission of official (bearing the registrar's signature and/or the institution's seal) transcripts.
- At least three letters of recommendation. The recommendation form is available as part of the online application and is sent directly to the letter writers 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 internet.
- Academic Statement - This statement concerning your academic interests and goals should not exceed two single-spaced pages.
- Personal Statement - Please include in the personal statement a description of any particular challenges or hardships faced during your academic trajectory. The personal statement should not exceed one single-spaced page.
- Writing Sample - 10-20 pages, double-spaced.
- TOEFL Scores are required for applicants who are not native English speakers, although this requirement will be waived for those who have completed four years as an undergraduate, or two years as an MA student, in an institution where all instruction is conducted in English. 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 577 for the paper-based test and 233 for the computer-based test. The minimum score required for the iBT TOEFL is 90. 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/requirements/test-scores/index.html.
The following supplemental materials are optional, but not required:
- A cluster statement expressing your interest in participating in an interdisciplinary graduate cluster. Please see Mellon Clusters in the Humanities and Qualitative Social Sciences: The Graduate School - Northwestern University for information about the themes and activities of the various clusters.
- 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.
* The department provides a holistic review for each application. For those applicants who choose to submit GRE scores, these count as simply one data point among many. They are not used to filter out any applications. The absence of GRE scores in an applicant's dossier has no negative impact; when GRE scores are not submitted, the applicant will be assessed entirely on the basis of the required materials.
If you have any questions about the graduate application process that cannot be answered by consulting the Frequently Asked Questions page, the Department of Philosophy website, or The Graduate School's Admissions website, please feel free to email the Philosophy Graduate Program Coordinator at: philgradadmissions@northwestern.edu