A student may take up to two 1000-level courses to count toward the major. A student is not required to take any 1000-level courses for the major, but a 1000-level course often serves as an important introduction that helps a student to determine which particular topics they might want to pursue at a more advanced level. All of these 1000-level courses also meet university general education requirements.

The philosophy major requires a course in ancient philosophy and a course in early modern philosophy. It is suggested that these courses be taken in the student’s second or third year, as they are foundational and help to set up material that is encountered in later courses. 

Students are required to take two courses in the history of philosophy:

• PHIL 2111 Ancient Philosophy
• As well as one of the following:
  • PHIL 2214 Seventeenth-Century Philosophy,
  • PHIL 2215 Modern Philosophy,
  • PHIL 2216 Eighteenth-Century Philosophy

Students are required to take at least two courses in this category.

Students are required to take at least two courses in this category.

A student also needs to complete PHIL:2603 Introduction to Symbolic Logic. This should be done in the second or third year, or in the first semester of the fourth.

Of the 10 total courses for the major, two must be at the 4000-level or above.

The remainder of courses for the major can be satisfied with electives, anything at the 2000-level or above. 

These two courses can be among the courses that a student is already taking in the metaphysics/epistemology or value theory categories, or they might just be elective courses that remain after a student has completed all other requirements. Students in their senior year, especially those considering law school, graduate school, or other professional schools, are strongly encouraged to take a 6000-level seminar to meet the 4000-level or above requirement.

Note that our higher-level courses do not have official pre-requisites, but in many cases they are more advanced versions of courses that appear at the 2000- or 3000-level. For example, there are 2000- and 3000-level courses in metaphysics (2437), knowledge and skepticism (2442, 3005), philosophy of mind (2538, 2542), ethical theory (2402) political philosophy (2432), philosophy of law (2435), and multiculturalism (3342), and there are 4000-level courses that involve a more intensive discussion of the same or similar topics. Any student is strongly advised to take a 2000-level course on a given topic before taking the more advanced 4000-level analogue. As always, the philosophy undergraduate advisors are happy to meet with students to help to plan any such aspects of their schedule.