Majors and Minors

Requirements for Major

  • A minimum of eight units in philosophy.
  • At least three of these eight units must be at the 300- or 400-level.
  • All courses for the major must be taken for a numerical grade and cannot be taken credit/no credit. Directed studies may be counted only by permission of the department.

Requirements for Minor

  • Five units in philosophy, at least two of which must be at the 300- or 400-level.

Requirements for Minor in History of Philosophy

  • Five units, including Philosophy 211 and 212, and three courses at the 289-level or higher selected from the following: Continental Philosophy (289), Sources of Evil (289), Nineteenth Century Philosophy (381), Kierkegaard and Nietzsche (401), History of Philosophy (402), directed study with departmental approval (411). History 102, English 261, Political Science 355 and Religious Studies 231 may be substituted for one of the above electives in consultation with the Philosophy Department.

Requirements for Minor in Philosophy of Mind

  • Five units, at least one of which must be at the 300-level or higher, including either Philosophy of Mind (381/401) or Sensation, Perception and Knowledge (382), and any four of the following: Knowledge, Truth and Reason (315), Modern Philosophy (212), Philosophy East and West (102), Neuroscience I (NEUR 241), Neuroscience and Ethics (306). Psychology 343, 345, 348 or 378 may be substituted for one of the above electives in consultation with the Philosophy Department.

Requirements for Minor in Value Theory

  • Five units, at least two of which must be at the 300-level or higher, selected from the following: Ethics (201), Social Philosophy (202), Contemporary Moral Problems (206), Philosophy of Art (215), Environmental Ethics (301), Business Ethics (303), Ethics and Public Policy (304), Biomedical Ethics (308), Philosophy of Law (335), Theory of Justice (381/401), Leadership Ethics (302), Morality, Truth and Relativism (381/401), Neuroscience and Ethics (306).

Preparation for Graduate Study

  • We recommend that students plan their schedules in consultation with a Philosophy Department faculty member.
  • We recommend that students take more than eight philosophy courses.
  • The following courses are strongly recommended for graduate study: 201, 207, 211, 212, 214, 310, 315.
  • We recommend that students submit a thesis for departmental honors.
  • We recommend that students discuss the graduate school application process with the department during the spring of their junior year.