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  The Philosophical Gourmet Report created a ranking of the best graduate philosophy programs by conducting a national survey of 260 philosophers in academia. The survey members considered factors including the faculty members at each of the schools, job prospects for graduates, number of publications and specialties offered. The ranked list for the top 10 positions is: New York University; Rutgers University; Princeton University; University of Pittsburgh; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Harvard University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Yale University and Stanford University/University of California, Berkeley/UCLA/University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (all tied for the 10th spot).
  
  

New York University

• The NYU PhD in philosophy requires the completion of 72 points, or 18 courses, 11 of which are required core courses. The basic class types are a proseminar, background courses, intermediate courses, writing courses, research workshops and research seminars. The courses must be spread amongst the topics of value theory, metaphysics/epistemology and the history of philosophy. These courses must be completed by the end of the second year of study. At the onset of the third year, students are required to submit three papers that prove philosophical research. The rest of the year is spent developing a thesis proposal. NYU also requires a proficiency in a language other than English. A thesis defense and oral examination are required to complete the program.
  
  Deadline for application may vary. Consult the NYU Graduate Admissions Office for current information. Generally, the deadline is in early January. To apply, the applicant must submit an online application, writing sample, personal statement, three letters of recommendation, GRE score and undergraduate and graduate transcripts.
  
  All admitted doctoral students receive five years of full funding; there are no teaching requirements until after the third year of study.
  
  New York University
  Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
  P.O. Box 907, Cooper Station
  New York, New York 10276-0907
  philosophy.fas.nyu.edu/object/philo.grad.phdprogram.html
  
  

Rutgers University

• The Rutgers Department of Philosophy requires completion of 14 seminars (with a minimum GPA of 3.3), 2 audited seminars, 24 credits in advanced research in philosophy, a dissertation seminar, a dissertation proposal and defense and oral examination. The seminars must be distributed amongst pre-modern and modern philosophy courses. Other courses must be distributed amongst logic, ethics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, metaphysics, epistemology, social, political or legal philosophy and philosophy of science. Students must complete 18 courses by the end of the second year of study. Students must submit a dissertation proposal during the third year, which must be accepted by March of the fourth year of study.
  
  Application deadline may vary according to the year so it is important to consult with the Graduate Admissions Office in order to determine the exact dates. Generally, the deadline is in mid-December. The applicant must complete an online application, submit GRE score, a writing sample, personal statement, three letters of recommendation and all academic transcripts.
  
  All admitted students receive five years of financial support, which includes three years of financial support without teaching requirements and two years financial support as teaching assistants.
  
  Rutgers University
  Graduate Admissions Office
  18 Bishop Place
  New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1107
  philosophy.rutgers.edu/
  
  

Princeton University

• The Princeton University Department of Philosophy requires the completion of 14 courses and seminars, a satisfactory passing score on the general examination, a thesis proposal, reading knowledge of French or German, thesis defense and oral examination. The coursework and seminars must be completed by the end of the second year of study. A general examination is proctored toward the end of the second year. A thesis proposal must be completed by the third year. In total, the doctorate is generally obtained after five years of study.
  
  All admitted students are offered financial support of $26,000 per year; tuition is approximately $36,000. These figures are current as of 2010.
  
  In order to apply for admission, applicants must submit a writing sample, online application, GRE scores, letters of recommendation and academic transcripts. The application deadline is usually in late-December.
  
  Princeton University
  Department of Philosophy
  Room 212 - 1879 Hall
  Princeton, NJ 08544
  philosophy.princeton.edu/graduate_study_in_philosphy.html