Students may apply to either the University of Idaho or Washington State University. Residents of Idaho or Washington will likely want to apply in their home state in view of the difference between resident and non-resident tuition. Out of state applicants who anticipate making use of the program’s options for concentrated study in Environmental Philosophy or Ethics may wish to apply to the campus that primarily hosts that option (Environmental Philosophy at the University of Idaho and Ethics at Washington State University), although students may complete either Option at either university. Of course, many applicants will not know upon applying whether they will later wish to complete one of these options.

Admission to graduate work at either university is handled through the Graduate School of that university, which requires a standard application form and an official transcript sent directly from the applicant's previous educational institution. International students are required to submit proof of English competency and financial solvency as well.

The Philosophy Department at the university to which the student is applying requires a second copy of the transcript (unofficial or official), three letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and a substantial writing sample. (There is no fixed cut-off point for GRE scores, but they will be helpful to the departmental graduate committee in ranking applicants and in committing financial aid.)

Should the openings at either university be filled while there are still promising candidates seeking admission, those students will be considered for placement at the other university without the student needing to re-apply or pay a second application fee. A joint committee of the two departments will be selecting students for the program. Thus there is no benefit in applying simultaneously to both Graduate Schools.

Admitted students are expected to have either a degree in philosophy or university-level exposure to the following content areas: ethics, logic, history of modern philosophy, history of ancient philosophy, and some aspect of metaphysics and epistemology. Applicants who lack such exposure may still be admitted provisionally, pending completion of coursework in those content areas where deficiencies exist. Identification of deficiencies and necessary coursework will be done on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the applicant.

For more information on applying to graduate programs at Washington State University and the University of Idaho, please visit their Web sites.

Application Deadline: March 1st for August entry into the program and for full consideration for assistantships and financial aid. Later applications will be considered on a space-available basis.