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Leading in philosophy

ACU is one of the top universities in Australia for philosophy.

The Philosophical Gourmet Report – A Ranking of Graduate Programs in Philosophy in the English-Speaking World has named ACU in the Top 3 Australasian universities.

ACU was ranked narrowly behind Australian National University and the University of Sydney and ahead of the University of Melbourne and Monash University, and all other universities in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

ACU is one of only three Australian universities to rank World’s Top 50 universities for philosophy. It ranks at #32, tied with King's College London, Ohio State, and Washington Universities.

The report ranks graduate programs primarily on the basis of the quality of faculty, through an online survey of more than 500 philosophers.

ACU ranks particularly strongly in metaphysics, epistemology, logic, the philosophies of religion, language, and mathematics. It is the second-ranked Catholic university in the world, behind Notre Dame (United States).

The National Head of ACU’s School of Philosophy Dr Stewart Braun noted the strong trajectory of philosophy at the university over recent years on the basis of advances in coursework and teaching, research and higher degree supervision.

“ACU is continuing to invest in the many aspects of its philosophy program, and growing recognition of our graduate environment is a welcome vindication of that strategy,” he said.

The Director of ACU’s Dianoia Institute of Philosophy Professor Stephen Finlay said he was delighted ACU had ranked so highly.

“Our strength on national and international comparisons is a credit to the high-quality scholarly work of our researchers and the opportunity we offer for graduate students,” he said.

ACU offers philosophy programs from undergraduate to PhD level. Study in philosophy can be undertaken at certificate, bachelor level and postgraduate coursework, research degrees, and include international study opportunities, along with professional learning and in-service programs.

The School of Philosophy staff have a particular focus on philosophical ethics, the philosophy of religion, the history of philosophy and recent Continental philosophy.

The Dianoia Institute of Philosophy staff have a particular focus on metaphysics, epistemology, logic, the philosophy of language, and the philosophy of science].