Application Fee (Required)
$65 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
$80 for international students.
English Proficiency Test (Required)
This program uses the Graduate School's English Language Proficiency Score Requirements and Minimum Scores for Regular Admission.
Minimum Scores for Regular Admission
TOEFL iBT: 4.5 (no sub score less than 4) (or 79 for students who took the test prior to January 2026)
IELTS: 6.5 (no sub score less than 6)
Duolingo English Test: 120 (no sub score less than 110)
PTE: 59
More information is available at https://graduate.ua.edu/applicants/international-students/.
GPA (Required)
Overall 3.0+ GPA (on a 4.0 scale) from an accredited bachelor's degree or previously completed graduate degree. Transcripts using a different grading scale will be evaluated and converted to a 4.0 scale by the Graduate School.
Letter of Recommendation (2 Required)
Names and institutional email addresses of two (2) referees who will submit letters of recommendation online via a link that will be sent to recommenders directly by the Graduate School.
Resume (Required)
Detailed list of academic and professional history, including education, publications, projects, awards, and work experience.
Statement of Purpose (Required)
In no more than 800 words, please tell us (1) what your philosophical interests are and what intellectual questions you wish to understand better, (2) which experiences, skills, and philosophical and non-philosophical background will enable you successfully to carry out graduate work on your philosophical interests and (3) what, in light of these interests and experiences, your reasons are for applying to the University of Alabama specifically. You may also include (4) any information that will help to contextualize the materials submitted with your application.
Transcript (Required)
Please upload an unofficial transcript for any institution of higher education at which you have completed 15 or more credit hours. Official transcripts must be received prior to registering for classes. International applicants: please make sure that your transcript includes a grading scheme. All others: please include a grading scheme if your university does not use a letter-based (e.g. A, A-, B) grading scheme. The minimum GPA to be considered: 3 (for regular admission). Students who do not meet these requirements, but who excel in other areas, may be considered for Admission with Permission to Continue.
Writing Sample (Required)
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: (1) advances a clear, easily identifiable thesis or point of view; (2) develops an argument for its thesis that identifies and responds to objections; and (3) 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).