Doctor of Philosophy in Epistemology

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Doctor of Philosophy in Epistemology

The Doctor of Philosophy in Epistemology is an advanced research program dedicated to exploring theories of knowledge, justification, belief structures, and computational epistemology. This program is designed for scholars seeking to develop rigorous frameworks for understanding the nature of knowledge and decision-making, particularly in the context of artificial intelligence and cognitive systems.

About the Program

The Ph.D. in Epistemology provides a deep theoretical and applied foundation in knowledge structures, integrating formal logic, AI-driven epistemic modeling, and cognitive science. Students will critically analyze historical and contemporary epistemic theories while engaging in cutting-edge research on knowledge representation, inference systems, and computational models of reasoning. Through a combination of coursework, research, and dissertation work, students will investigate how epistemic principles shape intelligent systems, human cognition, and AI-driven decision-making models. This interdisciplinary approach equips graduates with the expertise to contribute to advancements in AI knowledge engineering, cognitive decision science, and philosophical research on epistemic structures.

Key Areas of Study

  • **Theories of Knowledge, Justification, and Belief Systems
  • **Formal Logic and Computational Epistemology
  • **AI-Driven Epistemic Modeling and Knowledge Representation
  • **Cognitive Decision Science and Rational Inference Systems

Career Pathways

Graduates of the Ph.D. in Epistemology are prepared for careers in AI-driven knowledge engineering, epistemic modeling, cognitive decision science, and philosophical research. They will be equipped to lead research initiatives in academic institutions, artificial intelligence development, and interdisciplinary projects focused on advancing the understanding of knowledge structures and reasoning systems.

Core Curriculum & Research Structure

Doctoral Degree Requirements:

Total Credits Required: 75 credits

Core Major Courses: 39 credits

Doctoral Research Seminars: 9 credits

Research & Dissertation: 27 credits

Falll Semester 1

EPI 801 – Theories of Justification & Rational Knowledge (3 credits)

EPI 802 – Bayesian Epistemology & Probabilistic Decision Science (3 credits)

EPI 803 – Cognitive Bias, Uncertainty, & Rational Belief (3 credits)

EPI 804 – Epistemic Logic & Non-Classical Reasoning (3 credits)

Doctoral Research Seminar I: Methodologies in Epistemic Science (3 credits)

Spring Semester 2

EPI 805 – Social Epistemology & Collective Intelligence (3 credits)

EPI 806 – AI Knowledge Representation & Epistemic AI (3 credits)

EPI 807 – Information Theory & Computational Epistemology (3 credits)

EPI 808 – Applied Epistemology in AI & Decision Science (3 credits)

Doctoral Research Seminar II: Proposal Development & Review (3 credits)

Falll Semester 3

EPI 901 – Theories of Truth, Reality, & Knowledge Processing (3 credits)

EPI 902 – Machine Learning, AI, & Epistemic Risk (3 credits)

EPI 903 – Cognitive Semantics & Knowledge Construction (3 credits)

Independent Research in Epistemology & AI (3 credits)

Doctoral Research Seminar III: Advanced Dissertation Research (3 credits)

Spring Semester 4

EPI 904 – Computational Models of Knowledge Formation (3 credits)

EPI 905 – Decision Theory & Rational Choice (3 credits)

Comprehensive Doctoral Examination (Non-Credit)

Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Defense (Non-Credit)

Falll Semester 5

EPI 990 – Doctoral Dissertation Research (9 credits)

EPI 991 – Epistemic Foundations of AI & Cognitive Science (3 credits)

Spring Semester 6

EPI 992 – Dissertation Completion & Pre-Defense Review (9 credits)

EPI 993 – Final Dissertation Defense & Publication (3 credits)