Philosophy Major

 The requirements for a major in philosophy are designed to ensure exposure to the major systematic fields in philosophy, to ensure familiarity with advanced analytic and logical methods, acquaint the student with the history of the discipline, and provide close faculty-student contacts through advanced seminars and individual research projects. The major program accommodates general liberal-arts students and those pursuing double majors and honors work, as well as those considering graduate study in philosophy. Students, especially those considering graduate school, who wish a more intensive course of study toward the major should consult with department faculty and study the Philosophy Major Handbook in the department office.

A total of eight courses (described below) satisfy the requirements for the Philosophy Major. Students must receive at least a ‘C-’ grade in these courses.

• One advanced elective (200 or above)
• A designated capstone seminar. Each semester, the department designates an advanced seminar as satisfying the capstone requirement. The capstone should be taken during the student’s senior year. For further inquiries about the capstone, please contact the Department Chair and/or your Major Faculty Advisor.

(The department recommends that students do not take logic as their first and introductory course in the major without first consulting a member of the department faculty.)

Either: (i) a completed double major; or (ii) a completed concentration (for example, environmental science and policy, ethics and public policy, women’s studies, classics, ancient civilizations, Jewish studies, or communications); or (iii) a completed minor in any other program or department.

Students majoring in philosophy may apply to complete an Honors Thesis under the direction of a department faculty member. Successful completion of the thesis is a requirement for the award of Honors, High Honors, or Highest Honors on the student’s diploma.

In order to enroll in the honors program, a student must meet the following requirements. The student must contact a department faculty member who agrees to serve as the thesis advisor and supervise the student’s work. The student should then work on a thesis proposal in conjunction with the thesis advisor. Once the proposal has been completed to the satisfaction of the supervisor, the student will submit it to the Department Chair for review by the entire philosophy faculty. The completed proposal must meet with faculty approval by no later than second semester of a student’s junior year. In addition, the student must have, at the time of the proposal’s submission, maintained a minimum grade point average of 3.0 overall and 3.3 in his or her philosophy coursework.

Once enrolled in the honors program, the student must

1. continue to maintain 3.0 overall and 3.3 in philosophy coursework,
2. assemble an advisory committee; the advisory committee must include the thesis advisor and at least two other members of the philosophy faculty (exceptions to this–only in the case that the student wants the third member of the committee to be member of the faculty from another department–may be made with special permission by both the thesis advisor and the department chairperson),
3. satisfy his or her major requirements,
4. complete the honors thesis requirement. Completion includes both (a) enrollment in ‘Phil 297: Honors’ under the direction of the thesis advisor, during both semesters of his or her senior year, and (b) a successful oral defense of the thesis, and a final approval of the finished thesis, both which are to be overseen by a group of faculty that includes the student’s advisory committee.

At the completion of these conditions, the department will recommend to the University that the student be awarded Departmental Honors at one of the following three levels: honors, high honors or highest honors.

In the case that the student does not meet one or more of the requirements outlined above, the thesis advisor will request that the University Registrar change the designation ‘Phil 297: Honors’ on the student’s transcripts to either ‘Phil 295: Senior Thesis’ or ‘Phil 299: Directed Readings’ depending on the work submitted by the student.