The CU/Boulder Department of Philosophy has emerged over the last ten years as one of the nation's leading graduate programs. We have distinguished faculty in all the core areas of philosophy, with particular strengths in metaphysics and ethics. The Department is also one of a few elite programs in the country that balance strength in contemporary philosophy with a serious interest in history. Our faculty includes internationally recognized scholars that span the whole history of Western thought, from Plato and Aristotle, through the Middle Ages, to Kant and his successors.

Boulder has one of the largest philosophy faculties in the country, and a correspondingly large graduate program, with separate tracks for MA and PhD students. Though the overall program is large, with more than 70 graduate students in all, the number of entering students in a given year remains small, averaging six new PhD students and 10-15 new MA students. All PhD students are granted funding through teaching positions (tuition waiver and stipend) for five years. MA students do not ordinarily receive funding, but many of our best PhD students have entered into that program through our MA program.

Our faculty is known for having some of best teachers on campus. Accordingly, we have a very large and active group of undergraduate majors. On the graduate level, there are enthusiastic groups studying with a wide range of faculty members. The Department's special strength in metaphysics makes this a particularly lively area of interest among the graduate students. The distinctive focus of the Center for Values and Social Policy likewise attracts a strong group of students. The Department's reputation for doing serious philosophical work on historical figures makes for yet another area of focus. Many of our graduate students have interests in all three of these areas.

Despite the always difficult job market, we have had very good success in recent years at placing PhD students. Recent graduates have received tenure-track jobs at both leading research universities and smaller colleges, and it has been very rare for a student to fail entirely on the market. Moreover, as the Department's reputation has grown in recent years, we find our students doing better and better every winter.

Studying philosophy in Boulder has the additional advantage of location. Situated at the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, 25 miles northwest of Denver, Boulder has perhaps the most ideal geographical settings in the country. In addition to its natural beauty and recreational opportunities, as well as its diverse cultural offerings, Boulder has what many consider the perfect climate. Protected by the mountains, its winters are mild and its summers sunny and dry.