Major Requirements (A.B. Degree)
Ten courses in Philosophy, including:
History of Philosophy: two of 105, 106, 107
Reasoning: 102 or 200
Ethics: 215
Seminar: one of 350-353
Senior Colloquium: 451
Four additional courses
The degree awarded is a B.A. in philosophy.
Minor Requirements
Five courses in Philosophy, including two of 105, 106, 107, and three additional courses, at least one of which is numbered 200 or above.
Honors
Honors Requirements: A minimum GPA of 3.2 overall and 3.5 in Philosophy, at least an A- in PHI 495, and the recommendation of the Department.
High Honors Requirements: A minimum GPA of 3.5 overall and 3.75 in Philosophy, an A in PHI 495, and the recommendation of the Department.
Rationale for Course Numbering
100-level courses serve as entries into the discipline. They tend to cover a broad range of topics and are less technical than the upper-level courses. 110 is a survey of philosophical problems, but any 100-level course can serve as an introduction to philosophy. 105, 106, and 107 focus on a major period of philosophy’s history. 102, 120, 130, and 140 analyze applied topics. 160 introduces philosophy through the work of a single philosopher.
200-level courses are also appropriate as entries into philosophy, but they tend to be more narrowly focused than 100-level courses. And with a few exceptions, 200-level courses are primarily concerned with contemporary philosophy rather than philosophy’s history.
Some 300-level courses (350-353) are discussion seminars, usually on a single topic, text, or figure. Other 300-level courses are not seminars, but they are numbered in this range because their topics and readings are more specialized than those in the typical 200-level course. Students and advisers should check with the instructor to see if a given 300-level course is appropriate for those without prior experience in philosophy.
400-level courses are usually limited to senior philosophy majors. 451 is the capstone of the major. 495 is for seniors writing a thesis.
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