In the Philosophy Department, you will have a different faculty advisor every year. The registrar will notify you every year who your major advisor is. But of course you can also ask any faculty member in the department for advice. Normally, the department chair will advise seniors; and the study abroad advisor (usually Dan Cohen) will advise sophomores.

The aim of the Colloquium series is to introduce you to the practice of professional philosophy. A central part of the practice is listening to philosophers from other parts of the country speaking about their most recent work and engaging them in dialogue by posing your questions to them at the lecture. In order to receive credit for PL 201-202, you must read the papers in advance, attend the pre-lecture discussions, submit a question for each lecture, and of course, attend the lectures. More details are provided in the Colloquia Guidelines. Completion of PL201-202 is absolutely required for the major.   Because the attendance requirements are stern, you may find that you are unable to complete PL201 or PL202 the first time you sign up for it. So majors should get started on this requirement immediately and aim to complete it prior to their senior year. Conflict with other requirements or activities outside of the department is not an acceptable excuse for failing to take, or to attend individual sessions of, PL201 and PL202.

A year-long thesis project is an excellent way for students with a sustained interest in one area of philosophy to culminate their studies in philosophy. This is also an opportunity to work closely with a faculty member. Projects are normally 50 to 75 pages, and thus are substantial scholarly achievements. To be admitted to honors work, students must have a 3.25 GPA and have their application approved by the Department. Honors students must have at least one chapter of their thesis completed and approved by the tutor and 2^nd reader by the end of the first semester of Honors work. In April, Honors students give a public presentation at the Philosophy Department's award ceremony. Copies of past theses are kept in the Department library. Interested students should read the detailed information about the Honors Theses requirements and submit an application.

The department neither encourages nor discourages graduate study in philosophy. The job market promises to remain somewhat grim for the foreseeable future. On the other hand, many people find the study of philosophy intrinsically rewarding, there are academic jobs out there, some areas of philosophy are likely to be in relatively high demand, and there are other options than the professorial life for those with graduate degrees in philosophy. Most Ph.D. programs (and some of the better M.A. programs) provide tuition waivers and modest stipends. In return, graduate students typically work as teaching or research assistants. Keep in mind, however, that most of these programs are highly competitive. If you are seriously thinking about becoming an academic, it is generally wise to go directly into a Ph.D. program; you may elect to receive your M.A. along the way. The average time to a degree for philosophy Ph.D. students is five or six years. Applications are due starting in January of the calendar year in which you begin your program, and you will need to have taken the GRE by that time. Because of the demographics of the discipline, many graduate programs are especially interested in receiving applications from high-qualified women and students of color. You should also be aware that there are many joint degree (e.g. J.D./Ph.D.) and specialized (e.g. Bioethics) programs out there. Interested students should discuss their plans and interests with a faculty member who knows their work well.