Philosophy and Religion, B.A.; Major in Philosophy
Program Description
The major in philosophy empowers students to analyze diverse worldviews and value systems. In a world that is increasingly pluralistic, ideologically driven and globally connected, skills in critical thinking and cross-cultural understanding are more important than ever. Our students apply this degree to a wide variety of career fields.
Students choose from two concentrations: general philosophy and interdisciplinary philosophy. The interdisciplinary concentration allows students to count relevant courses in another field toward the major and is a particularly good fit for students choosing philosophy as a second major.
Degree Requirements
| Degree Requirements | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| General Education 1 | 41 |
| Foreign Language classes (intermediate level required) 2 | 0-12 |
| Philosophy course (in addition to General Education courses) | 3 |
| Major requirements | 33-36 |
| University electives | 28-43 |
| Total | 120 |
- 1
The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. Some requirements may be fulfilled by courses within the major.
- 2
The foreign language requirement may be satisfied by successful completion of the second semester of the intermediate level of the student's chosen language (typically 232) or by placing out of that language through the Department of World Languages and Cultures' placement test.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| All students must take the following courses. | ||
| PHIL 101 | Introduction to Philosophy [C2HQC] | 3 |
| REL 101 | Religions of the World [C2HQC] | 3 |
| Subtotal | 6 | |
| Major Requirements | ||
| PHIL 250 | Introduction to Symbolic Logic | 3 |
| PHIL 330 | Moral Theory | 3 |
| PHIL 340 | Ancient Greek Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 341 | Modern Philosophy | 3 |
| Subtotal | 12 | |
| Concentrations | ||
| Students select a concentration in general philosophy or in interdisciplinary philosophy. See below for details. | 15-18 | |
| Total Credits | 33-36 | |
Concentrations
Concentration in General Philosophy
In addition to the core and major requirements listed above, students choosing the concentration in General Philosophy must take the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| History of Philosophy | ||
| Choose one of the following: 1 | 3 | |
| Islamic Philosophy | ||
| Medieval Philosophy | ||
| Stoics, Skeptics and Epicureans | ||
| Existentialism | ||
| History of Ethics | ||
| Philosophy of Race | ||
| American Philosophy | ||
| Nineteenth-Century Philosophy and Theology | ||
| Nietzsche | ||
| Hermeneutics | ||
| Analytic Philosophy | ||
| Kant | ||
| Phenomenology | ||
| Subtotal | 3 | |
| Metaphysics/Epistemology | ||
| Choose one of the following: 2 | 3 | |
| Philosophy of Religion | ||
| Knowledge and Belief | ||
| Metaphysics | ||
| Philosophy of Language | ||
| Philosophy of Mind | ||
| Self and Identity | ||
| Philosophy of Physics | ||
| Philosophy of Space and Time | ||
| Philosophy of Quantum Theory | ||
| Philosophy of Science | ||
| Subtotal | 3 | |
| Philosophy Electives | ||
| Choose nine credit hours of philosophy electives (six credits at the 300 level or above) 3 | 9 | |
| Subtotal | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 15 | |
- 1
Depending on the manner in which they are taught, the following topics classes may be counted toward the history requirement if they are approved by petition to the academic unit head: PHIL 390, PHIL 391 and PHIL 460.
- 2
Depending on the manner in which they are taught, the following topics classes may be counted toward the metaphysics/epistemology requirement if they are approved by petition to the academic unit head: PHIL 390 and PHIL 391.
- 3
Concentration in Interdisciplinary Philosophy
In addition to the core and major requirements listed above, students choosing the concentration in Interdisciplinary Philosophy must take the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Metaphysics/Epistemology | ||
| Choose one of the following: 1 | 3 | |
| Philosophy of Religion | ||
| Knowledge and Belief | ||
| Metaphysics | ||
| Philosophy of Language | ||
| Philosophy of Mind | ||
| Self and Identity | ||
| Philosophy of Physics | ||
| Philosophy of Space and Time | ||
| Philosophy of Quantum Theory | ||
| Philosophy of Science | ||
| Subtotal | 3 | |
| Philosophy Electives | ||
| Choose six credit hours of philosophy electives (three credits at the 300 level or above) 2 | 6 | |
| Subtotal | 6 | |
| Cognates | ||
| Cognate of three courses from one or more disciplinary areas outside of philosophy | 9 | |
| Subtotal | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Recommended Schedule for Philosophy Majors
The following outline is a sample four-year program. The actual courses and sequence a student takes may vary.
| First Year | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory courses in major | 6 | |
| B.A. degree requirements | 6 | |
| General Education requirement | 18 | |
| Credits | 30 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Required courses in major | 6 | |
| B.A. degree requirements or electives | 6 | |
| General Education requirement | 18 | |
| Credits | 30 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Requirements and electives in philosophy or religion | 12 | |
| Electives (may be outside of major) | 12 | |
| General Education requirement | 6 | |
| Credits | 30 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Three Philosophy courses | 9 | |
| B.A. degree requirements / University Elective(s) | 21 | |
| Credits | 30 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |