The degree of Master of Philosophy is conferred upon a student who has fulfilled satisfactorily all Ph.D. requirements but the dissertation. Study for the M.Phil. is full-time only.

For conferral of the M.Phil., the Graduate School requires the completion of the requirements for the M.A. degree or two Residence Units of advanced standing, plus four additional Residence Units earned at Columbia. In addition, the student must fulfill the special requirements of the department or program under which he or she is studying. For a full listing of departmental and program requirements, see Degree and Academic Requirements of Individual Programs in section X. Through course work and qualifying examinations, each student must demonstrate to his or her department that a satisfactory level of competence in the discipline has been achieved. The student must also fulfill the language and other special requirements of the program under which he or she is studying. These special requirements include participation in the instructional and/or research activities of the program for a minimum of one year. Teaching and research requirements may vary in character and degree from program to program. See Instructional Requirement for Ph.D. Students in the 31 Arts and Sciences Programs in section VII.C. for a more specific instructional requirement for students in the Arts and Sciences Ph.D. programs.

As indicated in Satisfactory Academic Progress in section VII.A., all work for the degree must be completed within four years (unless the student receives two Residence Units of advanced standing, in which case all degree requirements must be completed within three years). A student who earns the M.A. degree from Columbia but who does not continue in the Graduate School and is later readmitted as a candidate for the M.Phil. degree is subject to the same limitations of time (three years) as a candidate admitted with two Residence Units of advanced standing from another institution. Once all requirements have been completed, application for the M.Phil. degree may be made through the student’s department. The department uses the application to certify that all degree requirements have been completed. The application may be made at any time during the year.