Qualified students holding a bachelor's or master's degree are eligible for admission (check web site of Binghamton Graduate School). An undergraduate specialization in philosophy or literature is desirable but not essential for admission. Students considered insufficiently prepared for work in the program may be required to do additional work to make up deficiencies.

During the first year of study, students entering with a BA are considered to be enrolled in a master's level program. At the end of the third semester, students take a qualifying examination. This is a take-home test based on a reading list, usually completed in the course of one weekend. (The reading list for this exam is available at the departmental office.)

Students entering with a master's degree will take a qualifying exam after the second semester of study. PLC co-directors may waive this requirement for qualified MA students.

Students who fail the qualifying examination may take it once again. Students not admitted to the doctoral program in PLC may continue work toward a master's degree in philosophy or comparative literature. To be eligible for graduate study, you must:

Provide a complete set of your undergraduate (and, if applicable, graduate) transcripts showing one of the following:
You have earned a bachelor's degree (or its equivalent) from a nationally or regionally accredited college or university
You are within one academic year of earning a bachelor's degree (or its equivalent) from a nationally or regionally accredited college or university
You are eligible to apply as part of a memorandum of understanding between your current institution and Binghamton University
Have earned, at minimum, one of the following:
A 3.0 GPA over your entire undergraduate career
A 3.0 GPA during your last 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits of your undergraduate degree, with most courses graded regularly (not as pass/fail
A 3.0 GPA in a graduate degree, with most courses graded regularly (not as pass/fail)
In consideration of the different grading scales used around the world, each academic department evaluates international transcripts to determine on a case-by-case basis whether they demonstrate one of the above requirements. TOEFL: The Graduate School requires a minimum TOEFL score of 80 on the Internet-based test. TOEFL MyBest scores are accepted.
IELTS: The Graduate School requires a minimum IELTS score of 6.5, with no band below 5.0