Philosophy, B.A.
Philosophy is an excellent foundation for work in law, business, teaching, communications, religious studies, public affairs, and more. In fact, philosophy majors have been shown to excel at standardized testing and thrive in the workplace. Hedge fund managers, CEOs, and tech start-up founders are among an impressive list of highly successful philosophy majors. Why is this?
• The study of philosophy is intellectually rigorous, which sharpens students’ minds and teaches them to engage systematically with problems large and small.
• Philosophy students learn the art of constructive debate, discussion and persuasion, in written and verbal forms. These skills serve them well in job interviews and competitive work environments.
• A solid foundation in ethics produces philosophy graduates who make careful decisions with concern for others.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| PHIL 102 | Critical Thinking | 3 |
| PHIL 234 | Ancient Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 239 | On Evil: Early Modern Philosophy | 3 |
| Restricted Electives | ||
| History (take 1 course from the following): | ||
| HIST 205 | Ancient Civilizations | 3 |
| HIST 255 | The Emergence of Modern Europe | 3 |
| HIST 309 | History of Modern France | 3 |
| HIST 311 | History of Modern Germany | 3 |
| HIST 312 | Political Dissent in Modern America | 3 |
| HIST 363 | Medieval Heritage | 3 |
| PHIL 208 | Great Philosophers: Voices of Wisdom | 3 |
| PHIL 217 | Eastern Philosophy and Religion | 3 |
| PHIL 232 | African(a) Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 303 | Existentialism and Phenomenology | 3 |
| PHIL 314 | Great Philosophical Texts | 3 |
| Theoretical (take 1 course from the following): | ||
| PHIL 205 | Metaphysics: Appearance and Reality | 3 |
| PHIL 206 | Epistemology: Theory of Knowledge | 3 |
| PHIL 227 | Symbolic Logic | 3 |
| PHIL 236 | Philosophy of Mind | 3 |
| Practical (take 1 course from the following): | ||
| POLI 105 | History of Political Thought | 3 |
| PHIL 207 | Ethics | 3 |
| PHIL 244 | Political and Social Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 245 | The Philosophy of Social Justice in the United States | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select a minimum of 18 credits. Students may petition to take up to six credits from cognate disciplines. 2 | 18 | |
| PHIL 105 | Issues in Religion | 3 |
| PHIL 110 | Mythology | 3 |
| PHIL 109 | Bioethics (Medical Ethics) 1 | 3 |
| PHIL 113 | Environmental Ethics 1 | 3 |
| PHIL 125 | Ethics in Everyday Life 1 | 3 |
| PHIL 135 | World Religions 1 | 3 |
| PHIL 140 | The Examined Life 1 | 3 |
| PHIL 203 | Philosophy of Religion | 3 |
| PHIL 215 | On Love | 3 |
| PHIL 216 | Aesthetics: Creativity & Imagination | 3 |
| PHIL 226 | Religion in the City: When Faith Encounters Urban Life | 3 |
| PHIL 235 | Perspectives on Death | 3 |
| PHIL 240 | Philosophy and Film | 3 |
| PHIL 246 | Food, Philosophy, and Global Health 1 | 3 |
| PHIL 260 | Philosophy of Education 1 | 3 |
| PHIL 290 | Myth, Magic, and Mysticism | 3 |
| PHIL 302 | Philosophy of Technology | 3 |
| PHIL 313 | Time: Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 3 |
| PHIL 317 | Philosophy and Literature | 3 |
| PHIL 320 | Philosophy of Psychology | 3 |
| PHIL 324 | Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | 3 |
| PHIL 390 | Pandemic Ethics | 3 |
| PHIL 397 | Animals and Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 401 | Philosophy of Science | 3 |
| PHIL 405 | Advanced Seminar in Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 408 | Independent Study in Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 424 | Independent Study in Religion | 3 |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
- 1
Take no more than 9 credits at the 100 level, and take at least 9 credits at the 300 level or above.
- 2
Courses with PHIL designation not taken for restricted electives can be taken for unrestricted electives.
| Freshman | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Credits | |
| ENGL 101 | English Composition I | 4 |
| MATH 114 or MATH 140 | Contemporary Mathematics or Statistics I | 3 |
| PHIL 102 | Critical Thinking | 3 |
| General Education Tier I | 3 | |
| INTD 101 | Orientation to College *first time freshmen only | 1 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| ENGL 102 | English Composition II | 4 |
| General Education Tier I | 3 | |
| Practical Elective | 3 | |
| General Education Tier I | 3 | |
| Elective/Minor | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Sophomore | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| PHIL 234 or PHIL 239 | Ancient Philosophy or On Evil: Early Modern Philosophy | 3 |
| General Education Tier II | 3 | |
| General Education Tier II | 3 | |
| Elective/Minor | 3 | |
| Elective/Minor | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| Theoretical Elective | 3 | |
| Philosophy Elective | 3 | |
| General Education Tier II | 3 | |
| General Education Tier II | 3 | |
| Elective/Minor | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Junior | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| PHIL 239 or PHIL 234 | On Evil: Early Modern Philosophy or Ancient Philosophy | 3 |
| General Education Tier II | 3 | |
| Phil Elective | 3 | |
| Elective/Minor | 3 | |
| Elective/Minor | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| General Education Tier III Capstone | 3 | |
| History Elective | 3 | |
| Philosophy Elective | 3 | |
| Elective/Minor | 3 | |
| Elective/Minor | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Senior | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| PHIL Elective | 3 | |
| PHIL Elective | 3 | |
| Elective/Minor | 3 | |
| Elective/Minor | 3 | |
| Elective/Minor | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| PHIL Elective | 3 | |
| Elective/Minor | 3 | |
| Elective/Minor | 3 | |
| Elective/Minor | 3 | |
| Elective/Minor | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Philosophy BA program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the major ideas, questions, methods and arguments in the core areas of philosophy in the context of philosophy's major historical periods.
- Engage in the close_critical but charitable-reading and interpretation of philosophical texts, and express ideas and arguments clearly in written and/or oral communication.
- Demonstrate strong critical thinking and problem solving skills by applying the tools of informal and formal logic to identify, construct, analyze, evaluate and respond to arguments.
- Discuss questions of value rationally, clearly, humbly, and with an open mind.