harvard phd in philosophy

Undergraduate Program

Philosophy studies many of humanity’s fundamental questions, to reflect on these questions and answer them in a systematic, explicit, and rigorous way—relying on careful argumentation, and drawing from outside fields as diverse as economics, literature, religion, law, mathematics, the physical sciences, and psychology. While most of the tradition of philosophy is Western, the department seeks to connect with non-Western traditions like Islam and Buddhism.

The Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree is designed for industry professionals with years of work experience who wish to complete their degrees part time, both on campus and online, without disruption to their employment. Our typical student is over 30, has previously completed one or two years of college, and works full time.

The graduate program in philosophy at Harvard offers students the opportunity to work and to develop their ideas in a stimulating and supportive community of fellow doctoral students, faculty members, and visiting scholars. Among the special strengths of the department are moral and political philosophy, aesthetics, epistemology, philosophy of logic, philosophy of language, the history of analytic philosophy, ancient philosophy, Kant, and Wittgenstein.

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The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program is jointly offered by HDS and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Find detailed information about PhD fields of study and program requirements on the Committee on the Study of Religion website.

With a focus on global religions, religion and culture, and forces that shape religious traditions and thought, the PhD prepares students for advanced research and scholarship in religion and theological studies. 

Resources for the study of religion at Harvard are vast. We offer courses in the whole range of religious traditions from the ancient Zoroastrian tradition to modern Christian liberation movements, Islamic and Jewish philosophies, Buddhist social movements, and Hindu arts and culture. Some of us work primarily as historians, others as scholars of texts, others as anthropologists, although the boundaries of these methodologies are never firm. Some of us are adherents of a religious tradition; others are not at all religious. The Study of Religion is exciting and challenging precisely because of the conversations that take place across the complexities of disciplines, traditions, and intellectual commitments.

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While we strive to keep this list accurate and updated, the Course Catalog my.harvard.edu is the official record of all Harvard courses. 

For an explanation of the abbreviations used in the "subareas" column, please see the concentration page .

Click here for brief descriptions of select 2024 spring courses.

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Students may study for a PhD degree in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning. An additional track in Architectural Technology is also available. This degree is administered jointly by the Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Therefore, students benefit from a dual affiliation with both schools.

The program is mainly geared towards individuals who wish to enter academic teaching and research careers. Students are afforded a high degree of flexibility in their studies, however areas of work are broadly organized into the following areas: the Theory and History of Architecture, Architectural Technology, the Theory and History of Landscape Architecture, and the Evolution of Cities and Regions. 

• Theory and History of Architecture:  

Students interested in this area typically study buildings, architectural texts, technologies, and their political, social, and cultural contexts through the early modern, modern, and contemporary eras. 

• Architectural Technology:  

Doctoral research in architectural technology at the GSD aims to advance current  knowledge in green building, for example, and will typically involve issues related to engineering, computation, and digital simulations. 

• Theory and History of Landscape Architecture : 

Students whose research focuses on the theory and history of landscape architecture typically investigate the  ways in which the  natural environment has been thought of, represented, and transformed, from the early modern to the contemporary period. 

• Evolution of Cities and Regions:

Students may be interested in the subject of cities  from a formal standpoint and/or develop an additional emphasis on various social, economic, technological, infrastructural, and ecological dimensions of urban life.

For biographies of current students and more information about their research interests, click here .

After graduation, PhD program alumni typically teach in design schools, or in history or history of art and architecture departments, landscape architecture and environmental studies departments, and urban studies and/or urban planning departments. Some alumni also work in the science, technology, and society domain on governmental and policy issues of particular relevance to their research.

Program Director and Administrator

Antoine Picon , G. Ware Travelstead Professor of the History of Architecture and Technology at the GSD is the current director of the program.

Margaret Moore de Chicojay is the PhD program administrator and key point of contact for incoming and current students. Contact: [email protected]

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Ph.d. in the study of religion.

The doctor of philosophy (PhD) program in religion at Harvard dates from 1934, when the Faculty of Arts and Sciences established a degree of PhD in "The History and Philosophy of Religion." Its purpose, as stated by the Faculty, was "to make possible a course of studies which shall enable the candidate both to lay a broad and sufficient foundation for teaching and study within the field of religion, and to do individual research at some point in that field." In accordance with that expressed intention, the Faculty voted in 1963 to name the program the Study of Religion.

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Students in our PhD programs are encouraged from day one to think of this experience as their first job in business academia—a training ground for a challenging and rewarding career generating rigorous, relevant research that influences practice.

Our doctoral students work with faculty and access resources throughout HBS and Harvard University. The PhD program curriculum requires coursework at HBS and other Harvard discipline departments, and with HBS and Harvard faculty on advisory committees. Faculty throughout Harvard guide the programs through their participation on advisory committees.

How do I know which program is right for me?

There are many paths, but we are one HBS. Our PhD students draw on diverse personal and professional backgrounds to pursue an ever-expanding range of research topics. Explore more here about each program’s requirements & curriculum, read student profiles for each discipline as well as student research , and placement information.

The PhD in Business Administration grounds students in the disciplinary theories and research methods that form the foundation of an academic career. Jointly administered by HBS and GSAS, the program has four areas of study: Accounting and Management , Marketing , Strategy , and Technology and Operations Management . All areas of study involve roughly two years of coursework culminating in a field exam. The remaining years of the program are spent conducting independent research, working on co-authored publications, and writing the dissertation. Students join these programs from a wide range of backgrounds, from consulting to engineering. Many applicants possess liberal arts degrees, as there is not a requirement to possess a business degree before joining the program

The PhD in Business Economics provides students the opportunity to study in both Harvard’s world-class Economics Department and Harvard Business School. Throughout the program, coursework includes exploration of microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, probability and statistics, and econometrics. While some students join the Business Economics program directly from undergraduate or masters programs, others have worked in economic consulting firms or as research assistants at universities or intergovernmental organizations.

The PhD program in Health Policy (Management) is rooted in data-driven research on the managerial, operational, and strategic issues facing a wide range of organizations. Coursework includes the study of microeconomic theory, management, research methods, and statistics. The backgrounds of students in this program are quite varied, with some coming from public health or the healthcare industry, while others arrive at the program with a background in disciplinary research

The PhD program in Organizational Behavior offers two tracks: either a micro or macro approach. In the micro track, students focus on the study of interpersonal relationships within organizations and the effects that groups have on individuals. Students in the macro track use sociological methods to examine organizations, groups, and markets as a whole, including topics such as the influence of individuals on organizational change, or the relationship between social missions and financial objectives. Jointly administered by HBS and GSAS, the program includes core disciplinary training in sociology or psychology, as well as additional coursework in organizational behavior.

Accounting & Management  

Business economics  , health policy (management)  , marketing  , organizational behavior  , strategy  , technology & operations management  .

Doctoral Degrees

Doctor of public health (drph) program.

A doctoral degree for those who want to translate knowledge into powerful results as the leader of a public health organization:

Doctor of Public Health

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs

All PhD programs at Harvard University are administered by the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS), and applications are processed through the Harvard Griffin GSAS online application system .

The following three PhD programs are based at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, designed for students seeking specialized scientific and technical expertise to propel an academic or research career:

PhD in Biological Sciences in Public Health PhD in Biostatistics PhD in Population Health Sciences

Harvard PhD program in Health Policy The PhD in Health Policy is a collaborative program among six Harvard University schools, including the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Harvard University PhD in Philosophy & Religious Studies

How much does a doctorate in philosophy & religious studies from harvard cost, harvard graduate tuition and fees.

Does Harvard Offer an Online PhD in Philosophy & Religious Studies?

Harvard doctorate student diversity for philosophy & religious studies, male-to-female ratio.

About 64.3% of the students who received their PhD in philosophy and religious studies in 2019-2020 were women. This is higher than the nationwide number of 31.7%.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

Racial-ethnic minority graduates* made up 14.3% of the philosophy and religious studies doctor’s degrees at Harvard in 2019-2020. This is lower than the nationwide number of 19%.

PhD in Philosophy & Religious Studies Focus Areas at Harvard

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PhD Program Requirements

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Harvard Griffin GSAS strives to provide students with timely, accurate, and clear information. If you need help understanding a specific policy, please contact the office that administers that policy.

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In addition to the common degree requirements expected of Harvard Griffin GSAS students, students must meet additional requirements specified by their department or program. This section provides additional degree requirements by academic program.

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IGLP Visiting Researchers

The following scholars were affiliated with the IGLP for all or part of the 2023-2024 academic year.

2023-2024 Researchers

Yifeng Chen

Yifeng Chen joins the IGLP as an Associate Professor at Peking University Law School. His research aims to develop a historical account of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in its promotion of industrialism as both a desired form of economic life as well as a legitimate institution for labour governance. By focusing on labour protection through regulating the industrial conditions and industrial relations, the ILO invented itself profoundly an industrial, economic organization, as much as a humanitarian one.

His project mainly employs historical studies including research into the archives of the ILO as well as its official documents. In addition, the project, being interdisciplinary by nature, will also look into sociological studies, economics and political philosophy.

Petter Danckwardt

Petter Danckwardt is a PhD student in international law at Örebro University. His doctoral project focuses on recognition of states and governments in international law. He has taught international law and constitutional law at Stockholm and Uppsala University and has previously worked as a law clerk at Södertörn District Court and as a case officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He holds an LLM from Stockholm University and a master’s degree in political philosophy from Södertörn University.

Javier Garcia Amez

Javier Garcia Amez joins the IGLP as an Assistant Professor in Criminal Law at Oviedo University. He holds a Bachelor in Law (Oviedo University, 2005) and PhD in Law (Oviedo University, 2014). He has been a visiting researcher at Harvard Law School, Konstanz University (Germany), and Yale Law School (USA). He has published two books, book chapters (23), and articles (26) in topics such as Environmental Law, Criminal Law, and Gender Violence. At this moment, his research is focused on psychological harm to women and coercive control.

Anaïs Mattez

Anaïs Mattez is a PhD candidate and researcher at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), School of Law. Her research explores the restitution of cultural objects and the decolonisation of heritage more generally. In her doctoral dissertation, she analyses the ideological undertones and political influences surrounding the implementation of the 1970 UNESCO Convention. During her stay at IGLP, she plans to explore critical approaches to cultural property.

Claudia San Martin Rodriguez

Claudia San Martin graduated in Law at the Complutense University of Madrid and holds an LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law from the Carlos III University of Madrid. She is a researcher and PhD student at Complutense University of Madrid and has been a legal consultant in the Digital Transformation department at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), working on the IP Register in Blockchain project. Previously, she has been a legal consultant at Grant Thornton Madrid and training manager at the Santander Financial Institute (Banco Santander), in projects related to Blockchain.

Claudia is specialized in data protection and intellectual property, and has been lawyer for the brands Hackett, Tommy Hilfiger and Pepe Jeans London in Spain and Portugal. She is currently focused on research on this matter and Blockchain and during her stay at the IGLP she will analyze its applicable regulations in the US and Europe.

Adriane Sanctis de Brito

Adriane Sanctis is a Visiting Scholar at Harvard Law School’s IGLP (2023-2024). She is a co-founder of LAUT, a Brazilian think tank focused on authoritarianism. She holds a PhD from the University of São Paulo (USP) and was previously a professor (adjunct) at its International Relations Institute. She taught critical legal theory, comparative constitutionalism, and international law.

She researches the international histories of legal imagination related to peace, humanitarianism, and the suppression of the slave trade. Her book Seeking Capture, Resisting Seizure: An International Legal History of the Anglo-Brazilian Treaty for the Suppression of the Slave Trade (1826-1845) is forthcoming in the Max Planck Institute’s “Global Perspectives on Legal History” series. She worked on the research that led to her book while she was a Kathleen Fitzpatrick Fellow at the University of Melbourne, and a visiting researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Luxemburg and at the University of Helsinki. At LAUT, she has headed projects examining how contemporary reactionary movements reimagine and reconfigure legal language and human rights.

Adam Strobejko

Adam Strobeyko is a Visiting Researcher working on the topics of R&D for biometric devices and the regulation of Genomic Sequencing Data (GSD) sharing platforms. He holds a PhD in International Law at the Geneva Graduate Institute (with distinction), a MA degree in International Public Management from Sciences Po Paris, and an LLB in European Law from Maastricht University.

Prior to joining IGLP, Adam was a Global Fellow at Guarini Global Law & Tech, NYU Law, and a doctoral researcher at the Global Health Centre, Geneva Graduate Institute, where he worked on issues related to countermeasure R&D, One Health, Access and Benefit Sharing and the Pandemic Treaty negotiations. Adam’s research focuses on the relation between public policy and innovation, and he is particularly interested in the role of expertise and novel regulatory approaches in global health law.

Nicole Stybnarova

Nicole Stybnarova is an Assistant Professor of International Law at Leiden University (Faculty of Global Governance and Affairs). Her PhD, completed at the University of Helsinki (Erik Castrén Insitute), addressed the regulation of marriage in Migration Law and Private International Law and its functioning in the global structure of wealth accumulation. Prior to joining Leiden University, she was a lecturer in International Law and Forced Migration at the University of Oxford (Refugee Studies Centre).

Nicole published multiple articles addressing topics at the intersections of migration law, IHRL, private international law, feminism, and political economy. She came to the IGLP to work on her current project which focuses on International Law and women’s social movements. She will study how women and their advocates used historically economic, feminist and international legal arguments to formulate their objectives for social emancipation and to have those advanced with international regulation.

Previous Researchers by Year

2023-2024   | 2022-2023  | 2021-2022   | 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 |  2018-2019  | 2017-2018 |  2016-2017

2015-2016 | 2014-2015 | 2013-2014 | 2012-2013 | 2011-2012 | 2010-2011 | 2009-2010 | 2008-2009

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Alysha Banerji

Alysha Banerji is a Ph.D candidate in Education at Harvard University, and a National Academy of  Education/ Spencer Dissertation Fellow. In her...

Yi Ning Chang

William Conroy

William Conroy is a PhD candidate in urban studies and planning at Harvard University. He is broadly interested in the theoretical dimensions of political-economic problems, and is currently focused on developing an abstract-theoretical account of capitalist urbanization and the production of space in capitalist society. ... Read more about William Conroy

Liya Haefner

Liya Haefner is a PhD candidate studying political theory and the history of...

Matthew Macdonald

Matthew Macdonald is a doctoral candidate in philosophy at Harvard University....

Guy Rubinstein

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Graduate Placement

The subsequent employment records of all the Philosophy Department’s post-2008 PhDs for those students who consented to make this information available is listed below. Names are withheld for privacy. One column of the table lists the initial position accepted upon graduation. The other lists regular employment updates for five years. 

Graduates by Year