1. General Information
The Committee for Philosophy and the Sciences (CPaS) is a research and teaching unit of the Department of Philosophy. (CPaS replaces two previous committees, the Committee for the History and Philosophy of Science, and the Committee for Cognitive Studies.) The Department of Philosophy is part of the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Maryland, College Park, and as such is bound by all the rules and policies of these bodies. It is the student's responsibility to be informed about these rules and policies, which are summarized in the University of Maryland Graduate Catalog, available on the web at: http://www.gradschool.umd.edu/catalog/requirements.html, and also to be informed about the rules and policies of the Department of Philosophy, which are set out in the Department's Handbook of Rules and Policies for Graduate Study.
The Committee is the official interpreter of the rules and policies set forth here, which delegates the power in the first instance to the Chairperson. The Committee retains the right to modify, alter, overrule, or change any of the rules or policies set forth here, in accord with its established practices for doing so.
CPaS administers an interdisciplinary graduate specialization leading to an MA or PhD degree in philosophy for students who are interested in pursuing philosophically informed foundational research in an area of science, and will be of particular interest to students who already have a substantial background in that science. Relevant sciences include physics, biology, neuroscience, psychology, computer science, artificial intelligence, and linguistics, all of which are strongly represented on campus. There are two tracks, with different course requirements: a philosophy of science track and a cognitive studies track.
Students who do not have the requisite science background and wish to do graduate work in philosophy of science or cognitive studies have the option of working towards an MA or PhD degree under the regulations of the general Philosophy Graduate Program.
Graduate students in the sciences are encouraged to inquire about arrangements for seminar projects and independent reading courses directed by members of CPaS. In some cases, a minor in philosophy of science can be developed for interested students working on graduate degrees in other disciplines.
Although CPaS has no formal program of post-doctoral studies, the Committee will consider supervising post-doctoral research by individuals who have secured fellowships or outside funding. Under appropriate circumstances, such researchers may be appointed as CPaS Research Associates. Scholars from various universities in the US and abroad have availed themselves of this opportunity.
A student with an undergraduate science degree is eligible for admission, but should have done course work in philosophy sufficient to demonstrate potential for successful graduate work with the Committee. Similarly, a student with an undergraduate degree in philosophy should have done enough course work in science to demonstrate potential for successful graduate work under the Committee. Scientific background will be taken into account in deciding whether to grant admission.
The Philosophy Department admits students with a bachelor's degree into either the MA or the PhD program. Students entering the doctoral program directly can earn the MA degree along the way to the PhD degree. Note that successful completion of an MA degree does not automatically guarantee admission to the doctoral program.
The following minimum standards normally apply to all students seeking admission to the CPaS specialization: a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 (B) overall, and higher in philosophy and science; recent Graduate Record Examination scores in the 60'th percentile or above (for admission to the MA program) or the 70'th percentile or above (for admission to the PhD program) in the verbal, quantitative, and analytic portions of the examination (advanced field examinations are not required); references from individuals who can testify to the candidate's promise in a program of graduate study; and evidence of scholarly writing ability.
Admission to the CPaS specialization requires approval by both the CPaS Admissions Sub-Committee and the Admissions Committee of the Philosophy Department. Students who have been offered admission by the Philosophy Department must check to determine whether they have also been admitted by CPaS.
Students interested in the CPaS specialization should indicate this interest when requesting information and application materials from the Philosophy Department. Students should seek admission to the CPaS specialization when they apply to the Philosophy Department graduate program, by indicating 'CPaS / philosophy of science' or 'CPaS / cognitive studies' as their 'specialization' on the Graduate School Application.
Complete applications forms and supporting documentation, including transcripts of previous work, must be sent to the Graduate School. The following items should be sent directly to the Philosophy Department Admissions Committee: three letters of recommendation from previous instructors, at least one of whom is familiar with the applicant's work in philosophy; a copy of a paper dealing with some problem or issue in philosophy; recent scores on the Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytic sections of the Graduate Record Examination Aptitude Test; application for financial support for those applying for teaching assistantships or fellowships. None of the above items should be sent directly to CPaS, but applicants should notify CPaS when they have submitted their applications so that CPaS can obtain copies of their files to initiate a review.
For applicants seeking financial support, applications for the fall semester should be submitted by February 1. Applicants not applying for financial support will be considered on a space available basis if they apply by May 1. (Note: these dates are subject to change and should be taken only as approximations. Applicants should check the current Graduate Admission Application and contact the Philosophy Department to confirm deadlines for fall and spring admissions.) Foreign applicants should apply earlier to ensure that there is enough time to process a visa application.
A written offer of admission is made to an applicant who meets all admission requirements and is accepted. The offer must be accepted or declined by the date specified in the offer, otherwise it lapses and the space is reassigned to another applicant. A student whose offer of admission has lapsed must submit a new application and fee in order to be reconsidered for admission at a later date. The offer of admission is a permit to register for courses and must be presented by the student at the time of first registration.
For Master's and non-degree students, all requirements, including any examinations, must be completed within five years of entrance into the program, unless a shorter period is specified in the offer of admission. A doctoral student must be admitted to candidacy within five years of entrance and must complete all remaining requirements within four years after admission to candidacy. The admission to the doctoral program terminates if these conditions are not met.
For further information or application materials, contact the CPaS Office at (301) 405-5691 or at
hp26@umail.umd.edu, or write to Chair, CPaS, 1102 Skinner Bldg., University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA. To request an application or to apply on-line, go to:
http://www.testudo.umd.edu/admissions/
The University of Maryland subscribes to a policy of equal educational opportunity regardless of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. The Committee especially encourages applications from women and members of minority groups.
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