Philosophy, BA

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About the Program

What is there, what do we know, and how are we to live? Philosophy is the systematic investigation of perennial human questions about the nature of reality, the limits of knowledge, and the foundations of value.

Courses in philosophy develop a variety of skills that contribute to professional success, engaged citizenship, and a well-rounded life. These include analytical thinking, abstract reasoning, and creative problem-solving, abilities useful in every career. Philosophy also fosters the ability to build and critique an argument (a skill valued highly by law schools); clarity in written and oral communication; and increased awareness of diverse solutions to social, political, and ethical problems. If you want to learn how to think rather than what to think, philosophy is the field of study for you!

Degree Requirements

120 Credit Hours
Minimum grade of C required for ENGL 10400, and all Foreign Language and Philosophy courses
Minimum GPA of 2.0 required for graduation
Certain courses may only be available at one campus location

PNW General Education Core (30 Credits Minimum)

English Composition (6 Credits): ENGL 10400 - English Composition I and ENGL 10500 - English Composition II
Speech Communication (3 Credits): COM 11400 - Fundamentals of Speech Communication
Quantitative Reasoning (3 Credits): STAT 13000 - Statistics And Contemporary Life or MA 15300 - College Algebra
Natural Sciences (3 Credits): Select from the Natural Sciences Core list
Technology (3 Credits): CIS 20400 - Introduction To Computer-Based Systems
Humanities (3 Credits): PHIL 10600 - Human Experience In Art Literature, Music, And Philosophy
Social Sciences (3 Credits): PSY 12000 - Elementary Psychology
Additional Credits (3 Credits): SOC 10000 - Introductory Sociology
First-Year Experience (FYE) (3 Credits): Select from the First-Year Experience Core list

CHESS College Core (36 Credits)

Modern Language (12 Credits)
Gender Issues (3 Credits)
Global Cultures (3 Credits)
Individual and Society (3 Credits)
Literature and the Arts (3 Credits)
Racial and Ethnic Diversity (3 Credits)
Social Ethics (3 Credits)
United States Tradition (3 Credits)
Western Heritage (3 Credits)

For courses that meet these requirements, please see the CHESS College Core list .

Major Core (30 Credits)

Introductory Philosophy Course (3 Credits) - choose one:
- PHIL 10100 - The History Of Philosophy
- PHIL 11000 - Introduction To Philosophy
Logic Course (3 Credits) - choose one:
Ethics Course (6 Credits) - choose two:
Metaphysics/Epistemology (6 Credits) - choose two:
History of Philosophy (6 Credits) - choose two:
Philosophy Elective/Advanced Topics in Philosophy (6 Credits)
- PHIL 49000 - Advanced Topics In Philosophy
- PHIL 49000 - Advanced Topics In Philosophy

Other Required Courses (24 Credits)

One Math, Statistics, Science, or Computer Course (3 Credits) - any MA (except MA 11500), STAT, SCI, or CIS Course
One course from the Experiential Learning Course List (3 Credits)
Free Electives (18 Credits)

Total 120 Credits Required

Degree Map

Requirements

Minimum Grade and Grade Point Average (GPA): Minimum grade of C required for ENGL 10400, and all Foreign Language and Philosophy courses; 2.0 GPA

Experiential Learning (EL): One EL course required. EL courses are noted by (e) next to the course title.

General Education Core: General Education notations can be found within the course description. Please click on a course to see if it meets a Gen Ed requirement.

Milestone Courses noted by (m) next to the course title have been identified as being critical to your success in this field of study.

Courses that are only offered on one campus will be noted by an (H) for Hammond, or (W) for Westville.

Please see the Additional Information and Guidelines section below for more information.

Semester 1 (15 Credits)

ENGL 10400 - English Composition I
SOC 10000 - Introductory Sociology
COM 11400 - Fundamentals Of Speech Communication
Modern Language Level I (See Note 1)
First-Year Experience - select from Gen Ed Core List

Semester 2 (15 Credits)

ENGL 10500 - English Composition II (e)
PHIL 10600 - Human Experience In Art Literature, Music, And Philosophy
STAT 13000 - Statistics And Contemporary Life or MA 15300 - College Algebra
Modern Language Level II (See Note 1)
Individual and Society - select from the CHESS College Core List

Semester 3 (15 Credits)

Introductory Philosophy Course - PHIL 10100 or PHIL 11000
Literature and the Arts - select from the CHESS College Core List
Logic Course - PHIL 12000 (H), PHIL 15000 (H), PHIL 29300 , or PHIL 49000
Natural Sciences - select from the Gen Ed Core List
Modern Language Level III (See Note 1)

Semester 4 (15 Credits)

Ethics Course - PHIL 11000 , PHIL 29300 , PHIL 32400 , or PHIL 49000
Metaphysics/Epistemology - PHIL 20600 , PHIL 21900 , PHIL 22100 , PHIL 29300 , or PHIL 49000
CIS 20400 - Introduction To Computer-Based Systems
Modern Language Level IV (See Note 1)
Western Heritage - select from the CHESS College Core List

Semester 5 (15 Credits)

PSY 12000 - Elementary Psychology
Ethics - PHIL 11100 , PHIL 29300 , PHIL 32400 , or PHIL 49000 (H)
Metaphysics/Epistemology Course (m) - PHIL 20600 (H), PHIL 21900 (H), PHIL 22100 , PHIL 29300 (H), or PHIL 49000 (H)
Math, Statistics, Science, or Computer Course (See Note 2)
Social Ethics - select from the CHESS College Core List

Semester 6 (15 Credits)

US Traditions - select from the CHESS College Core List
Gender Issues - select from the CHESS College Core List
History of Philosophy Course - PHIL 29300 (H), PHIL 30100 (H), PHIL 30200 (H), PHIL 30300 (H), PHIL 30600 (H), or PHIL 49000 (H)
Advanced Topics in Philosophy - PHIL 49000 (See Note 4)
Free Elective

Semester 7 (15 Credits)

Global Cultures - select from the CHESS College Core List
History of Philosophy Course - PHIL 29300 (H), PHIL 30100 (H), PHIL 30200 (H), PHIL 30300 (H), PHIL 30600 (H), or PHIL 49000 (H)
Experiential Learning Course - select from Experiential Learning Course List (See Note 5)
Free Elective
Free Elective

Semester 8 (15 Credits)

Racial and Ethnic Diversity - select from CHESS College Core List
Advanced Topics in Philosophy - PHIL 49000 (See Note 4)
Free Elective
Free Elective
Free Elective

Additional Information and Guidelines

Note 1: Modern Language – Must complete 4 semesters of the same modern language. Level I Course: Choose from: SPAN 10100, FR 10100, GER 10100, or JPNS 10100; Level II Course: Choose from: SPAN 10200, FR 10200, GER 10200, or JPNS 10200; Level III Course: Choose from: SPAN 20100, FR 20100, GER 20100, or JPNS 20100; Level IV Course: Choose from: SPAN 20200, FR 20200, GER 20200, or JPNS 20200.

Note 2: Additional Math, Statistics, Science or Computer Course - Choose any MA (except MA 11500), STAT, SCI, or CIS course.

Note 3: This may be a free elective if students have taken PHIL 11100 to satisfy the Major Core “Ethics” requirement.

Note 4: Philosophy Elective / Advanced Topics in Philosophy - Students must take at least two PHIL 49000 (preferably in semesters 6, 7 or 8). If a PHIL 49000 course is used to satisfy a philosophy major requirement in Logic, Ethics, Metaphysics/Epistemology, or History of Philosophy, then an additional philosophy class must be taken as a philosophy elective.

Note 5: One free elective must be an EXL course.

Resources

The 8 semester plan of study is a recommended sequence of classes designed to show how this program can be completed within four years.

Visit the 15 to Finish website for information and resources.

For career information, click here to visit the Careers and Employment Trends page.

For Financial Aid eligibility, click here. Annual FAFSA filing deadline is March 10. Financial Aid recipients are required to complete 30 credits per calendar year to stay eligible for the standard financial aid award.

Financial Guarantee: If you follow the degree map and find a course unavailable, you may be able to take the course for free in a future semester. Certain exclusions apply.