Campuses:
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Twin Cities Campus
Philosophy B.A.Philosophy Department
College of Liberal Arts
Philosophy examines and analyzes the presuppositions of our thought in both ordinary life and in the arts and sciences. Fields within philosophy are moral and political philosophy, history of philosophy, logic (including philosophy of mathematics), philosophy of language, philosophy of religion, philosophy of science (including philosophy of physics, of biology, and of the social sciences), metaphysics, epistemology, and aesthetics.
Program Delivery
This program is available:
Admission Requirements
For information about University of Minnesota admission requirements, visit the
Office of Admissions
website.
General Requirements
All students in baccalaureate degree programs are required to complete general University and college requirements including writing and liberal education courses. For more information about University-wide requirements, see the
liberal education requirements.
Required courses for the major, minor or certificate in which a student receives a D grade (with or without plus or minus) do not count toward the major, minor or certificate (including transfer courses).
Program Requirements
Students are required to complete 4 semester(s) of
any second language.
with a grade of C-, or better, or S, or demonstrate proficiency in the language(s) as defined by the department
or college.
A Philosophy major program requires 30 credits, at least 11 of which must be upper-division philosophy credits completed at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities campus. No more than 8 credits of PHIL 1xxx may count toward the degree, and at least two 3-or-more-credit courses must be PHIL 4xxx or higher. Students who double-major and choose to complete the senior project in their other major are still responsible for taking 30 total PHIL credits. Students may earn a B.A. or a minor in philosophy, but not both.
Beginning fall 2012, all incoming CLA freshmen must complete the appropriate First Year Experience course sequence. Specific information about this collegiate requirement can be found at: http://class.umn.edu/degree_requirements/index.html
Required Courses
History of Philosophy
PHIL 3001W - General History of Western Philosophy: Ancient Period
[AH, WI]
(4.0 cr)
or
PHIL 3005W - General History of Western Philosophy: Modern Period
[AH, WI]
(4.0 cr)
Metaphysics/Epistemology/Philosophy of Language/Philosophy of Science
PHIL 3234 - Knowledge and Society
(3.0 cr)
or
PHIL 3601W - Scientific Thought
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
or
PHIL 4101 - Metaphysics
(3.0 cr)
or
PHIL 4105W - Epistemology
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
or
PHIL 4231 - Philosophy of Language
(3.0 cr)
Value Theory
PHIL 3311W - Introduction to Ethical Theory
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
or
PHIL 4311W - History of Moral Theories
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
or
PHIL 4320 - Intensive Study of a Historical Moral Theory
(3.0 cr)
or
PHIL 4321W - Theories of Justice
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
or
PHIL 4331 - Contemporary Moral Theories
(3.0 cr)
or
PHIL 4414 - Political Philosophy
(3.0 cr)
Philosophy Electives
If you have not yet taken two three-or-more-credit PHIL 4xxx-5xxx courses, do so here.
Take 13 or more credit(s) from the following:
·
PHIL 1xxx
·
PHIL 3xxx
·
PHIL 4xxx
·
PHIL 5xxx
Senior Project
A senior project is required and is typically a paper.
PHIL 4893 - Capstone: Directed Studies
(1.0 cr)
Program Sub-plans
A sub-plan is not required for this program.
Ethics and Civic Life
The Department of Philosophy's optional concentration in ethics and civic life is an opportunity for students who are interested in ethics and community service to relate their experiences in the classroom to their work in the community and vice versa. Students who complete the concentration will receive acknowledgment on their transcripts.
Core Courses
Take 3 or more course(s) from the following:
·
PHIL 1004W - Introduction to Political Philosophy
[AH, CIV, WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 1006W - Philosophy and Cultural Diversity
[AH, DSJ, WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3301 - Environmental Ethics
[ENV]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3302W - Moral Problems of Contemporary Society
[CIV, WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3304 - Law and Morality
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3305 - Medical Ethics
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3307 {Inactive}
[AH, CIV]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3600 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4325 {Inactive}
[AH, CIV]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4326 - Lives Worth Living: Questions of Self, Vocation, and Community
[CIV, AH]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4414 - Political Philosophy
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4622 - Philosophy and Feminist Theory
(3.0 cr)
Community Service
The community service component may be completed by taking a practicum course in philosophy (for example, PHIL 1007 in conjunction with 1004W); a community service component of one of the above courses; or a directed study in philosophy with a community service component.
Honors UHP
This is an honors sub-plan.
Students admitted to the University Honors Program (UHP) must fulfill UHP requirements, in addition to degree program requirements. Honors courses used to fulfill degree program requirements will also fulfill UHP requirements.
Current departmental honors course offerings are listed at: http://www.honors.umn.edu/academics/curriculum/dept_courses_current.html
Honors students complete an honors thesis project in the final year, most often in conjunction with an honors thesis course, or with an honors directed studies, or honors directed research course. Students select honors courses and plan for a thesis project in consultation with their UHP adviser and their departmental faculty adviser.
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Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 3001W/V/3101 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 3005W/V/3105 |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 1001/1001H/1021 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Fall Even Year |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4105W/Phil 5105 |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4231/Phil 5231 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4311/Phil 5311 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 6.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4321W/Phil 5321 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4331/Phil 5331 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4414/Phil 5414 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 1.0 [max 1.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4995/H/4893/4888 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Summer |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 1004W/V |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 1006W/Phil 1026W |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Spring Odd Year |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 3302W/Phil 3322W |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 8.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4326/5326 |
Typically offered: | Every Summer |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4414/Phil 5414 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4622/5622, GWSS 4122/5122 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |