Summer Study Opportunities

Summer Study Opportunities

Several opportunities exist to continue your study of philosophy over the summer. Several are listed below.  In addition, Daily Nous and the American Philosophical Association maintain lists.  Please contact your advisor or any Philosophy faculty member with questions. 

 

 

SUMMER STUDY OPPORTUNITIES

 

 

Philosophy in an Inclusive Key Summer Institutes (PIKSI)

The PIKSI programs are affiliated with one another but operate autonomously. They are funded in large part by grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the APA, as well as their host institutions.

PIKSI-Boston

PIKSI-Boston, founded in 2015, is held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is also supported by the University of Massachusetts Boston.

  • About the Institute:
    PIKSI summer institutes are designed to encourage undergraduates from underrepresented groups to consider future study of philosophy. Transportation and lodging are provided; stipends are awarded to all.
  • Additional Information: PIKSI-Boston

PIKSI-Rock

PIKSI-Rock, founded in 2006, is held at the Rock Ethics Institute at Penn State University.

  • About the Institute:
    PIKSI summer institutes are designed to encourage undergraduates from underrepresented groups to consider future study of philosophy. Transportation and lodging are provided; stipends are awarded to all.
  • Additional Information: PIKSI-Rock

PIKSI-Logic

PIKSI-Logic, founded in 2018, is held at Northeastern University biannually.

  • About the Institute:
    PIKSI summer institutes are designed to encourage undergraduates from underrepresented groups to consider future study of philosophy. Transportation and lodging are provided; stipends are awarded to all.
  • Additional Information: PIKSI-Logic

 

Cultivating Underrepresented Students in Philosophy (CUSP) at Penn State

  • About the Institute: Each year CUSP (Cultivating Underrepresented Students in Philosophy) organizes two all-expense paid workshops held at Penn State. They are directed toward prospective graduate students in philosophy from traditionally underrepresented groups (including African Americans, Chicano/as and Latino/as, Native Americans, and Asian Americans. The summer institute is intended for rising undergraduate sophomores or juniors who are considering pursuing an academic career in philosophy and wish to learn more about what it means to be a part of the discipline; the fall graduate workshop is for college seniors, recent graduates and working professionals who want to continue their graduate education in philosophy and are currently working on their graduate applications for the fall term. 
  • Additional Information: Cultivating Underrepresented Students in Philosophy

 

 

Pittsburgh Summer Program in Philosophy of Science (PSP6)

A Summer Program in Philosophy of Science for Underrepresented Groups

 

  • About the Institute:
    The Summer Program will feature two daily graduate seminars about core issues and cutting-edge topics in general philosophy of science and philosophy of the special sciences (e.g., physics, biology, cognitive science and neuroscience, social sciences). The seminars and lectures will be given by the internationally recognized faculty in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science and the Department of Philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh as well as in the Department of Philosophy at Carnegie Mellon University.
  • Additional Information: Pittsburgh Summer Program 3

 

 

Open Doors Philosophy Academy

Description: The Department of Philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh invites applications for Open Doors Philosophy Academy, a week-long program designed to give individuals from groups traditionally underrepresented in academic philosophy a taste of graduate student life as well as various forms of support useful in applying to and flourishing in Ph.D. programs in Philosophy. The program will include seminars taught by Pitt faculty and Pitt PhDs now teaching elsewhere; the forms of support will include graduate student an faculty mentors, as well as workshops designed to help students decide whether, where, and how to apply to Ph.D. programs.

We welcome applications from individuals including (but not limited to) first generation undergraduates and those starting in community colleges; persons of diverse racial, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds; individuals with disabilities; women, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ individuals. Though we are primarily interested in students who are majoring or have majored in Philosophy and who have not yet been admitted to a Ph.D. program, we will consider non-majors who have significant experience in philosophy. Each application will be considered on a holistic and case-by-case basis.

Those admitted will receive reimbursement for travel (up to $500), room and board for the week, and a $600 stipend.

More info: https://sites.google.com/pitt.edu/open-doors-academy/home

 

Rutgers Summer Institute for Diversity in Philosophy (SIDP)

  • About the Institute: This six-day program is designed to introduce undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds to the various areas of specialization within the discipline of philosophy, give students a better idea of what graduate studies in philosophy is about, and explore various views about what it means to be a professional philosopher. The institute provides travel, room and board, and a stipend.
  • Additional Information: Rutgers Summer Institute

 

Philosophy of Law Undergraduate Summer School at Cornell (PLUSS)

  • About the Institute: Hosted by Cornell University's Sage School of Philosophy, the Philosophy of Law Undergraduate Summer School is a week-long summer program  aiming to bring insights from the philosophy of law into conversation with the lived experiences of historically marginalized groups. Accommodations in the form of double rooms (two participants per room) will be provided for the entirety of the summer school, as well as transportation to and from the hotel to Cornell University. Meals will also be covered for all participants in addition to snacks throughout the day. Finally, PLUSS 2020 will provide up to $300 (US) to offset travel costs to and from Ithaca.
  • Additional Information: PLUSS

 

Summer Immersion Program in Philosophy at Brown University (SIPP@Brown)

SIPP at Brown began in 2015. It is hosted and supported by Brown University.

  • About the Institute: SIPP@Brown is a two week residential program. Students attend two daily seminars and participated in regular evening activities arranged by the Brown Department of Philosophy. Admitted students are housed in Brown University dorms and receive a stipend and travel costs.
  • Additional Information: SIPP@Brown

 

 

UCSD Summer Program for Women in Philosophy (SPWP)

The UCSD Summer Program for Women in Philosophy held its first institute in 2014. It is hosted and supported by the University of California at San Diego.

 

  • About the Institute: The Summer Program for Women in Philosophy (SPWP) aims to address the significant gender imbalance in our discipline by means of an annual summer enrichment program for women undergraduate philosophy majors interested in graduate study in philosophy. SPWP is a 10-day program for 14 participants consisting of two recurring seminars as well as workshops on the profession, on graduate school, and on the application process. The program introduces the participants to like-minded peers and to a network of supportive faculty and graduate students whom they may not have access to at their undergraduate institutions. All attendees will receive a modest stipend.
  • Additional Information: UCSD Summer Program

 

 

Colorado Summer Seminar in Philosophy: Parts and Wholes

Description: The Colorado Summer Seminar in Philosophy is intended for outstanding advanced undergraduates who are considering graduate school in philosophy. The aim is to introduce students to the atmosphere of a graduate-level seminar, giving them a chance to explore their philosophical abilities and interests before they commit to a graduate program. The topic for the 2022 Summer Seminar is “Parts and Wholes.” Each class session will focus on a subject related to this topic, understood broadly to include issues involving individuals and groups. Depending on your point of view, the seminar will either be team taught by at least ten individual faculty members or taught from start to finish by a single entity composed of at least ten faculty members. Either way, it will cover a variety of historical and contemporary issues. Subjects likely to be covered include:

  • Plato on Justice in the Individual and the City
  • Marx on Individual and Class Interests
  • The Metaphysics of Parts and Wholes
  • The Moral Mathematics of Parts and Wholes
  • The Aesthetics of Parts and Wholes
  • Quantum Mechanics and Entanglement
  • The Ethics of Racial Profiling
  • The Sorites Paradox
  • Intergenerational Ethics
  • The Existence and Nature of Sets
  • Group Minds
  • Social Epistemology
  • Parts, Wholes, and Well-Being

Class sessions will be supplemented by a variety of extracurricular events, including talks on additional subjects and workshops on such topics as women in philosophy and how to apply to graduate school.
Further information: https://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/events/summer-seminar

 

 

Hertog Political Studies Program

Description: The Hertog Foundation offers ambitious educational programs for excellent students. In our flagship Political Studies Program, fellows spend six week in our nation’s capital exploring the theory and practice of politics and meeting prominent men and women in public life. Next summer’s Political Studies fellows will study, among other topics, the ethical dilemmas implied by the pursuit of power, the Shakespearean understanding of political order, and the multiple, competing foreign policy crises America faces today—all in intensive seminars led by distinguished faculty. All fellows will receive residential accommodations and a $2,500 stipend to offset travel and living expenses.

Seminars will be supplemented by events around Washington, DC, familiarizing fellows with the pulse of the nation’s capital.

For more information, visit hertogfoundation.org/programs/political-studies.

 

Summer Program for the Advancement of Women in Philosophy (SPAWP)

Description: The Summer Program for the Advancement of Women in Philosophy (SPAWP) aims to address the significant gender imbalance in our discipline by means of an annual summer enrichment program for undergraduate philosophy majors interested in graduate study in philosophy. SPAWP is a 10-day program for 14 participants consisting of two recurring seminars as well as workshops on the profession, on graduate school, and on the application process. The program introduces the participants to like-minded peers and to a network of supportive faculty and graduate students whom they may not have access to at their undergraduate institutions. Undergraduates from diverse backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply (including, but not limited to, LGBTQIA+, underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds, students with disabilities, and first-generation undergraduates). We also look for undergraduate students who have overcome various kinds of adversity, including socioeconomic obstacles, bias, and limited philosophical resources at their home institution.

Link to Further Information: http://spwp.ucsd.edu/

 

 

2022 PSP6: A Summer Program in Philosophy of Science for Underrepresented Groups

Description: The Summer Program will feature two daily graduate seminars about core issues and cutting-edge topics in general philosophy of science and philosophy of the special sciences (e.g., physics, biology, cognitive science and neuroscience, social sciences). The seminars and lectures will be given by internationally recognized faculty in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science and the Department of Philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh as well as in the Department of Philosophy at Carnegie Mellon University. Housing, meals, and transportation (US travel only—the University will not provide transportation costs for travel into or outside of the US) costs will be covered, and all course materials provided. We invite applications from undergraduate students who are highly motivated and show strong academic promise and interest in the philosophy of science, including but not limited to: women, LGBTQIA+, underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds, students with disabilities, first-generation undergraduates, and undergraduates from groups underrepresented in philosophy of science.

Application and further information can be found here:
https://www.centerphilsci.pitt.edu/programs/pittsburgh-summer-program/

 

 

Hamilton College Summer Program in Philosophy (HCSPiP) 

 

Description: The Hamilton College Summer Program in Philosophy (HCSPiP) is designed for twenty excellent undergraduate students looking for a creative, exciting, collegial, and engaging two-week experience studying philosophy with other ambitious students. Three concurrent courses, chosen for their innovative pedagogies, will be offered: 

  • Philosophy and Comedy, Prof. Ashley Pryor (University of Toledo)
  • Philosophers Reimagine the World: A Conceptual Toolbox for 21st Century Possibilists, Prof. Anthony Weston (Elon Univesity)
  • Disagreement in the Digital Age: Philosophical Reflection About/With New Technology, Prof. Michael Barnes (Western University)

Participants are given a $750 stipend and a travel reimbursement.

Further information:https://academics.hamilton.edu/philosophysummerschoolReport