Statement of Purpose In no more than 800 words, please tell us (a) what your philosophical interests are and what intellectual questions you wish to understand better, (b) which experiences, skills, and philosophical and non-philosophical background will enable you successfully to carry out graduate work on your philosophical interests and (c) what, in light of these interests and experiences, your reasons are for applying to Georgia State University specifically. You may also include (d) any information that will help to contextualize the materials submitted with your application.
Writing Sample The writing sample is your opportunity to demonstrate that you can do strong philosophical work. A writing sample should be clearly written and well-organized, but should not be merely expository. Instead, it should be a persuasive or argumentative piece of writing that: (a) demonstrates a thorough understanding of the relevant positions and arguments, (b) advances a clear, easily identifiable thesis or point of view, (c) develops an argument for its thesis that identifies and responds to objections, and (d) engages successfully with the relevant scholarly literature on its topic. The writing sample should be a maximum of 6,000 words (not including the bibliography).
Three Letters of Recommendation
Transcripts (one from each institution attended)
Official TOEFL/IELTS Scores (international applicants only). Minimum of 100 (TOEFL) or 7.0 (IELTS).
Our program has also had many international students. International students are eligible for the same types of stipends through the Department as are other students. International students who received their degree from a school where English is not the primary language of instruction must take the TOEFL or IELTS. The minimum scores are either a 100 in the TOEFL or 7 in the IELTS.