Becoming a Philosophy Major
Students interested in any of the philosophy major programs described below must get approval from the Philosophy Department and must sign up for them by title with the Registrar's Office (Quinn Administration, 1st Floor).
Requirements and Recommendations
Courses in the Philosophy Department
The Philosophy Department offers courses at four levels of undergraduate study, as well as some graduate-level courses open to undergraduates:
100-level courses
Courses at the 100 level are typically open to freshmen. They presume no previous course work in philosophy and do not presume completion of the CAS freshman writing requirement (English 101-102 or equivalent).
200-level courses
Courses at the 200 level are typically open to sophomores. They presume completion of an introductory-level philosophy course or course work in subjects related to the course topic or familiarity with philosophical issues. These courses also presume some previous instruction in writing.
300-level courses
Courses at the 300 level are typically junior and senior level courses. They normally presume completion of one or two philosophy courses and the CAS freshman writing requirement. These courses are generally either less specialized or less advanced than 400-level courses.
400-level courses
Courses at the 400 level are typically junior and senior level courses. They presume completion of one or two philosophy courses and the College of Liberal Arts writing requirement, and generally they focus on specialized or more advanced topics.
500-level courses
These are graduate courses, open to juniors and seniors with the permission of the instructor.
These categories are guides to aid students in course selection, rather than prerequisites. Prerequisites for courses are listed with the course descriptions.
These categories are guides to aid students in course selection, rather than prerequisites. Prerequisites for courses are listed with the course descriptions.
Courses counting toward the major
No more than two 100-level courses may be counted toward any departmental major.
PHIL 478, 479, and 501 do not normally count toward the satisfaction of the 300-level or higher major course requirements.
Philosophy BA
Standard Philosophy majors are required to take:
- Phil 100 (Introduction to Philosophy),
- Phil 120 (Introduction to Logic),
- Phil 211 (Ancient Philosophy),
- Phil 212 (Modern Philosophy),
- Six additional courses in philosophy, including at least three numbered 300 or higher.