The Philosophy Department at the University of Chicago offers exceptionally broad and deep programs in western philosophy at the doctoral and baccalaureate levels, in a lively, congenial, and intellectually stimulating atmosphere.

Chicago is distinctive among American universities in having more graduate students than undergraduates in a way that is advantageous to both groups. The College is separately administered with programs and opportunities designed exclusively for undergraduates. Thus, it provides the individual attention and focus on undergraduate concerns that are the hallmark of liberal-arts colleges---but with the added bonus of the resources and distinguished faculty of a world-class research institution.

Yet that same exclusiveness and modest size of the College is also a boon to the University's larger focus on graduate education. For, since the number of undergraduates is comparatively small for a university of its size, the proportion of faculty teaching devoted to graduate education can be correspondingly larger. More specifically, in contrast to the typical three-to-one ratio of undergraduate to graduate teaching at major universities, the ratio at Chicago is two-to-two. This means, in effect that, in comparison with departments of comparable size at most other institutions, the Philosophy Department here can offer roughly twice as many graduate courses, including small seminars, tutorials, workshops, co-taught courses, and the like---not to mention individual guidance and advising.

The Department presently has twenty regular faculty members (and expects to add two or three more in the next year or two). In addition, the Department typically has two or three visiting faculty and/or post-doctoral fellows adding variety and depth to the philosophical community (and course offerings). Finally, interdisciplinarity is something of a prized "trademark" of this institution---meaning not only that there are frequent courses and seminars co-taught by philosophers and professors in other disciplines, but also that philosophy graduate students often take courses and seminars in other fields, and, indeed, have specialists in allied disciplines on their advisory committees. Such institutionally fostered "cross-fertilization" significantly enriches the research and collegial environment for faculty and graduate students alike.

While we are a "full service" department in the western philosophical tradition, there are certain areas of distinctive strength or character that merit special mention. The history of German idealism, from Kant forward, has long been and remains an outstanding strength of the program in philosophy at Chicago. More recently, the depth and breadth of our offerings in classical Greek philosophy have become genuinely noteworthy, all the more so in conjunction with the very active Chicago-area Consortium in Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy. Yet again, there is a sizeable and vigorous group of faculty and students working together on contemporary issues in the philosophy of mind and language---often but not always with reference to Wittgenstein. And, finally, the Chicago department is an important center of nineteenth- and twentieth-century "continental" philosophy.

But here another point bears emphasis. Sometimes, large departments with strength in several areas become "compartmentalized" (or even factionalized), such that students need to ally themselves with one or another group in order to be taken seriously. Such divisions can arise between contemporary research and historical scholarship, or theoretical and practical philosophy, or (most notoriously) "continental" and "analytic" philosophy. The department here is not thus divided, and for a simple, compelling reason: most of the faculty already straddle one or more of those divisions in their own interests, and so are in no position to "take sides". (We encourage this ecumenism among our students as well.)

All students admitted to the doctoral program in the Philosophy Department are offered a generous five-year fellowship package, designed to make it possible for them to work on philosophy full-time. With very rare exceptions (such as affirmative action), all admitted applicants are offered the very same package, and are offered it at exactly the same time. There are no invidious distinctions, such as differential stipends or waiting lists.

In addition to the basic package, students who are making satisfactory progress will be awarded summer stipends for each of three summers. These are not competitive; they are contingent only the respective student's progress through the program. Finally, there are a number of fellowships available for sixth-year support (if needed). These, however, are competitive; not everyone who applies will be awarded one.

The number of doctoral students actively in residence at a time hovers around forty-five or fifty. The number of undergraduate majors (including dual majors) tends to be about sixty or a few more. (The Department does not have a self-standing masters-degree program. Students interested in a masters degree are referred to the Master of Arts Program in the Humanities.)