Philosophy and Psychology Combined Ph.D. Program

The Philosophy and Psychology Combined Ph.D. Program is a program offered by the Departments of Philosophy and Psychology at Yale for students who are interested in doing both empirical and theoretical work in philosophy and psychology. Students enrolled in the program complete a series of courses in each discipline as well as an interdisciplinary dissertation that falls at the intersection of the two. On completing these requirements, students are awarded a Ph.D. either in Philosophy and Psychology, or in Psychology and Philosophy.

Students who apply to this program should have sufficient background for admission to both philosophy and psychology PhD programs, including both a philosophical background sufficient to apply for a philosophy PhD and prior empirical or technical work sufficient to apply for a psychology PhD. 

Students who wish to join the combined program but who do not already have the required background in both disciplines can initially apply to just one of the disciplines, then begin working in the other discipline after they are enrolled in graduate study and, if the wish, apply to the combined program once they have acquired the requisite background. Those whose interests lie at the intersection of philosophy and psychology, but who are primarily interested in psychologically informed philosophy, should apply directly to the Philosophy PhD program.  Those whose interests lie at the intersection of philosophy and psychology, but who are primarily interested in philosophically informed psychology, should apply directly to the Psychology PhD program. 

Admissions

Students can be admitted into the combined program through either Psychology or through Philosophy. Students must be accepted into one of these departments (the ‘home department’) through the standard admissions process, and both departments must then agree to accept the student into the combined program.

Students can be accepted into the combined program either:

  • at the time they initially apply for admission to their home department 
  • or after having already completed some coursework within the home department

Requirements

  • Eight philosophy courses: a suitable course in logic (unless the logic requirement is satisfied in some other way), the First Year Seminar, and two courses in each of the following areas :
    • metaphysics, theory of knowledge, philosophy of science
    • ethics, aesthetics, philosophy of religion, political philosophy, and theory of value
    • history of philosophy
  • Three psychology courses: one in statistics, one in the student’s primary research area and one outside of the student’s primary research area

  1. A first-year research paper in psychology, due in the second semester
  2. A pre-dissertation research project in psychology, due in the fourth semester

  • One qualifying paper in the history of philosophy
  • One thematic paper that involves work in both philosophy and psychology (and would be approved by a faculty member in each department)

See the Prospectus requirements for the Philosophy PhD.

Conducted under the supervision of faculty both in philosophy and in psychology the student will write one dissertation.  The Philosophy Department requires a dissertation defense.  See the Philosophy dissertation requirements.