Philosophy Curriculum

Major Details

As a philosophy major at the UC College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), you learn how to read texts closely and how to write clearly. You also develop keen analytic and critical skills. Admission into the program is based on admission into the college and success in the first year of course work. To graduate with a major in philosophy, students must be admitted to A&S, declare a philosophy major and meet the following requirements that take effect for new majors who begin/declare Fall 2019 or later:

 

  1. Complete two Introduction to Philosophy courses
  2. Complete one logic course
  3. Complete two Philosophy free electives
  4. Complete six Upper-Level Philosophy Courses 3000 or higher PHIL 5099 is not elligible
  5. Complete the Philosophy Senior Capstone Seminar course 
  6. Complete a Minor or Certificate of your choosing within the College of Arts & Sciences, OR complete a double-major, dual-degree, or cross-college major
  • PHIL 1000: Intro to Philosophy 
  • PHIL 1001: Theory of Knowledge
  • PHIL 1002: Mind and Will
  • PHIL 1003: Intro to Ethics
  • PHIL 1004: Intro to History of Philosophy
  • PHIL 1005: Philosophies Around the World
  • PHIL 1006: Intro to Cognitive Studies
  • PHIL 1032: How Science Works
  • PHIL 1044: The Meaning of Life 
  • PHIL 1011: Intro to Logic
  • PHIL 2010: Symbolic Logic
  • Other advanced logic course with approval 
  • Any Philosophy course

  • PHIL 5099: Senior Capstone 

Optional Philosophy Tracks

  • PHIL 3002: Metaethics
  • PHIL 3005: Philosophy of Law
  • PHIL 3020: Normative Ethics
  • PHIL 3021: Social & Political Phil 
  • PHIL 3020: Normative Ethics
  • PHIL 3028: Bioethics
  • PHIL 3040: Phil of Science
  • PHIL 3041:  Phil of Biology 
  • PHIL1070: Power of Big Data*
  • PHIL 2028: Business Ethics*
  • PHIL 3023: Sci., Phil & Society
  • PHIL 3040: Phil of Science 

The College's flexible degree requirements allow for and highly encourage students to pursue multiple areas of study. Free electives allow for enough credits for students to pursue a minor, certificate program or even complete a second major. Some of the most common pairings are listed below.

  • The major requires a minimum of 12 courses (36 credit hours) in Philosophy.

  • These requirements take effect for new majors who begin/declare Fall 2019 or later.

  • Students who were already Philosophy majors prior to Fall 2019 are not required to have a minor, certificate, or double-major, and can fulfill either the old Logic requirement (PHIL 2010) or the new Logic requirement (either PHIL 1011 or PHIL 2010).

  • Any given course can count toward only one requirement within the major—in other words, no “double-counting” within the major.

  • You may “double-count” courses toward both a major requirement and other college or university requirements, such as toward your Gen-Ed Quantitative Reasoning [QR] or toward a certificate or second major.

  • All courses must earn a C or better to count toward the major requirements. Courses that earn a C- or a D will count toward your UC total credit hours and your UC GPA, but not toward completing the major. You will need to either re-take the course or take another Philosophy course that fulfills the same requirement.

  • PHIL 5099 Senior Capstone Seminar is required and typically only offered in Spring. Plan to take it in the Spring Semester of the calendar year you graduate, whether you plan to graduate in May, August, or December. If you anticipate having a conflict or problem with this schedule, talk to the Undergraduate Program Director as soon as possible.

  • You do not need to complete the major requirements in the order they are listed. However, we recommend that you take your Intro courses before you begin taking your 3000+ upper-level courses.

  • All other College, University, and Gen-Ed requirements need to be fulfilled in order to be eligible for graduation. See your college advisor for guidance.

  • Juniors or Seniors on the Law & Ethics or Biohumanities tracks may apply to receive 3 hours of course credit for an approved unpaid internship during Fall or Spring Semester via PHIL 4071/4072. Juniors or Seniors on the Cognitive Studies track may apply to receive course credit for working as a research assistant for a faculty member during Fall or Spring Semester via PHIL 4073. These opportunities are by permission only and subject to the availability of faculty mentors. Reach out to the Undergraduate Director at least one semester in advance to express interest. Traditional (non-track) majors may sometimes be permitted to participate in these opportunities as well.

Questions? Contact the Undergraduate Program Director, Prof. Vanessa Carbonell, vanesssa.carbonell@uc.edu