Philosophy

Welcome to the Philosophy Department

The aim of Claremont Graduate University’s Philosophy Department is to enhance students’ ability to engage in rigorous reasoning, analysis, and argumentation through the study of philosophy in a student-centered environment. The academic program is characterized by small seminars and close interaction with faculty, and our highly flexible curriculum is designed to accommodate a variety of academic goals. Our program is especially well suited for students who wish to enhance their qualifications in order to pursue a doctoral degree in philosophy.

Because CGU is a graduate-only institution with a commitment to seminar-style learning, classes are intimate. Graduate courses rarely have more than 12 students, and seminars typically range from six to 10 students. Students are expected to work closely with their professors in all aspects of their coursework.

In addition to the core CGU philosophy faculty, we enjoy the support of the philosophy faculty from The Claremont Colleges undergraduate campuses, and our students may take courses with them, as well as have them as advisors and mentors. There are 25 tenured or tenure-track philosophy faculty throughout the Claremont University Consortium, with a wide variety of areas of expertise—including philosophy of mind, epistemology, philosophy of science, history of philosophy, ethics, political philosophy, among others. This allows CGU’s Philosophy Department to rival large research-oriented philosophy departments while still offering the atmosphere of a small liberal arts institution.

Chair: Masahiro Yamada
831 N. Dartmouth Avenue • Claremont, CA 91711 • 909-621-8612 • Fax 909-607-9587