History and Philosophy of Science, PhD
Philosophy of Science, philosophy
This program offers you a valuable opportunity to study the history and philosophy of science while embedded among biologists within ASU's School of Life Sciences. You can benefit from participating in the university's interdisciplinary culture and integrate coursework from the sciences into your education.
The history and philosophy of science is an interdisciplinary field that traces its origin to foundational works such as Thomas Kuhn's "Structure of Scientific Revolutions." The field is based on the idea that the best way to understand science is to study how it changes over time, along with careful analysis of its concepts and fundamental principles.
The PhD program in history and philosophy of science combines training in the core areas of history and philosophy of science with an emphasis on interdisciplinary studies of the sciences, including:
- computational history and philosophy of science
- foundations of evolutionary theory
- general philosophy of science and epistemology
- history and philosophy of applied ethics and science policy
- history of 19th and 20th century biology
The program is especially appropriate for students with an undergraduate or master's degree in philosophy, history, or the sciences and for those who seek to broaden their disciplinary studies. Science students who have not taken relevant undergraduate humanistic core courses can make up these courses during their first years in the program.
- College/school:
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Location: Tempe
84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation
Required Core (6 credit hours) Restricted Program Electives (30 credit hours) Program Electives (24 credit hours) Research (12 credit hours) Dissertation (12 credit hours) Additional Curriculum Information HPS 615 Biology and Society Lab is a one-credit-hour course focused on student presentations of works in progress. Students must register for it three times during their graduate study.
HPS 615 Biology and Society Lab (3)
HPS 620 Research Prospectus Writing (3)
HPS 792 Research (12)
HPS 799 Dissertation (12)
An individual student program is developed in consultation with the student's advisor and committee.
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution of recognized standing in a related field such as history, philosophy, or history and philosophy of science, as well as a demonstrated background and interest in one or more sciences.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
All applicants must submit:
- graduate admission application and application fee
- official transcripts
- academic record form
- personal statement
- curriculum vitae or resume
- writing sample
- three letters of recommendation
- proof of English proficiency
Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program has the following program outcomes:
- Able to articulate an understanding of current literature on scientific developments and their relevance to society in scholarly writing.
- Able to contribute to original history and philosophy of science research in scholarly writing.
- Able to communicate history and philosophy of science research results in presentations.
A doctorate in history and philosophy of science provides strong preparation for academic careers at every level from community colleges to research universities, including research, teaching and administration, and science communication. The skills and knowledge obtained in this program are also valuable for government careers in federal and state agencies responsible for management and conservation, and for careers in industry and nongovernmental organizations.
Career examples include:
- food, agriculture and health care scientists in academic, private and industrial labs
- principal investigators and policymakers in government labs and nonprofit organizations
- professors or instructors in universities and colleges
- science teachers in elementary and high schools
- wildlife, animal and conservation scientists
School of Life Sciences
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LSA 181
sols.grad@asu.edu
480-965-1768
3 year programs
These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
