Philosophy Major

The Philosophy major can be your one and only major, but it also can be combined with other majors so that you graduate with a double major.

A Philosophy major is useful for careers involving critical thinking and analysis and those that require writing skills and an ability to solve complex, theory-laden problems.

Philosophy is a traditional pathway into elite law schools, and many philosophy majors go on to graduate school in a variety of fields.

 

Philosophy Major Degree Requirements

 

Requirements for the major in Philosophy

PHL 215	Ancient Philosophy: Plato and Aristotle	4
PHL 302	Modern Philosophy: Metaphysics and Epistemology from Descartes to Kant	4
PHL 201	Logic	4
Any-level PHL or REL elective	Any PHL or REL course at any level	4
Upper-level PHL electives	12 credits (typically three 4-credit courses) of PHL 3XX and/or PHL 4XX	12
PHL 401	The Philosopher's Capstone: Living in the World Today	4
Total Credit Hours:		32

 

You can begin the Philosophy major by taking any PHL or REL course for which you meet the pre-requisites.

At just 32 credit-hours, the Philosophy major can easily be combined with a second major and/or with one or more minors.

 

Total Credit Hours: 32

 

As a Philosophy major, you became a sharp critical thinker while learning how to apply abstract theory to real-world problems.  You develop an in-depth understanding of contemporary philosophical debates and the global history of philosophy.  You participate in ongoing conversation in areas such as ethical theory, applied ethics (e.g., environmental ethics, business ethics, and biomedical ethics), feminist philosophy, philosophy of race, social and political philosophy, aesthetics and philosophy of art, philosophy of mind, metaphysics, theory of knowledge, philosophy of film, philosophy of law, philosophy of language, philosophy of science, existentialism, philosophy of religion, and Asian and Indian philosophy.  You have the opportunity to explore connections between philosophy and contemplative practices such as yoga, meditation, and the martial arts.  You will learn how to take philosophical theory and apply it to deal with real-world problems in public policy, scientific inquiry, global conflict, and your individual life.