UC San Diego Philosophy Graduate Program Ranked 16th in the Nation
Faculty excellence recognized in Kant, philosophy of action, philosophy of physics and more
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Interdisciplinarity is at the heart of UC San Diego’s Department of Philosophy, which invites students to explore philosophy at the intersections of science, humanities, technology and health. The graduate program was recently ranked 16th in the nation in the Philosophical Gourmet Report, rising three spots from the previous ranking published in 2021.
“Our philosophy faculty grapple with big issues that are both timeless and highly relevant, from the ethics of technology development to the impacts of misinformation and the complexity of moral responsibility,” said Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities Cristina Della Coletta. “Their expertise, coupled with a passion for preparing the next generation of researchers and academics, has shaped a standout graduate program.”
The Philosophical Gourmet Report is a longstanding, international ranking of Ph.D. programs, including both overall and specialty rankings. The report rates graduate programs primarily on the basis of the quality of faculty, which is calculated by a survey of over 200 philosophers at institutions from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
In addition to receiving high marks overall, the Department of Philosophy was ranked among the top 10 nationally in several categories. These include being among the top two programs for the philosophy of Immanuel Kant; top four for the philosophy of action; top six for the philosophy of physics; and top seven for general philosophy of science.
Special notice was also given for early modern 18th century philosophy, moral psychology, ancient Greek and Roman philosophy and the philosophy of psychological, cognitive and brain sciences.
“We are pleased to see that our overall ranking rose, with many of our specialties highly recognized,” shared UC Distinguished Professor and Interim Department Chair David O. Brink. “Our program is unique for the breadth and strength of research produced, the ways we foster a culture of collaboration among our scholars and our ability to attract an exceptionally diverse graduate student body.”
UC San Diego’s Department of Philosophy offers a broad range of traditional and interdisciplinary topics, with special strengths in moral and political philosophy, history of philosophy, philosophy of mind and language and philosophy of science. Courses are led by 28 faculty, who welcome graduate student participation in seminars, reading groups and workshops as well as formal mentorship throughout their studies.
The collegial and supportive environment in UC San Diego’s Department of Philosophy was what initially attracted Shelly Shi to the program. “A graduate student from another institution told me that student happiness is the most underrated, yet most important, factor in picking a graduate program,” said Shi, one of 47 current graduate students. “I heard UC San Diego is the nicest place for philosophy of physics, a ‘happy’ place to do philosophy.”
Not only a welcoming place to study, Shi also describes her peers and professors as an extended family. “The overall academic community, especially in philosophy of science, is very supportive,” she said. “We spend time together outside of work, celebrating holidays and even going on an annual camping trip—which I believe is a 20-year-old tradition initiated by our most influential philosopher of science, Nancy Cartwright.”
This year's graduate student camping trip took the scholars to Palm Springs.
Recent graduates of the program have gone on to earn fellowships and teaching positions at universities around the world. Jada Wiggleton-Little is assistant professor of philosophy at The Ohio State University; Eugene Chua is assistant professor of philosophy at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore; Kathleen Connelly is an instructor and visiting scholar at the Chair of Philosophy and Political Theory at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, Germany; and Shawn Wang is assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Washington, Seattle.
The Department of Philosophy resides in the School of Arts and Humanities at UC San Diego. Prospective students are invited to explore the department’s Philosophical Gourmet rankings as well as reach out to one or more of the 28 faculty members whom they are interested in connecting with.
“We recognize that small differences in ranking are not significant and that it is much more important for prospective students to identify individual faculty members, faculty clusters, and program cultures and environments that they find congenial and supportive,” said Brink.
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