However, highly qualified applicants without an advanced degree may be admitted directly to the PhD rather than MA program if that is their preference. For students taking an MA in our department, 24 credit hours of additional graduate course work beyond those applied to the MA degree are required. For students admitted directly into the program without an advanced degree, 48 credit hours of graduate coursework are required. For those admitted with advanced degrees in other fields, the number of credit hours required will be determined by the Graduate Committee. In all cases, this does not include credit hours for work on the dissertation (PHIL 600) and the student's dissertation committee may require additional course work at its discretion. See the department's graduate student handbook for more specific requirements.