A student must complete 60 credits of course work with at least a B average.
Credits in Other Fields: Up to 15 credits may, with the approval of the Executive Officer, be taken in related areas. Students admitted with an M.A. in philosophy are allowed 6 credits in related fields.
Transfer Credits: No more than 20 credits may be transferred from other programs. No transfer credits will be approved until the student completes four courses with at least a B average. The Executive Officer will determine how many credits the student may transfer.
Satisfactory Academic Progress: Students must be making satisfactory progress toward the degree in order to maintain status at The Graduate Center and to be eligible for any student financial assistance. A student is deemed not to be making satisfactory progress if he or she has a grade point average below 3.00, has accumulated more than two open grades (“INC,” “INP,” “NGR,” “ABS,” and “ABP”), has completed 45 credits without having passed the First Examination, has completed 10 semesters without having passed the Second Examination, has received two “NRP” grades in succession, or has exceeded the time limit for the degree. The Graduate Center reviews each student’s record every semester. If formal standards have not been met, a student may register (and receive financial aid, if otherwise eligible) only upon petition of the student’s Deputy Executive Officer to the Vice President for Student Affairs. Students whose petitions are approved are considered to be making satisfactory progress toward the degree and are eligible to receive financial aid.
Distribution Requirements: Courses are organized into five groups:
- Group A: metaphysics, philosophy of language, philosophy of logic and mathematics.
- Group B: epistemology, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, philosophy of biology, philosophy of physics.
- Group C: ethics, political philosophy, aesthetics, philosophy of law.
- Group D: history of philosophy.
- Group E: logic.
Students are required to take two courses from each of groups A, B, C, and D, and one course from group E. The distribution areas towards which a given course counts will be determined by the faculty member in consultation with the Executive Officer. No course shall count towards more than two distribution areas. A student may count a course towards at most one area. A student must achieve a grade of at least B for a course to count toward satisfying a distribution requirement. For ways of completing the logic requirement see here.