PhD Programme in Philosophy
The study plan includes a total of 240 SCT credits, which fundamentally consider dedication to courses / seminars, meetings with the guide teacher, participation in colloquia or seminars, and hours of work / research that are usually carried out at the Institute of Philosophy.
The structure of the study plan is divided into 2 cycles: an initial school cycle – which is flexible and is organized according to the training and research needs of each student – and a final thesis cycle. From the beginning, the student will work with a guide teacher who will support and advise their trajectory in the program.
To obtain the degree of PhD in Philosophy, students must:
All elements of the curriculum will be evaluated with the concepts passed / failed.
This first cycle is made up of seminars, colloquia and the development of research. The seminars and other activities that the student must carry out will be established in their Training and Supervision Plan.
The specialty seminars (I to III) are based, preferably, on research carried out by the Institute’s academics and visiting scholars. These courses may be taught in a semester format (with weekly or biweekly sessions throughout the semester) or in a modular or intensive format (concentrated in a minimum time of 4 weeks with full dedication). Methodologies may vary. However, all of them will seek for the student to develop autonomous reading and research skills.
The activity called colloquia is a space for the student to make at least two annual presentations in conferences, meetings, colloquia, symposia or congresses (in semesters 1, 2, 3 and 4). The programme will promote, in the design of the training and supervision plans, that one of these colloquia be held at an international event, outside the UDP, ideally abroad. The colloquia are approved by presenting a certificate or other antecedent of participation.
The Research modules are intended for thesis work that starts gradually from the 1st semester. The objective is to specify the philosophical problem that the research is trying to address and to establish the different steps of the argumentation that will be developed. Therefore, the student must carry out an in-depth study of the primary and secondary bibliography of their research. The work methodology consists of writing reports and / or reading cards in the framework of an analysis and clarification of concepts, and regular meetings with the guide teacher.
On the other hand, in these modules, in addition to the autonomous research work carried out with their tutor, students must participate in a research seminar in virtual format, which allows the participation of doctoral students who are abroad, in which all the Cohorts present their research advances and receive feedback from teachers and their peers.
The school cycle lasts 4 semesters and ends with the Qualification Exam. This exam evaluates the development of the research project in its first stage and consists of two instances: one written and one oral. The written part must reflect the current status of the research and must be delivered by the student well in advance (at least two weeks) for review by the evaluation committee, which will be made up of the lead teacher and at least two other academics specialists (from the Diego Portales University or another). The writing must contain: the hypotheses of your work, a tentative index and summaries of chapters or sections of the thesis, if any. The oral part consists of a presentation before the commission, which will make comments and questions. In this instance, the student’s knowledge about the primary and secondary essential bibliography for their research is also examined.
Passing the Qualification Exam grants the student the category of PhD Candidate and enables him to advance to the next cycle of his doctorate.
In the second cycle of the Programme, students concentrate almost exclusively on the development of their thesis. One semester (in general, the sixth) must be done at a foreign university. The last two semesters are fully dedicated to writing the Doctoral Thesis.
The purpose of the research stay abroad is for the doctoral candidates to have an international experience at a university with recognized academics, so that they deepen their understanding of the subject of doctoral study, develop academic collaboration skills and expand their international research networks. Students seeking the double degree with any of the universities with a current agreement must carry out their stay at that university.
Additionally, during this cycle, doctoral students will continue to participate in the virtual research seminar that integrates all cohorts. On the other hand, the Programme will promote their participation in the teaching of undergraduate or master’s courses that are carried out at the IDF. This, although not a graduation requirement, will help doctoral students to accumulate teaching experience that facilitates their subsequent insertion in universities or other research and training spaces.
Language certifications
In relation to language, students seeking the double degree with the University of Leiden must have a Basic English certificate (see section 3.2 Admission Requirements and Selection Process), stating that they have a corresponding qualification level to the minimum required by the standards of the University of Leiden Master’s programs (IELTS: 6.5 / TOEFL: 570 (written test) / 230 (computer test) / 88-90 (Internet test) or equivalent). This qualification must be certified at the time of admission or, at the latest, before the stay in the Netherlands. During their stay, students can take free advanced courses in “academic English” taught by the University’s Academic Language Center [1]. These courses are required to have already passed the TOEFL according to the scores indicated above.
For their part, students pursuing the double degree within the FILORED framework must satisfy the language requirements that the respective German university requires.
[1] See http://www.hum.leiden.edu/languagecentre/academic-language-centre/about.html
The doctoral thesis consists of a scientific treatise in monograph format, which must not contain less than 80,000 words, nor exceed 100,000.
The final manuscript will be evaluated in the first instance by the guide professor, paying particular attention to the following aspects:
The approval of the guide professor is a requirement for the manuscript to be sent to the defense commission. The specific aspects related to the defense and approval of the thesis will be defined in the Programme regulations.
Periodically, the PhD students will present the results of their research to the academics of the Institute and to their fellow students. It is advisable that these results be published in specialized indexed journals, but they can also be published in other media or in the journal “Pensamiento Político”.
The student receives no grade or credit. The objective of this activity is to socialize the results and progress of the thesis in the academic community of the Institute of Philosophy.
[Only for cohorts 2012-2019]
All the curricular activities of the programme will be evaluated with Pass or Fail. The approval or disapproval of the Specialty Seminars will generally be based on a final monograph that will be corrected by the professor responsible for the course. The approval or disapproval of the Colloquia, Research, Thesis Workshop and Research Thesis will be based on the report of compliance or non-compliance of said activities (Annual Report), previously consigned in the Supervision Plan.
To approve or fail Teaching I, the professor responsible for the course must issue a report on the performance of the doctoral student through the Teaching I assistant evaluation guideline. Along with this, the doctoral student must respond to the Teaching I self-evaluation guideline. To pass or fail Teaching II, the supervising academic will visit two classes conducted by the doctoral student without prior notice. The first visit will take place during the first half of the course and is intended to prepare a preliminary assessment that will be communicated orally to the student in order for them to reflect on their teaching performance and seek to improve it. The second visit will take place during the second half of the course. Then, the supervising academic will issue a report according to the Observing Professor Teaching II evaluation guideline. Along with this, the doctoral student must respond to the Teaching II self-evaluation guideline.
