The Major
To be accepted as a major in philosophy, students must have taken three hours in philosophy. The requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts with a major in philosophy are as follows:
I. Departmental requirements
A. 34 hours in philosophy, at least 24 of which must be upper division.
B. All of the following three courses:
PHIL 2340 |
Symbolic Logic I |
PHIL 3410 |
Classical Greek Philosophy |
PHIL 3422 |
Early Modern Philosophy |
C. One of the following two courses:
PHIL 3430 |
Metaphysics |
PHIL 3439 |
Epistemology |
D. One of the following four courses:
PHIL 4491 |
Seminar on a Philosophical Problem |
PHIL 4492 |
Seminar on a Philosopher |
PHIL 4493 |
Seminar on a Philosophical Movement |
PHIL 4395 |
Senior Thesis |
II. University requirements: completion of all other required elements of the Pathways curriculum and at least 120 credit hours.
The Minors
Students may choose from the following four minors in philosophy:
I. Minor in Philosophy
The requirements for a minor in philosophy are as follows:
A. 18 hours in philosophy, 12 of which must be upper division.
B. One of the following two courses:
PHIL 3410 |
Classical Greek Philosophy |
PHIL 3422 |
Early Modern Philosophy |
II. Minor in Ethics
The requirements for a minor in ethics are as follows:
A. 18 hours in philosophy, of which at least 12 must be upper division.
B. Three of the following courses:
PHIL 1350 |
Environmental Ethics |
PHIL 2457 |
Meaning of Life |
PHIL 3450 |
Metaethics |
PHIL 3451 |
Social and Political Philosophy |
PHIL 3452 |
Ethical Theory |
PHIL 3453 |
Philosophy of Law |
PHIL 3454 |
Philosophy of Gender |
PHIL 3459 |
Biomedical Ethics |
III. Minor in Philosophy of Art
The requirements for a minor in philosophy of art are as follows:
A. 18 hours in philosophy, of which at least 12 must be upper division.
B. Three of the following courses:
PHIL 2455 |
Aesthetics |
PHIL 3457 |
Philosophy of Film |
PHIL 3458 |
Philosophy of Music |
PHIL 3460 |
Philosophy of Literature |
IV. Minor in Logic and the Philosophy of Cognition
The requirements for the minor in logic and the philosophy of cognition are as follows:
A. 18 hours in philosophy, of which at least 12 must be upper division.
B. PHIL 2340 Symbolic Logic I
C. Three of the following courses:
PHIL 1341 |
Tools for Reasoning |
PHIL 3431 |
Philosophy of Mind |
PHIL 3432 |
Philosophy of Science |
PHIL 3439 |
Epistemology |
PHIL 3340 |
Symbolic Logic II |
PHIL 3343 |
Nonclassical Logics |
V. Minor in the History of Philosophy
The requirements for a minor in the history of philosophy are as follows:
A. 18 hours in philosophy, of which at least 12 must be upper division.
B. PHIL 3410 Classical Greek Philosophy
C. PHIL 3422 Early Modern Philosophy
D. At least 2 of the following courses:
PHIL 2425 |
Existentialism |
PHIL 3411 |
Hellenistic Philosophy |
PHIL 3412 |
Late Ancient and Medieval Philosophy |
PHIL 3423 |
German Idealism |
PHIL 3426 |
Nietzsche and German Philosophy |
PHIL 3429 |
Continental Philosophy |
Departmental Honors Program
I. To be accepted into the Department Honors Program, students must be philosophy majors who have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.33, and a grade-point average of 3.75 within the department, at the end of the Fall semester of the Junior year. Such students may request admission to the Honors Program. The request should be in writing and should be submitted to the chair of the department at the end of the Fall semester of the Junior year. The request should be accompanied by a report from the Registrar’s Office, showing their grade-point averages. The members of the philosophy department will decide which students are accepted.
II. To receive Departmental Honors, majors in philosophy must (i) have, at graduation, a grade-point average of 3.75 within the department and a cumulative grade-point average of 3.33; (ii) complete the requirements for the major; (iii) take a comprehensive exam; and (iv) complete the following courses:
A. PHIL 3439 Epistemology
B. At least one of the following:
PHIL 3430 |
Metaphysics |
PHIL 3431 |
Philosophy of Mind |
PHIL 3433 |
Philosophy of Language |
C. At least one of the following:
PHIL 3450 |
Metaethics |
PHIL 3451 |
Social and Political Philosophy |
PHIL 3452 |
Ethical Theory |
D. At least one of the following:
PHIL 3423 |
German Idealism |
PHIL 3426 |
Nietzsche and German Philosophy |
PHIL 3429 |
Continental Philosophy |
E. At least one of the following (preferably all three):
- An intermediate-level course in German, French, or Greek
- PHIL 3340 Symbolic Logic II
- A course in mathematics at the level of MATH 1311 (Calculus I) or higher
F. PHIL 4396 Thesis I
G. PHIL 4397 Thesis II