»Call for Applications: MPP Graduate Program

D.Sc. Program in Mathematics, Philosophy, and Physics (MPP)

Application deadline for fellowship: January 15, 2025

(Applications received after this date will not be considered for fellowship offers)

The Doctor of Science program in Mathematics, Philosophy, and Physics (MPP) is a highly interdisciplinary post-master’s-level doctoral program.

It welcomes applications from all areas of mathematics, philosophy, and physics, but fosters an interdisciplinary approach to at least two of these disciplines.

Program Overview

The Doctor of Science in Mathematics, Philosophy, and Physics (MPP) is a post-master’s-level doctoral program consisting of 54 credits to be completed over a three-year curriculum that leads to a D.Sc. degree. It is an innovative, cross-disciplinary program that focuses on the foundational pillars of the sciences.

The D.Sc. is a research-focused degree that is usually offered in science-related fields. It is considered the academic equivalent of the more commonly awarded Ph.D., and also culminates in a doctoral dissertation.

Following traditions dating back to Plato, the MPP program is grounded in the fundamental relationship between mathematics, philosophy, and the physical sciences. The MPP program acknowledges that achieving a more complete insight requires not only mastering depth within a particular discipline, but also exploring the broader context and mutual influences between all three fundamental disciplines.

The MPP program encourages strong and authentic interdisciplinary collaboration within a vibrant intellectual culture. The successful student will be awarded a D.Sc. degree with emphasis in one of the three foundational disciplines and will also develop a deeper understanding of how their primary discipline interacts with and is informed by the connections to the other disciplines.

The curriculum contains selected didactic courses, which serve to train students in research and communication skills common to all three disciplines. The remaining research credits are personalized to each student’s background in close collaboration with their Doctoral Supervisor and interdisciplinary Research Committee, with the goal of enabling the student to produce high-quality and competitive doctoral research in their primary discipline.

Please see the MPP overview in the Graduate Catalog for further information about the program’s curriculum and requirements.

Fellowship Opportunities

The MPP Program will offer full funding (consisting of tuition waiver, non-tuition fellowship, and teaching salary as a Graduate Student Instructor) to a select number of applicants for the 2025–2026 academic year. To be considered for fellowships, applications must be submitted by the priority deadline of January 15, 2025.

Further applicants may be admitted with an offer of tuition fellowship only.

Career Possibilities

In the competitive academic world, increasing value is placed on researchers whose work spans multiple disciplines. A doctoral program that leads to a D.Sc. degree in Mathematics, Philosophy, and Physics (with emphasis in the chosen primary discipline) better suits the current academic market. The program gives prominence to research in the primary discipline while also requiring demonstrated competence in a secondary discipline. Upon completion, the student will be well prepared for future career goals in both the academic and industrial job sectors.

Research Projects

The faculty of the MPP Program conduct research in a wide range of fields related to mathematics, philosophy, and physics, and many of them specialize in the intersection of two or more disciplines. Examples of research areas include:

• History and philosophy of mathematics and logic
• Universal algebra, lattice theory, residuated lattices, algebraic logic, substructural logics, enumerative combinatorics
• Geometric theory of functions, number theory
• Quantum information science, quantum computation, and the foundations of quantum physics

Chapman is home to the Institute for Quantum Studies, which is a hub for research and public outreach in a variety of specialized areas of quantum mechanics, with particular emphasis on the foundations of quantum mechanics, and quantum information. IQS organizes a program of conferences, workshops, and public outreach events with the goal of advancing the progress and public awareness of frontier research in these areas.

Program Highlights

As you are considering programs in math, philosophy, or physics, consider what sets the MPP program at Chapman apart:

• Because the program maintains small cohorts (with a total of about 18 graduate students enrolled in the program at any given time), each student is able to closely collaborate with their faculty mentors. 
• Hands-on, innovative research and communication of the disciplines through effective teaching play a central role. Graduate students are given the opportunity to teach undergraduate courses in their primary discipline, which provides them with essential teaching experience before they enter the job market.
• The interdisciplinary and personalized nature of the program prepares students for employment in academia, private research centers, and public and private agencies. Researchers whose work spans multiple disciplines are increasingly in demand in competitive job markets. 
• A select number of admitted students each year are offered full funding packages consisting of tuition fellowship, fellowship for cost of living, and salary for teaching positions.
• MPP students have many opportunities to meet and collaborate with renowned international scholars, for example:
  • The weekly MPP Seminar / Graduate Colloquium consists of participants who are invited guest speakers and experts in various interdisciplinary topics related to math, philosophy, and physics, as well as Chapman faculty in these fields. The MPP students also present on their research as part of this Colloquium.
  • MPP organizes a yearly international conference where MPP students have the opportunity to meet and discuss with invited scholars in these fields. The 2024 conference, "Is Philosophy Useful for Science, and/or Vice Versa?", included world-renowned researchers in the fields of Mathematics, Physics, Philosophy, Social Sciences, Philosophy of Science, and Biology. 
  • An international summer school supported by the MPP program, Luigi Maierù’s International School in the History of Mathematics, provides MPP students an opportunity to learn from experts in the fields related to the year’s topic, and to collaborate with other interdisciplinary researchers. The school takes place in May in Cetraro (Cosenza, Italy).
  • Chapman University and the MPP program have formed a research partnership with the Topos Institute, which is a private scientific research hub dedicated to harnessing technology for the greater good through advancements in connection and integration sciences. Collaborative research projects with the Topos Institute can provide MPP graduate students with invaluable opportunities for engagement with Topos representatives. 
    
    

Application Materials

The following materials are required to apply to the MPP program:

• Online application for admission (which includes a $60 non-refundable application fee).
• Official transcripts from degree-conferring institution(s) including all post-baccalaureate graduate coursework and advanced degree (if applicable).
• Statement of intent: a 750-word essay in which applicants address topics they are interested in and how they envision continuing their research in those areas in the MPP program.
• Three letters of recommendation (if possible, from recommenders external to Chapman).
• A resume or curriculum vitae.
• A writing sample in the form of a published or forthcoming paper, an article, a master’s thesis or dissertation, or a similar representative piece of writing.
  
  

Please contact Program Director Marco Panza (panza@chapman.edu) or Program Coordinator Lisa Beesley (beesley@chapman.edu) with any questions you may have.