Ph.D. in Logic & Philosophy of Science

As a Ph.D. candidate in the UC Irvine Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science, Jaehyun Lee investigates the very nature of scientific inquiry

About our Program

From a lensworthy location and culture of collaboration to field-shaping faculty and powerhouse programs, the reasons top students choose the UC Irvine School of Social Sciences for graduate study are many.

The UCI Department of Logic & Philosophy of Science is ranked #1 in five subfields, and among the top 20 in all other areas of departmental specialty (Philosophical Gourmet Report).

Graduate students in the doctoral program receive six years of funding, and scholars in the department have a record of earning competitive research funding and fellowships from agencies including the National Endowment for the Humanities and National Science Foundation, and from campus-level fellowships such as the Provost Ph.D., Graduate LEAD, Graduate Dean's Dissertation, Eugene Cota-Roble, and Newkirk Graduate Student fellowships.

The department fosters an inclusive and collaborative environment with the culture of a research institute. Graduate students are active researchers and respected colleagues who regularly publish in leading scholarly journals, such as Philosophy of Science and the British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, often in collaboration with one another and with LPS faculty.

And if that wasn't enough, the UCI campus is located less than 10 miles from Newport Beach, is the #1 university doing the most for the American dream (New York Times College Access Index), the #9 best value university (Princeton Review), and a top 10 public university in the U.S. (U.S. News & World Report).

Program Overview

Recent Rankings

#01

in General Philosophy of Science
- Philosophical Gourmet Report

#01

in Philosophy of Physics
- Philosophical Gourmet Report

#01

in Philosophy of Social Science
- Philosophical Gourmet Report

#01

in Philosophy of Biology
- Philosophical Gourmet Report

#01

in History of Analytic Philosophy
- Philosophical Gourmet Report

#02

in Game Theory, Decision Theory, and Rational Choice
- Philosophical Gourmet Report

#02

in Philosophy of Mathematics
- Philosophical Gourmet Report

#03

in Epistemology (including Formal Epistemology)
- Philosophical Gourmet Report

#05

in Mathematical Logic
- Philosophical Gourmet Report

And UCI LPS ranks in the top 20 in all other areas of departmental specialty.

- Philosophical Gourmet Report

Quick Facts

LOCATION
university committed to economic diversity and upward mobility

FUNDING
Admitted students are offered 6 years of funding.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS
The department offers a separate 4+1 M.A. program in Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics.

DEGREE
Ph.D.; a master's degree is earned while in pursuit of the Ph.D.

ENROLLMENT
Full-time, on-campus with housing.

Ph.D. EMPHASES
LPS students can earn additional credentials in Mathematics, Physics, or Biology.

Recent Job Placements

Australian National University

Carnegie Mellon University

London School of Economics

Northeastern University

UC Irvine

UC Merced

University College London

University of Missouri, St. Louis

University of Pittsburgh

University of Washington

Learn more about Alumni Job Placements

Student Voices

Understanding scientific explanations

As a Ph.D. candidate in the UC Irvine Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science, Jaehyun Lee investigates the very nature of scientific inquiry

What makes us UNIQUE

Using methods from philosophy, logic, and the sciences themselves, scholars in UCI's LPS department investigate what we are able to know about the world through science, and precisely how it is that science enables us to know it. LPS faculty annually instruct and mentor a small, select group of graduate students who go on to teaching and research careers at top educational institutions around the world. LPS also has strong connections with many science departments, including physics, biology, mathematics, economics, computer science, cognitive sciences, and language science.

Students have an opportunity to earn a master's degree while in pursuit of their Ph.D., and the department also offers a separate 4+1 M.A. program in Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics that provides excellent preparation for students considering law school or further graduate study.

This was something that really surprised me, from day one, you're thought of as a researcher in your field, not just a student.

- Elliott Chen, '21

Learn More

UCI's campus is beautiful, with Aldrich Park, a 19-acre botanical garden with more than 11,000 trees, at its center. The campus is also less than 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean and beaches.

If funding, opportunities to publish, and a proven track record of excellence in the field are what you’re looking for in a graduate program, contact us today to learn more about UCI Logic and Philosophy of Science.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Learn more about the Ph.D. Program in Logic & Philosophy of Science

MEET OUR EXCITING FACULTY

Core Faculty

M.A. SPECIALIZATION

4+1 M.A. in Philosophy, Political Science and Economics (PPE)