The Department of Philosophy’s graduate program in Social, Political, Ethical, and Legal Philosophy (SPEL) offers graduate students advanced coursework and individual research in contemporary social and political philosophy, ethics, and the philosophy of law. SPEL recognizes and respects work a in diversity of traditions, with particular strengths in German philosophy and feminist philosophy, as well as coverege in non-Western philosophy, critical race theory, and other emerging areas of philosophy. As a program that specializes in a cluster of subfields of philosophy (namely social, political, ethical and legal philosophy), SPEL gives students some background in the field of philosophy as a whole, a solid grounding in the history of Western philosophy, a good deal of knowledge in SPEL areas, and particularly for students who earn a Ph.D, in-depth training and guidance for original research in the student’s chosen area of specialization. The SPEL program also helps students gain the skills and experience necessary to become excellent teachers of philosophy, and prepares students for other aspects of a career in philosophy.