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QS World University Rankings by Subject: Philosophy 2023

Discover which universities around the world are the best for your chosen subject with the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023.

The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023 cover a total of 54 disciplines, grouped into five broad subject areas.

The QS World University Rankings by Subject are compiled annually to help prospective students identify the leading universities in a particular subject. Research citations, along with the results of major global surveys of employers and academics, are used to rank universities. More information about this year’s  methodology  is available.

This year’s rankings include three new subjects: data science, history of art, and marketing. All 54 tables included in this year’s QS World University Rankings by Subject can be accessed by clicking the links below. Let us know what you think of the results on  Sina Weibo .

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Best Universities for Philosophy in the World

Updated: February 29, 2024

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Below is a list of best universities in the World ranked based on their research performance in Philosophy. A graph of 315M citations received by 19.8M academic papers made by 6,566 universities in the World was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. University of Sao Paulo

For Philosophy

2. Stanford University

3. University of California - Berkeley

4. Harvard University

5. University of Toronto

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

7. University of Oxford

8. University College London

9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

10. Cornell University

11. University of Cambridge

12. University of Washington - Seattle

13. State University of Campinas

14. University of California - Los Angeles

15. Columbia University

16. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

17. National Autonomous University of Mexico

18. University of Pennsylvania

19. Yale University

20. University of Wisconsin - Madison

21. Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

22. New York University

23. Carnegie Mellon University

24. Pierre and Marie Curie University

25. University of British Columbia

26. University of California-San Diego

27. Princeton University

28. University of Texas at Austin

29. University of Chicago

30. University of Liege

31. University of Montreal

32. Sao Paulo State University

33. Pennsylvania State University

34. Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

35. Catholic University of Leuven

36. Ohio State University

37. Johns Hopkins University

38. University of Southern California

39. University of Edinburgh

40. University of Maryland - College Park

41. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

42. McGill University

43. University of Amsterdam

44. University of Manchester

45. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

46. Complutense University of Madrid

47. Autonomous University of Barcelona

48. Arizona State University - Tempe

49. Federal University of Minas Gerais

50. University of Pittsburgh

51. University of Barcelona

52. Rutgers University - New Brunswick

53. University of Granada

54. Federal University of Santa Catarina

55. University of Sydney

56. University of Buenos Aires

57. University of Arizona

58. University of Melbourne

59. Michigan State University

60. Heidelberg University - Germany

61. Northwestern University

62. University of Florida

63. Boston University

64. University of Alberta

65. Duke University

66. University of Brasilia

67. University of Ottawa

68. University of Munich

69. University of California - Davis

70. University of Tokyo

71. University of Chile

72. Imperial College London

73. Utrecht University

74. Tel Aviv University

75. King's College London

76. National University of Singapore

77. University of Copenhagen

78. Laval University

79. Technical University of Munich

80. University of the State of Rio de Janeiro

81. University of Queensland

82. University of California - San Francisco

83. University of Iowa

84. Texas A&M University - College Station

85. University of Virginia

86. University of Valencia

87. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich

88. University of Zurich

89. University of Hong Kong

90. Tsinghua University

91. University of Vienna

92. Hebrew University of Jerusalem

93. Australian National University

94. University of California - Irvine

95. University of Seville

96. University of Hamburg

97. Monash University

98. Washington University in St Louis

99. University of New South Wales

100. National University of Colombia

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences subfields in the World

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As a PhD student in the Harvard philosophy program, you’ll have the opportunity to develop your ideas, knowledge, and abilities. You'll work with other doctoral students, our faculty, and visiting scholars, all in a stimulating and supportive environment. The program has strengths across a broad range of topics and areas, so you'll be able to pursue your interests wherever they may lead, especially in moral and political philosophy, aesthetics, epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of logic, philosophy of language, the history of analytic philosophy, ancient philosophy, Immanuel Kant, and 19th and 20th century European philosophy. 

Incoming cohorts consist of five to eight students per year. You will have substantial access to our renowned faculty and all the resources that Harvard makes available. This relatively small size also gives students a sense of intellectual community.

The curriculum is structured to help you make your way towards a dissertation: graduate-level coursework, a second-year research paper, a prospectus to help you identify a dissertation topic, and then the dissertation itself. Recent dissertations in the department have addressed a broad range of topics: Aristotle, Kant, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau; contemporary moral and political philosophy; metaphysics; epistemology; and logic.

In addition to your research, you will also have the opportunity to develop your teaching skills in many different settings across the University.

You can find graduates of the PhD program in many universities. Recent graduates have gone on to tenure track positions at Yale University, Princeton University, Brown University, Northwestern University, Boston University, University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, Washington University, and the University of Rochester. Other graduates have gone on to diverse careers in, among others, the arts, law, secondary education, and technology.

In addition to the standard PhD in philosophy, the department offers a PhD in classical philosophy in collaboration with the Department of the Classics and a coordinated JD/PhD program in conjunction with Harvard Law School. The department also offers a track in Indian Philosophy (administered jointly by Philosophy and South East Asian Studies.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of Philosophy and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

Areas of Study

Philosophy | Classical Philosophy | Indian Philosophy 

For information please consult the Department webpage on the  graduate program overview .

Admissions Requirements

Please review the admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of Philosophy .

Academic Background

Applicants to the program in Philosophy are required to have a strong undergraduate background in philosophy (or its equivalent), indicating that they have a good grounding in the history of philosophy, as well as familiarity with contemporary work in ethics, epistemology and metaphysics, and logic.

Personal Statement

Standardized tests.

GRE General: Optional GRE Subject: Optional

Writing Sample

A writing sample is required as part of the application and should be between 12 to 30 pages long. The sample must address a substantial philosophical problem, whether it is an evaluation or presentation of an argument, or a serious attempt to interpret a difficult text. The upload of the writing sample should be formatted for 8.5-inch x 11-inch paper, 1-inch margins, with double-spaced text in a common 12-point font, such as Times New Roman.

Applicants seeking admission to the coordinated JD/PhD program must apply to and be separately admitted to Harvard Law School and the Department of Philosophy.

Theses and Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for Philosophy

See list of Philosophy faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

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2025 Best Philosophy Doctor's Degree Schools

Average early-career salaries, other factors we consider, one size does not fit all, best schools for doctorate students to study philosophy in the united states, 10 top schools for a doctorate in philosophy, philosophy by region.

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The APA Guide to Graduate Programs in Philosophy

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Total Schools

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The  Guide to Graduate Programs in Philosophy , published biennially until the early 2000s, was relaunched in 2012 as an annual online resource. The guide compiles data on both doctoral and master’s degree programs in philosophy at institutions throughout the US and Canada, offering prospective students, job candidates, and other members of the profession a rich resource on post-graduate education and employment in philosophy. 

All data in the guide are self-reported by representatives of the institutions. Any changes or corrections should be sent directly to them.

Note: You do not need to log in to use the Grad Guide.  To log in, you must first create an account. Your login/password from www.apaonline.org will not work.

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• International Directory of Philosophy Lists college & university philosophy departments and programs, philosophical societies, associations, research centers and institutes, journals, and philosophy publishers worldwide.
• American Philosophical Association Guide to Graduate Programs in Philosophy (Open Access)
• The UPDirectory Directory of philosophers from underrepresented groups in philosophy, now maintained (since 2018) by the American Philosophical Association (Open Access)
• Philosophical Gourmet Report "A Ranking of Graduate Programs in Philosophy in the English-Speaking World" co-edited by its founder, Brian Leiter, a law professor at the University of Chicago who received his JD and PhD in Philosophy at U-M, and Berit Brogaard, a philosophy professor at the University of Miami. (Open Access)
• Pluralist's Guide: A Philosopher's Guide to Graduate Programs A survey of expert opinion on the best places to study American Philosophy, Continental Philosophy, Critical Philosophy of Race and Ethnicity, Feminist Philosophy, and GLBT Studies. (Open Access)

Criticism of Rankings

• A User's Guide to Philosophy without Rankings Addresses problems with rankings, in particular the “Philosophical Gourmet Report,” and provides resources for prospective graduate students in philosophy. Written and compiled by Mitchell Aboulafia, a professor of philosophy at Manhattan College. (Open Access)
• Richard Heck's "About PGR" A critical perspective on the Philosophical Gourmet Report (circa 2008) by Richard G. Heck, Jr., a professor of philosophy at Brown University. (Open Access)

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This table was first published on 14 May 2024. 

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Graduate prospects – on track: maximum score of 100 

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Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy

Statement on Rankings

Beyond Rankings: How to Choose a Program in Continental Philosophy

The American Philosophical Association has expressed reservations about the usefulness of all-purpose rankings of programs in philosophy. SPEP concurs that such rankings are not particularly helpful to prospective students in deciding about graduate school, or to their faculty advisors. Students want to know which programs will match their interests and abilities, and generic rankings cannot help individual students make decisions that are tailored to their particular interests. The main problem is that students often do not know how to determine the depth and breadth of programs that claim a strength in some area. SPEP provides a list of programs that have requested to be included as friendly to continental philosophy, but students who wish to focus on continental philosophy or include it as a substantive part of their studies should certainly evaluate all programs claiming a strength in continental philosophy to find ones that will really complement their interests. SPEP advises prospective graduate students to be aware that some rankings of philosophy programs, such as the Philosophical Gourmet Report, are largely subjective and should accordingly be taken with a grain of salt.

SPEP remains independent of all rankings and does not endorse any of them .

SPEP believes that the following list of things to look for in graduate programs with concentrated strengths in continental philosophy may assist students in considering particular programs. In addition to print publications, most departments now have websites containing all kinds of information valuable to students researching graduate programs. The difficulty lies in knowing what to look for. SPEP suggests that students begin their research by looking for the following pieces of information on websites and in other department publications:

• How many faculty members claim a specialization in continental philosophy or in continental figures or traditions? What proportion of the total faculty claim such a specialization? Serious graduate work is often best carried out in programs with several faculty members engaged in continental scholarship, rather than just one or two.
• Department websites will often include faculty curricula vitae (academic resumes) that list their publications: books, articles, and presentations. Look at the titles of these publications: do they address continental figures, traditions, topics, or themes.
• Find listings of department lecture series, conferences, and other events hosted by the department: do the topics, themes, and titles of these presentations include continental figures and traditions? Again, what is the proportion of events in continental philosophy to all of the department’s events?
• Look for any visiting faculty or distinguished scholars in residence: what are their interests and specializations? Are there well-known European or continental scholars or philosophers?  What is their proportion of the total of visiting faculty?
• How many exchange programs and institutional affiliations with European universities, archives, and institutes does the department support for graduate students? Does the department provide scholarships for study abroad?
• Is there a language requirement, especially in French and/or German, for the degree? Does the department provide scholarships for language study?
• Look at the list of courses for as many semesters as you can find: what proportion of all graduate courses offered cover or rely on continental traditions, figures, themes, and topics?
• If possible, try to find or request from the department a list of titles and abstracts of recent dissertations — what are the graduate students who complete the program interested in? What are they working on?

SPEP acknowledges that excellent scholarship in the continental tradition is carried on in departments of all sorts. The above points are meant simply to help students look for the kind of information that no generic ranking of departments can provide.

Revised: 21 August 2011.

Spring 2025 Application NOW OPEN for On-Campus MSW

Doctor of Philosophy

Scholars for 21st century challenges.

USC established the first social work doctoral program in the western United States in 1953. Today, we continue to welcome highly motivated individuals who are passionate about developing original research that is interdisciplinary and takes a global perspective to advancing the profession’s knowledge base.

Students admitted to our PhD program pursue a customized course of study in an atmosphere of highest regard for scholarship and careful mentoring from faculty who are top ranked in the nation for funded research.

Pursuing a PhD at USC places you in the center of Los Angeles with an exclusive opportunity to develop and test research in one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse cities in the world.

The USC Graduate School is committed to providing detailed information on the inputs, outcomes and overall characteristics of its PhD programs, for the purposes of full transparency and to support informed decision making. You can find details, including admission statistics for our PhD program, on the USC Graduate School site  and select Social Work for the program. 

Should I Pursue a PhD in Social Work?

Students interested in graduate level social work should  consider the benefits, challenges and potential career paths associated with a PhD.

USC PhD Achievement Award

Tasha Perdue, PhD '21, received the 2021 USC PhD Achievement Award , one of six PhD students the university annually recognizes for their exceptional academic profiles.

PhD Admissions

Our admission PhD candidate selection process is rigorous, reflecting our emphasis on academic achievement, initiative and motivation.

PhD Degree Requirements

The PhD program requires a minimum of 45 units beyond the master's degree and successful completion of written and oral qualifying exams and the doctoral dissertation.

PhD Research

Our PhD program places major emphasis on independent inquiry, the development of competence in research methodology, and communication of research results.

PhD Students

We provide our PhD Students a wide range of educational support services, a rich campus experience and our Doctoral Student Association.

PhD Faculty

Olivia Lee Associate Professor Director, PhD Program

Maria Aranda Professor Executive Director, Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging

Concepcion Barrio Associate Professor

John Blosnich Associate Professor Director, Center for LGBTQ+ Health Equity

Devon Brooks Associate Professor Associate Dean of Academic Affairs

Carl Castro Professor Director, Military and Veterans Programs

Julie Cederbaum Associate Professor

Alice Cepeda Professor

John Clapp Director, Doctor of Social Work Program

Daniel Hackman Associate Professor

Ben Henwood Professor Director, Center for Homelessness, Housing and Health Equity Research

Michael Hurlburt Associate Professor

Yuri Jang Professor

Michàlle Mor Barak Professor

Hans Oh Assistant Professor

Eric Rice Professor Director, USC Center for AI in Society

Avelardo Valdez Professor

Suzanne Wenzel Professor

Shinyi Wu Associate Professor

Ann Marie Yamada Associate Professor

Associate Professor Director, PhD Program

Maria Aranda

Professor Executive Director, Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging

Research interests address interplay between chronic illness, social resources and psychological well-being in low-income minority populations. Aranda joined the USC faculty in 1995 and holds a joint appointment with the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. She has 20 years of licensed clinical experience providing mental health services to Latinos in the greater Los Angeles area. She has served on local and national boards and committees dedicated to the enhancement of practice, policy, research and advocacy related to underserved minority populations.

Concepcion Barrio

Associate Professor

John Blosnich

Associate Professor Director, Center for LGBTQ+ Health Equity

Devon Brooks

Associate Professor Associate Dean of Academic Affairs

Carl Castro

Professor Director, Military and Veterans Programs

Carl A. Castro is an associate professor, also serving as the director of Military and Veterans Programs. Castro joined the faculty in 2013 after serving 33 years in the U.S. Army, where he obtained the rank of colonel. Castro began his military career as an infantryman in 1981. He served in a variety of research and leadership positions, including as director of the Military Operational Medicine Research Program, Headquarters, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland.

Julie Cederbaum

Dr. Cederbaum focuses on primary and secondary HIV prevention both within and outside the United States.

Julie Cederbaum joined in 2009 after completing her doctoral studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where she worked within a multidisciplinary team at the Center for Health Disparities Research. Her work has focused on primary and secondary HIV prevention both within and outside the United States.

Alice Cepeda

Director, Doctor of Social Work Program

John D. Clapp is a professor at the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California. Clapp is known internationally for his research and translational work in the field of alcohol problem prevention. A fellow in the American Academy of Health Behavior, Clapp is currently studying the system dynamics of drinking events with a team of engineers and computer scientists with the goal of developing “smart” real-time prevention applications. He has published more than 100 journal articles, with his work appearing in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Addiction, Drug and Alcohol Dependence , among numerous other top research journals.

Daniel Hackman

Ben Henwood

Professor Director, Center for Homelessness, Housing and Health Equity Research

Expert on housing and integrative support for homeless individuals. Dr. Henwood is a licensed clinical social worker who has served as an administrator, clinician and researcher for organizations serving adults experiencing homelessness and serious health conditions, including mental illness, physical disease and addiction. Henwood helped start and served as the clinical director for Pathways to Housing, Inc., a Housing First agency in Philadelphia, where he also served as the principal investigator of clinical research that sought to develop more effective models of integrating primary and behavioral health care.

Michael Hurlburt

Michàlle Mor Barak

Assistant Professor

Professor Director, USC Center for AI in Society

Social work expert, focusing on community outreach, network science, and the use of social networking technology by high-risk youth. Eric Rice is an associate professor and the founding co-director of the USC Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society, a joint venture of the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Rice received a BA from the University of Chicago, and an MA and PhD in Sociology from Stanford University.

Avelardo Valdez

Suzanne Wenzel

Interdisciplinary researcher, specializing in the health-related needs of vulnerable populations. Suzanne Wenzel has devoted much of her career to interdisciplinary research that seeks to understand and address health-related needs of vulnerable populations, particularly individuals experiencing homelessness in urban communities. Wenzel has also served as the principal investigator on ten grants from the National Institutes of Health.

Ann Marie Yamada

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Fantasy Football Defense (DST) Week 4 Rankings and Streamers

We hit on some big defense calls this week, having Green Bay as the number one defense and then watching them finish as the number one defense on the week. We also had the Jets and Seahawks in the top five and watched them finish in the top five as well, so that feels good.

However, beyond the Steelers, we had no other defense finish in the top 10. The 49ers faceplanted against the Rams. The Browns lost outright to the Giants, and the Raiders couldn't handle Andy Dalton. We also saw the Texans and Bucs take major steps back offensively, which created gamescripts that hurt their defenses and neither of those teams finished inside the top 10 for the week.

The good news is that we now have three weeks of sample size and we can start to see some trends emerging and true performance solidified. I knew Minnesota was a well-coached defense, but I thought they had lost too much talent over the offseason (like Danielle Hunter) to compete with an offense like the Texans. That was clearly wrong. We're also now seeing just what kind of offense the Panthers can be with Andy Dalton at quarterback, and it's not a bottom-feeder. Similarly, we've been far too bullish on the Bears offense, as Shane Waldron remains an enigma as an offensive coordinator. The Colts allowed 475 yards rushing in TWO GAMES, and the Bears couldn't run the ball and threw it over 50 times. That offense is an absolute mess.

Maybe it's time to take these more crystallized lessons into our Week 4 rankings, but we have a doozy of a week because most of the offenses we want to target are facing defenses that have been bad so far this season. Can we trust below-average defenses in good matchups or should we stick to the tried-and-true elite defenses in mediocre ones? It's a major strategic decision for this week.

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As a final reminder, what you’ll get each week in this article is not just my rankings but also my thoughts on why teams are ranked how they are. Tier One will the my “elite” plays of the week. Tier Two will be plays that I consider strong, while Tier Three will almost always be borderline top-10 plays. Those are either good defenses in bad matchups or mediocre defenses in good matchups. Tier Four will be deep-league targets, and Tier Five will be defenses that nobody should be playing that particular week.

Each week, I’ll keep track of how many Top-10 defenses I correctly called, so we can all see how accurate the BOD (Best Overall Defense) rankings are. This week, we had five of the top 10 defenses correctly called, which is not great, but I'll take a 50% hit rate early in the season as we figure out these teams.

2024 SEASON SUCCESS RATE (Percentage of top 10 defenses correctly predicted)

WEEK 3: 4-6

SEASON-LONG: 14-16 (47%)

BOD Formula and Philosophy

If you’ve read my earlier articles then you know that I value defenses that get pressure on the quarterback and create turnover opportunities, which is likely what most people value. However, that means I look at underlying metrics and try to value the quality of the defense over simply saying, “Who is playing a bad offense?” While opponents factor into my rankings, I don’t want to elevate a bad or mediocre defense simply because of a matchup.

To do that, I've utilized the following formula:

((PFF PASS RUSH PRODUCTIVITY x 2) + PASSES DEFENDED RATE + TACKLES FOR LOSS/GAME + (TURNOVER RATE x 2))

(EPA RATE ALLOWED + OPPONENT SCORING RATE X 1.5)

With all of that out of the way, how do these defenses rank for Week 4?

Through three weeks, the Bears are my sixth-ranked defense on the BOD formula, and they get a really good matchup against a Rams offense that has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing defenses. The Bears rank second in positive Expected Points Added (EPA) rate allowed, sixth in turnover rate and seventh in opponent's scoring rate. I know the Rams just beat the 49ers, but I see a top-10 defense against an offense without multiple starting offensive linemen and their two most dynamic offensive weapons. Given how many other top defenses have tough matchups this week, I'm comfortable with the Bears at the top of my rankings.

What a shock; the Steelers are one of the better defenses in football. They rank third in my BOD formula thanks to being second in opponent's scoring rate, fifth in turnover rate, and eighth in PFF's Pass Rush Production grade. They'll now get a Colts offense that is capable of hitting the big play but has seemed hard-pressed to sustain consistent drives. We know the upside that Anthony Richardson has, but this is going to be a tough matchup for him if he continues to be unable to complete passes in the short and intermediate areas of the field. I will admit that ranking defenses this high against the Colts makes me a bit nervous, but I'm going to trust recent results and my formula.

The Jets answered the call in Week 3, and I know it was against a beat-up Patriots offensive line, but do we really doubt the talent of this Jets defense? They rank second in Pass Rush Production, eighth in positive EPA rate allowed, and 15th in turnover rate. Meanwhile, the Broncos give up the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing defenses over the first three games. I know they had a better game plan for Bo Nix in Week 3, but they were also facing a Bucs defense that is snake-bitten with injuries and not on the same level as the Jets. I feel good about the Jets' ability to make big plays on defense here.

The Chiefs' ranking is based on my concern for Justin Herbert and the other injuries that have ravaged the Chargers. On Sunday, Herbert reaggravated a high ankle sprain, which usually means missed time. That would leave Taylor Heinicke starting for a Chargers offense that already lacks many offensive weapons and also lost rookie OT Joe Alt and fellow OT Rashawn Slater to injury with both unlikely to play this week. The Chargers have been good at controlling the ball with the run game and relying on their defense, but without Herbert under center and without their two starting offensive tackles, it's hard to see that working against the Chiefs. While the Kansas City defense has not been great on defense, ranking 15th in turnover rate, 15th in Pass Rush Production grade, 19th in tackles for a loss per game, and 23rd in opponent's scoring rate, this just feels like a safe floor matchup given the state of the Chargers' offense.

The Dolphins defense has been average this year, ranking 15th in my BOD rankings on the season. However, they rank 10th in Pass Rush Production and 11th in opponent scoring rate and are going up against a Titans offense that is allowing the most fantasy points to opposing defenses at 18 points per game. The Titans' offensive line gave up eight sacks against the Packers this past Sunday, and they continue to turn the ball over at a high rate, so even if the Dolphins haven't secured many turnovers so far this year, I think they could get one or two here, and I don't trust the Titans offense to put up lots of points. All of that makes us happy to roll the dice and play defenses against them.

This ranking for the 49ers is about match-up and also recent injuries. The 49ers defense has not lived up to expectations so far this year and ranks just 17th in my BOD rankings, but they do rank third in passes defended rate and 10th in turnover rate, so it hasn't been all bad. Their biggest weakness has been allowing chunk plays; however, the Patriots aren't an offense capable of doing that and we saw how juicy a matchup against the Patriots could be last week against the Jets. Part of that has to do with injuries on the offensive line. The Patriots lost their starting left tackle and were down to their third-string left guard. If those guys can't get back onto the field this weekend, that could be a big problem against this 49ers front.

Both the Vikings and Packers defenses have been elite this year, and they rank first and fifth in my BOD rankings, respectively. However, they are also two of the best-coached offenses in football and continue to have tremendous success despite both of them being without their starting quarterbacks. Through three games, the Vikings defense has been better, but the Packers offense gives up the fourth-fewest points to opposing defenses. Meanwhile, the Vikings offense has given up the 14th-fewest, which seems to favor the Packers defense a bit. The Packers should get Jordan Love back on Sunday, which makes this a bit tougher for the Vikings. I expect both of these defenses to play well, but I have a hard time believing you'll get a high-upside performance from either.

The Saints are my fourth-ranked defense so far, and they have been an impressive unit up until this point, ranking third in turnover rate, sixth in opponent scoring rate, and eighth in passes defended rate. Under normal circumstances, I might have them ranked higher, but the Falcons offense is solid and is currently giving up just the 17th-most points to opposing fantasy defenses, so it's not a great spot. However, it's not a matchup that makes me want to fade the Saints, so they feel like a solid Tier 2 defense this week that is more of a safe floor play than a high-ceiling one.

The Cowboys and Browns are both usually elite defenses who have started out slow this season; both teams lost outright on Sunday. Now they both will face opponents they should be able to handle with ease, which gives us a little bit of confidence. However, we can't ignore that these two teams are not firing on all cylinders right now, and there is some concern in Cleveland that Myles Garrett is dealing with a meaningful foot injury, which is why I recently moved the Browns down into Tier 3. Neither the Giants nor Raiders have offenses that we should be scared of, but they do have elite playmakers in Davante Adams and Malik Nabers. I wouldn't be surprised if both of these games are blowouts, but I also wouldn't be surprised if they came down to the wire, and that makes me a little nervous.

Seahawks and Lions are two defenses that I don't quite trust yet in a matchup that could change based on injuries. Yes, the Seahawks are ranked second in my BOD rankings so far, but they have also had a very easy schedule to date, and I can't shake the voice in my head that believes that's a large reason for their success. That could change drastically against this Lions offense; however, the Lions may be without Sam LaPorta, who sprained his ankle on Sunday, so we need to keep an eye out for that. Meanwhile, the Seahawks will be without Kenneth Walker again, and while that hasn't hurt them much so far, we did just mention that they've had an easy schedule so far. I feel less confident in the Lions defense and I think the injury to Kenneth Walker is less impactful than one to LaPorta so, for right now, I have the Seahawks a bit higher than the Lions.

I've been drawn in by this Texans defense twice already this year, and they burned me both times but did you see the Jaguars on Monday Night Football? This is a team that looks completely lost and an offensive line that is having a really hard time protecting their quarterback. Meanwhile, the Texans rank 3rd in Pass Rush Production grade, fifth in passes defended rate, 5th in tackles for a loss per game, and 13th in positive EPA rate allowed. However, they are middle of the pack in turnovers and scoring rate, and they've fallen on their face twice. Last week, it was mainly the offense just looking inept against the Vikings that kept putting the defense in a bad spot, but right now it's hard for me to trust the Texans even though I think this defense will figure it out eventually and be one of the units we want to roster down the stretch.

The Chargers rank eighth in my BOD rankings so far and have been a unit under new coordinator Jesse Minter, but they've always yet to face a truly strong offense, so going up against the Chiefs will be a different level. We also just discussed that the Chargers offense is banged up, so their offense may continuously put their defense in bad spots against a solid Chiefs offense. We also had an injury to Joey Bosa last week, and Derwin James is currently suspended for one game. We don't know if James will appeal the suspension, and we've yet to find out if Bosa will miss this game, but the Chargers would fall further down my rankings if even one of those guys is confirmed to be out. With a bye coming up next, it's probably time to drop the Chargers defense in your leagues.

The Broncos rank ninth in my BOD rankings thanks to being first in Pass Rush Production grade, fifth in opponent's scoring rate, and ninth in tackles for a loss per game. The problem is that the Jets are a ball-control offense that gives up the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing defenses so far. This just feels like a game where the Broncos may put up four or five points for fantasy managers, so I don't love chasing that.

The Bills and Ravens are two teams that we usually like to target as fantasy defenses, but it's hard to do so when they play against one another since the Ravens are giving up the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing defenses, and the Bills are giving up the third-fewest fantasy points. I know what Buffalo just did to the Jaguars, but this is still a defense without Matt Milano, Taron Johnson, and Terrell Bernard, and that worries me with back-up linebackers against Lamar Jackson.

On one hand, the Dolphins offense looked brutal last week and now may have to move to their third-string quarterback with Skylar Thompson getting hurt on Sunday. (However, Tyler Huntley may be outright better if they think he knows the offense well enough to play). On the other hand, the Titans defense ranks 27th in my BOD rankings and has been a pretty bad fantasy defense this season. In most circumstances, I wouldn't want to play them; however, the Titans rank 15th in opponent's scoring rate and 16th in yards allowed per carry thanks to a hulking defensive tackle duo of Jeffery Simmons and De'Vondre Sweat. I don't expect the Titans to make many big plays on defense, but this could be an ugly grind-it-out type of punt-fest that allows the Titans' defense to post a solid five or six points in fantasy leagues.

The Bengals are a mess. I don't really know what else to say. The Commanders have been a decent offense so far this season, and Jayden Daniels was out of his head on Monday Night Football, but the Bengals defense has also not stepped up at all so far this year. We just saw Andy Dalton transform this Panthers offense in a win over the Raiders this past weekend, and while that has the feeling of a little Cinderella magic dust, I think he unquestionably makes this team better. We can no longer just target the Panthers with any defense, and the Bengals have not proven to be a defense we can trust in an average matchup.

We have the Rams and Raiders defenses in solid matchups but as two defenses that have been fairly mediocre so far this season, which makes it hard to lean into them too much. I know others will want to pay the Colts, but the Steelers play a ball-control style of offense and haven't made many mistakes at all for the first three games, which makes it tough to trust a Colts team that has a major issue stopping the run.

Tier 5 each week will be defenses that I don't think anybody should play outside of the deepest formats.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Finance

The Department of Finance provides a first-class research environment, equipping students with the resources necessary to excel in their academic pursuits. Each doctoral candidate is allocated:

• A dedicated office workspace
• Advanced computing facilities
• A supportive community of fellow PhD researchers
• Personalized regular guidance through meetings with your two dedicated supervisors
• Comprehensive research methods training

Additional support

St Leonard's Postgraduate College at the University of St Andrews offers supplementary resources and support services, enhancing the overall postgraduate experience.

Academic engagement opportunities

Seminar series.

• External Speaker Series : Regular presentations by renowned scholars in the field
• Brown Bag Series : Weekly staff seminars promoting internal knowledge sharing

Reading groups

These sessions provide a platform for:

• Staff and PhD students to present work-in-progress
• Informal exchange of research ideas
• Constructive feedback from faculty members in a supportive environment

Annual PhD conference

This flagship event is a mandatory doctoral seminar where:

• Students showcase their research progress
• The entire Business School community engages with ongoing projects
• Valuable presentation experience is gained in a professional setting

Cultivating excellence

Through this comprehensive approach, the Department of Finance creates an intellectually stimulating atmosphere that nurtures academic growth, fosters innovation, and equips you with the skills and knowledge to excel in both academia and industry .

For ideas about research interests in the Department, you can view the latest published research output of our staff on the research portal .

Programme structure

The typical PhD roadmap has the following checkpoints:

During this year you will usually take some modules to complete your training. The specific modules you take will depend on your individual background and will be decided by your potential supervisor and the Director of Postgraduate Research Students .

You will meet regularly with your supervisor and start work on your research. You will contribute to and present your work at the research students’ PhD workshop in May.

Before the end of your first nine months in the programme, you will have a progress review. This review should be based on research completed to date and should include a plan of your work for the remainder of your first year, and for your second and third years. After submitting your written work, you will have a meeting with two reviewers (from the Business School) which will complete your review process.

You may have the opportunity to take part in masterclasses or short training courses on topics or software in other universities, depending on funding. This will increase your knowledge of these topics and allow you to interact with other scholars working in your areas at other universities.

The Easter Training School is intended primarily for advanced postgraduate students doing doctoral research.

You may be asked to take part in tutorial teaching for sub-honours classes (first and second year students), which will give you experience and increase your skill set for future employability.

You will be in a more intensive stage of your course, carrying out the necessary research, modelling and empirical studies required for the second and third parts of your thesis. You will be expected to send drafts of your papers to be considered for presentation at PhD student workshops and other conferences.

You will contribute to and present your work at the research students’ PhD workshop in May.

End of second year review: this will be similar to your first year progress review.

You will spend this year trying to complete the research for your thesis and focus on submitting the final draft and having your viva defence.

You may continue to carry out undergraduate tutorial teaching and increase your experience as a tutor.

You will be in an intensive stage of your course, carrying out the necessary research, modelling and empirical studies required for the final parts of your thesis. You will be expected to send drafts of your papers to be considered for presentation at PhD student workshops and other conferences. It would also be good to try and complete a draft of a journal article to submit to a reputable refereed journal. All of these are opportunities for valuable feedback on your work before your final submission.

You will complete and submit a final draft of your thesis and have your viva defence. During the year you will continue working on publications, conferences and even applications for funding, as you will now be ready to enter the job market.

Research methods training

In the first year of the programme, depending on your background, you may be asked to take some modules from taught MSc programmes. These modules will most likely be from the MSc in Economics , MSc in Finance and Economics degree, or from the modules taught as part of the Scottish Graduate Programme in Economics , either at an MSc or at a PhD level.

Other training options

Enhance your training through masterclasses led by visiting academics or offered by other Scottish economics departments. Additionally, the University of St Andrews provides further development opportunities for PhD students through GRADskills and other programs offered by the Centre for Educational Enhancement and Development ( CEED ) training unit.

Theses and dissertations

The Department of Finance maintains a repository of PhD theses for viewing. The list of recent submissions offers a partial collection of completed and examined theses from doctoral candidates within the Business School Please note that some print theses may not be available digitally.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

News Release | Success

U.S. News and World Report: UTRGV No. 1 in Texas public universities for social mobility

UTRGV has been recognized as the top public university in Texas for social mobility in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report college rankings. This prestigious ranking highlights UTRGV's exceptional success in helping students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, graduate and improve their economic standing. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

University excels at helping students graduate and improve their economic standing

  Tuesday, September 24, 2024   Around Campus, Announcements

By Amanda A. Taylor-Uchoa

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – SEPT. 24, 2024 – When it comes to transforming the lives of its students, UTRGV stands as the top institution in Texas, according to the 2025 U.S. News and World Report college rankings.

U.S. News ranked UTRGV No. 1 among Texas public universities for social mobility, recognizing the university’s success in helping students improve their economic standing.

Overall, UTRGV this year continued its steady rise in the U.S. News rankings, climbing seven spots to rank 220th among all national universities, 119th among public national universities, and sixth overall among public Texas universities. Among UT System schools, UTRGV ranked third behind UT Austin and UT-Dallas.

Over the past two years, UTRGV has moved up an impressive 79 spots in the rankings, surpassing older and more established institutions.

UTRGV President Guy Bailey said the university’s rapid rise in reputation just over nine years is unprecedented. Earlier this semester, UTRGV was ranked as the No. 1 university in Texas by Washington Monthly for the second consecutive year.

The difference between the U.S. News and Washington Monthly rankings lies primarily in their evaluation methods. Washington Monthly focuses entirely on university outcomes based solely on publicly reported data, without considering reputation or institutional resources. In contrast, U.S. News combines both outputs and inputs, placing significant weight on reputation, which is partly derived from surveys sent to university leaders nationwide. 

Bailey acknowledged that assessments based heavily on reputation can be challenging for UTRGV, which is just entering its 10th year, but noted that the university’s continued rise in both rankings is a strong indicator of its success.

“UTRGV's incredible rise in rankings is not by chance – it's the result of unwavering dedication from our entire community,” Bailey said. “There is no university in the nation whose reputation is rising as fast as ours, and that speaks to the exceptional efforts of our students, faculty and staff. I’m proud of everything we’ve achieved together, and grateful for each of you who makes this institution what it is today.”

THE RANKINGS

UTRGV also was recognized among public universities in the following categories: Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (No Doctorate), and Best Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

While UTRGV’s College of Engineering now offers two doctoral programs, these rankings were determined before its introduction.

U.S. News & World Report evaluates colleges based on a variety of factors, including graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving. UTRGV's continued ascent in these rankings underscores the university's dedication to providing exceptional education and opportunities for its students.

For more detailed information on UTRGV's rankings, visit U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges .

ABOUT UTRGV

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment contributing support to the University of Texas System and other institutions.

UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the summer of 2016.

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Discover where to study with the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019: Philosophy.

Three universities in particular have made great strides towards the top of this year’s philosophy subject ranking.  King’s College London (KCL)  has climbed six places to 10th, while the  University of St Andrews  has made an improvement of eight places to now be ranked eighth. Both UK institutions are out-done by the improvement of the  Australian National University (ANU)  however, which has risen a monumental 15 places to now be ranked fifth best in the world for philosophy.

The QS World University Rankings by Subject are based upon academic reputation, employer reputation and research impact ( click here  to read the full methodology).

Use the interactive table below to filter the rankings by location, and click on individual universities for more information. Registered users will also be able to use the site’s  Compare  function to see facts and statistics about multiple universities side-by-side.

Interested in other courses besides philosophy? The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019 cover 48 different subjects.  Click here  to see the full list.

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