Candidate of Philosophy

Candidate of Philosophy can refer to the US degree or status of Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil. or Ph.C.) granted to Ph.D. students who have been accepted as candidates for that degree, or (as a direct translation) to degrees or former degrees at bachelor's or master's level from some Scandinavian countries.

United States

In the United States, it is normal for graduate students working toward a doctorate to take coursework followed by examinations (known variously as candidacy examinations, comprehensive examinations or qualifiers) after which they become candidates for the doctorate. At a few institutions, this status is officially recognized either by a degree or some other official title. This is normally intended to be an interim status, prior to the award of a doctorate, not to be confused with the terminal master's degree awarded by some programs to those who leave after their candidacy examination. Some universities grant a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree to students who have been accepted for candidacy.

The first Candidate in Philosophy degree in the United States was first awarded at the University of Michigan in May 1966, two years before Yale University first awarded the first MPhil in 1968. During the 1960s, Candidate in Philosophy degrees were also awarded at Indiana University, Northwestern University, University of Michigan, and University of Minnesota.

University of California, Davis
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Riverside
University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Francisco
University of California, Santa Barbara

University of Washington

The University of Washington designates a Candidate in Philosophy (PhC) to those admitted to candidacy for the PhD, alongside the Candidate in Education (EdC) and Candidate in Musical Arts (CMA) for those admitted to candidacy for the degrees of Doctor of Education (EdD) and Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA). These are designations for candidate status rather than degrees.

Scandinavia

Denmark

The candidatus/candidata philosophiae degree (cand.phil.) was a master's-level first degree. It was awarded after four years' study and included a dissertation. As part of the Bologna Process of degree reforms, it was abandoned in 1995/6.

Sweden

In Sweden, :sv:filosofie kandidat (fil.kand. or FK) is the title for the holder of a bachelor's degree (filosofie kandidatexamen).

Finland

In Finland, the filosofian kandidaatti (fil.kand. or FK) was a graduate degree awarded until 1994. Holders can proceed to a Master of Arts degree without further examination.