Summer Programs (and Similar) in Philosophy for Undergraduates, 2020

Organized by Russell Marcus, Hamilton College. Additions/corrections are welcome: Email me

See also my list of Conferences and Journals for undergraduates in philosophy and these resources for students. Here's the Daily Nous posting for 2019. Here's another list, embedded in a page of good resources. Past Years

Program Location Application Deadline Program Dates Notes
Hamilton College Summer Program in Philosophy Hamilton College, Clinton NY March 16, 2020 June 28-July 11, 2020 The Hamilton College Summer Program in Philosophy (HCSPiP) brings together creative teachers, engaging graduate students, and ambitious undergraduates, for three concurrent, innovative, two-week courses in philosophy. Students gain experience with new approaches to philosophy, working with outstanding philosophy teachers and a diverse group of students chosen for their desire to learn together. Teachers will have the opportunity to experiment with new pedagogy. Graduate student teaching assistants will gain experience and serve as a bridge between the faculty and the undergraduates. All participants will be provided with room and board while they are at Hamilton College and will receive stipends from the Truax Fund in Philosophy.
Philosophy in an Inclusive Key Summer Institute (PIKSI) - Rock Penn State January 31, 2020 June 17 – June 26, 2020

PIKSI summer institutes are designed to encourage undergraduates from groups traditionally underrepresented in philosophy to consider future study of philosophy. Undergraduates and recent graduates are urged to apply; groups traditionally underrepresented in (anglophone) philosophy include women, LGBTQ and gender non-conforming people, people from economically disadvantaged communities, people with disabilities, and people of color or people racialized as nonwhite, including Chicano/a/xs and Latino/a/xs, Indigenous people, Pacific Islanders, people of African descent, and people of Asian descent. Transportation and lodging are provided. Stipends are awarded to all.

Philosophy in an Inclusive Key Summer Institute (PIKSI) - Boston MIT January 31, 2020 June 23 – June 30, 2020 PIKSI summer institutes are designed to encourage undergraduates from groups traditionally underrepresented in philosophy to consider future study of philosophy. Undergraduates and recent graduates are urged to apply; groups traditionally underrepresented in (anglophone) philosophy include women, LGBTQ and gender non-conforming people, people from economically disadvantaged communities, people with disabilities, and people of color or people racialized as nonwhite, including Chicano/a/xs and Latino/a/xs, Indigenous people, Pacific Islanders, people of African descent, and people of Asian descent. Transportation and lodging are provided. Stipends are awarded to all.
Philosophy of Law Undergraduate Summer School at Cornell (PLUSS) Cornell February 15, 2020 June 21 - June 27, 2020

PLUSS 2020 invites members of historically marginalized groups to participate in a week-long summer reading school, which will be divided into two sections: (i) Discussion: Informed and sophisticated discussion concerning a number of historic American and Canadian legal decisions (and/or dissenting opinions) and their continued impact and (ii) Workshop: The opportunity for participants to improve their writing samples through dynamic group discussion and close reading of one another’s work. The program will include topics such as the devaluation of Black bodies in the law, legal regulation of Arab bodies post-9/11, undocumented migration and border detention centres, the (un)equal standing of women and gender minorities in the law, and the effective erasure of disabled bodies.

Summer Program for Women in Philosophy University of California, San Diego February 15, 2020 July 20 – July 31, 2020

SPWP is a ten-day program for undergraduate women who are interested in pursuing graduate study in philosophy. SPWP is hosted by the UC San Diego Philosophy Department, and features philosophy seminar courses taught by visiting and UC San Diego faculty, along with a variety of workshops taught by faculty and graduate students — all geared towards providing an engaging philosophical learning experience and helpful preparation for applying to and succeeding at graduate school in philosophy and beyond.

The Summer Immersion Program in Philosophy at Brown University Brown March 1, 2020 July 6 – July 17, 2020

SIPP@Brown is a two week residential program for undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing a graduate degree in philosophy and who are members of groups that traditionally have been underrepresented in the field.

During the program, participants will attend two daily seminars: The Philosophy of Time, taught by Nina Emery, and Global Justice, taught by David Estlund. They will also participate in regular social and educational activities arranged by the Brown Department of Philosophy, and in the SIPP@Brown Conference. Participants can expect to leave the program with a better understanding of what graduate school in philosophy is like and how to prepare applications for both MA and PhD programs.

Pittsbugh Summer Program University of Pittsburgh March 1, 2020 July 13 - July 17, 2020 The Summer Program will feature two daily graduate seminars and some shorter lectures about core issues and cutting-edge topics in general philosophy of science and philosophy of the special sciences (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.
Colorado Summer Seminar in Philosophy University of Colorado, Boulder Review of applications will begin on March 15, 2020 and continue until all available positions are filled. June 7 - June 26, 2020

The Seminar is intended for outstanding undergraduates who are considering graduate school in philosophy. The aim is to introduce students to the atmosphere of a graduate-level seminar, giving participants a chance to explore and sharpen their philosophical abilities before they commit to a graduate program. The topic for the 2020 Summer Seminar is “Agreement, Disagreement, and Uncertainty”. The seminar will be team taught by twelve or more faculty members and will cover a wide variety of historical and contemporary issues in metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. Expected class sessions include discussions of: agreement and sexual consent, agreement and the social contract tradition, religious disagreement, disagreement and the status of intuitions, individual disagreement and group-level mental states, moral disagreement and moral realism, moral uncertainty and the law, uncertainty and external world skepticism, uncertainty and inductive skepticism, uncertainty and quantum physics, and ethical theory and uncertainty about the future.

Cultivating Underrepresented Students in Philosophy: Promoting Promising Young Philosophers Penn State March 20, 2020 June 7 - June 12, 2020 The Philosophy Department at Pennsylvania State University organizes two distinct CUSP (Cultivating Underrepresented Students in Philosophy) programs each year. These programs 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; and the Fall Graduate Workshop, 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 following Fall term.
Rutgers Summer Institute for Diversity in Philosophy Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey April 10, 2020 July 19 - July 25, 2020 This seven 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. Up to fifteen students will be given the opportunity to interact in formal and informal settings with a group of talented graduate students and distinguished faculty members from a number of universities.
PIKSI-Logic

Northeastern

April 15, 2020 July 27 – July 31, 2020 Undergraduates from underrepresented groups are invited to study logic — five topics over five days, with ten top international instructors.
Michigan Compass Undergraduate Philosophy Workshop Michigan April 15, 2020 October 8 – October 10, 2020 COMPASS at Michigan brings together students from a diversity of backgrounds for a weekend of philosophical discussion, networking and mentoring. The workshop takes place at the University of Michigan's Department of Philosophy, in Ann Arbor. Advanced undergraduates and M.A. students (first and second year), including recent graduates, are eligible to apply. ​
Carnegie Mellon Summer School in Logic and Formal Epistemology Carnegie Mellon ? ? The Department of Philosophy at Carnegie Mellon University holds a three-week summer school in logic and formal epistemology for promising undergraduates in philosophy, mathematics, computer science, linguistics, economics, and other sciences. The goals are to: introduce promising students to cross-disciplinary fields of research at an early stage in their career; and forge lasting links between the various disciplines. The summer school is usually held in the first half of June. There will be morning and afternoon lectures and daily problem sessions, as well as planned outings and social events.
Summer School on Mathematical Philosophy for Female Students Munich, Germany ? ? Since women are significantly underrepresented in philosophy generally and in formal philosophy in particular, this summer school is aimed at encouraging women to engage with mathematical methods and apply them to philosophical problems. This year the focus of the summer school will be to provide an infrastructure for developing expertise in formal approaches used in (1) philosophy of physics, (2) philosophy of biology and social science, and (3) epistemic logic and philosophy of cognition. The summer school will offer the opportunity for study in an informal setting, lively debate, and for the development of a network with students and professors interested in the application of formal methods in philosophy of science. Finally, being located at the MCMP, the summer school will also provide a stimulating and interdisciplinary environment for meeting like-minded philosophers.
Princeton Compass Princeton, NJ ? ? Compass is a workshop for students considering graduate school in philosophy brought to you by the Department of Philosophy at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ. Philosophy must diversify. We want to bring together undergraduate students for two days of philosophical discussion, networking, and mentoring with a focus on fostering greater diversity, especially for underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. If you are an undergraduate student from an underrepresented racial and ethnic group, we highly encourage you to apply.

Past Summers: 2018; 2017; 2016; 2015