Majoring in Philosophy

How to Declare

Students who wish to declare Philosophy as a major are invited to:

• Review the academic requirements for the major (below).
• Schedule an appointment or attend office hours with one of our academic advisors. Undergraduate Advisors
• Complete a Declaration of Philosophy Major Form and bring it with you when you meet with one of our academic advisors.

Requirements

Students majoring in Philosophy are required to complete a minimum of 10 courses offered by the Department, including at least seven upper-division courses (300 or above). They must also take courses in the following areas.

One course in Logic, e.g.

• 110 Introduction to Logic
• 310 Intermediate Logic

One course in Value Theory, e.g.

• 160 Introduction to Ethics
• 163 Business Ethics
• 164 Medical Ethics
• 170 Problems in Social Thought
• 343 Philosophy of Art
• 360 Intermediate Ethics
• 370 Social-Political Philosophy
• 371 Philosophical Perspectives on Gender

One course in History of Philosophy (A): Ancient and Medieval; e.g.

• 320 History of Ancient Philosophy
• 328 Plato and Aristotle
• 329 Medieval Philosophy

One course in History of Philosophy (B); 17th and 18th Century; e.g.

• 321 History of Modern Philosophy
• 330 Continental Rationalism
• 331 British Empiricism

Two courses in Metaphysics and Epistemology (broadly construed); e.g.

• 335 20th Century Analytic Philosophy
• 341 Metaphysics
• 342 Epistemology
• 346 Philosophy of Language
• 353 Philosophy of Science
• 355 Philosophy of Mind
• 383 Philosophy of Religion

Consult the undergraduate course webpage for specific courses, and what fields they satisfy, each semester.

Departmental Honors

You can find information on the requirements for obtaining Departmental Honors in Philosophy on the Commonwealth Honors College website.