BA in Philosophy
A major in philosophy gives students access to the fruits of 2,500 years of thought on matters of ultimate concern. It encourages and provides the means of thinking effectively about timeless questions through a study of important writings on these topics. A successful student of philosophy is equipped to engage in intellectual conversation on a range of topics of both classical and contemporary concern. The study of philosophy encourages breadth and depth of understanding and promotes the ability to think and write cogently and rigorously.
Philosophy majors prepare themselves for a wide range of professional and business occupations that value highly developed skills of analysis, comprehensive thinking, and communication. Students majoring in Philosophy commonly pursue careers in law, medicine, business, technology, public service, teaching, editing and publishing, and academia. In addition to its focus on the liberal art curriculum, the Department of Philosophy offers courses in feminism and gender studies, computation and consciousness, philosophy of science, technology and the environment, and non-Western Philosophies.
Major Requirements
The major in Philosophy leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree. Philosophy courses are distributed among three categories indicated, in parentheses after the title of the course. Courses offered for the major must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher. No more than two 100-level philosophy courses may be used to satisfy major requirements.
Completion of the major requires 36 credits.
- PHI 300 Ancient Philosophy and PHI 306 Modern Philosophy
- PHI 108 Logical and Critical Reasoning or 220 Introduction to Symbolic Logic (Students who expect to pursue graduate study in Philosophy should choose PHI 220)
- Upper-Division Writing Requirement
- PHI 395 Junior Seminar
- PHI 401 Individual Systems of the Great Philosophers or PHI 402 Analysis of Philosophic Texts
- 21 additional credits of Philosophy coursework. Note that no more than two 100-level philosophy courses may be used to satisfy major requirements.
Note: Students who expect to pursue graduate study should include PHI 220 in their programs. Philosophy majors and other interested students who would like to spend a semester or a year studying in France, Germany, England, Spain, Italy, or other countries, should consult the Department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. With the permission of the Department, Philosophy majors may also use credits from other study abroad programs to satisfy major requirements.
Honors Program
To qualify for the honors program, a student must be a junior or a senior in the major with an overall GPA of at least 3.00 and a GPA in philosophy of 3.50. The student must maintain this average throughout participation in the honors program. To seek honors, a student must plan a program prior to the first semester of the senior year with a faculty advisor and the director of undergraduate studies. The program consists of three courses at the 300 level or higher, concentrated on related aspects of a central problem. At least one of the courses should be independent study under the direction of the advisor and lead to a senior paper. This paper is reviewed by the advisor and one other member of the Philosophy faculty and by a faculty member from outside the Department. The senior paper is then the focus of an oral examination. Honors are awarded upon passage of the examination.
Minor Requirements
The minor in Philosophy requires 18 credits, which must include at least nine credits in upper-division courses. Courses offered for the minor must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher. No more than one 100-level course can be counted toward satisfying the minor requirements.