Major

Requirements

In addition to satisfying the UK Core and College requirements, each student must complete the following requirements. The total number of hours required for the major (in addition to PHI 260 and 270) is 45. Of these, 27 must come from Philosophy courses, and up to 31 may do so. The remainder of 14-18 hours are to be taken outside of the major in a Field of Concentration. All 45 hours required for the major must be at or above the 200 level. Naturally students are welcome to take more than 31 hours within Philosophy; these additional hours may count as college or university electives rather than directly toward the major.

Pre-Major Requirements

  • PHI 260 History of Philosophy I: From Greek Beginnings to the Middle Ages
  • PHI 270 History of Philosophy II: From the Renaissance to the Present Era

To satisfy the College foreign language requirement, French, German, Greek, & Latin are highly recommended. Students are encouraged to take a language that complements their philosophical interests, e.g., Greek for students especially interested in ancient philosophy; Latin for students especially interested in medieval philosophy; French or German for students especially interested in Continental philosophy.

 

Major Requirements

A minimum of 27 hours of coursework in Philosophy (PHI) at or above the 300 level.

  1. PHI 320 Symbolic Logic I
  2. PHI 330 Ethics     OR     PHI 335 The Individual & Society*
  3. PHI 350 Metaphysics & Epistemology**
  4. Upper Level Coursework: at least 15 credit hours required within Philosophy must be taken at 500 level or above, including one course chosen from each of the following three groups:

Group A:

  • PHI 503 Topics in Ancient Philosophy
  • PHI 504 Islamic and Jewish Philosophy and the Classical Tradition
  • PHI 506 Topics in Medieval Philosophy
  • PHI 509 Topics in the History of Modern Philosophy
  • PHI 513 Nineteenth Century Philosophy
  • PHI 514 American Philosophy
  • PHI 515 Contemporary Philosophy: The Analytic Turn
  • PHI 516 Contemporary Philosophy: Phenomenological Directions
  • PHI 517 Existentialism
  • PHI 570 Philosophy of History

Group B:

  • PHI 519 Critical Social Thought
  • PHI 530 Ethical Theory
  • PHI 531 Advanced Topics in Ethics
  • PHI 535 Social and Political Philosophy
  • PHI 537 Philosophy of Law
  • PHI 540 Feminist Philosophy
  • PHI 545 Philosophy of Religion
  • PHI 592 Aesthetics

Group C:

  • PHI 520 Symbolic Logic II
  • PHI 550 Philosophical Problems in Knowledge and Reality
  • PHI 560 Philosophy of Scientific Method
  • PHI 561 Philosophical Problems in the Natural Sciences
  • PHI 562 Philosophical Problems in the Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • PHI 565 Philosophy of Language
  • PHI 575 Philosophy of Mind
  1. Electives within Philosophy: at least 3 and up to 7 hours within Philosophy may be elected freely from any class above the 100-level.

 

Field of Concentration (Requirements Outside the Major)

14-18 hours at the 200+ level; up to 4 hours of 18 credit hours may come from within the major. The field of concentration will be established by the student and adviser with care exercised to select courses related to the student's total program and aims.

 

*          PHI335 can be used either to fulfill the major requirements (#2) or as an elective within philosophy (#5) but not both.
**        PHI350 fulfills the Graduation Composition and Communication Requirement (GCCR).