Campuses:
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Twin Cities Campus
Philosophy B.A.Philosophy Department
College of Liberal Arts
If you have ever pondered, "Why am I here?" or "What is the meaning of life?" then you have already thought about philosophy. Philosophy poses questions about human endeavors and examines our basic assumptions about everything we think we know. It takes on challenging issues that sometimes defy resolution and trains the brain to think in a rigorous and analytic way about all the possible answers and what's at stake. Philosophy is not just a subject matter but a way of thinking.
In your philosophy courses, you will learn about the way that people throughout history have engaged in this kind of thinking with questions such as "Can I really trust my senses to tell me about reality?", "Is anything really morally right or wrong or is it all just relative?", "Do scientific theories tell us the truth about the world or are they tools that are useful for certain purposes?" and "Are some societies more just than others?". You will discover that thinking about these questions with an open mind is deeply satisfying. Philosophical thinking also contributes to a worthwhile life; in the words of Socrates "the unexamined life is not worth living".
Of course, life isn't all about having fun thinking. Philosophy is also much more practical than you might think! Because philosophy is so far-reaching, the method it uses for study enhances the study of other fields such as art, math, science, language, and law with tremendous success. It is a great complement to other majors as a second major or a minor. You can find details about good combinations on our website. Also, studying philosophy is a fantastic way to hone your critical thinking and analytic writing skills. You'll learn two types of critical thinking: First, a method for rigorous analysis of arguments. Second, a habit of asking penetrating questions about the hidden assumptions of any position, ideology, or practice. You will develop your capacities to conceive of alternative assumptions, evaluate which ones are best and determine where they lead. You'll learn to write papers that clearly demonstrate these skills.
And finally, you can reassure your parents about your choice of philosophy with the fact that the skills of critical thinking and analytic writing are highly desirable and sought by graduate programs and employers. Evidence of this includes:
PHIL majors rank first among all majors in law school acceptance rate: 82.4%.
PHIL majors rank first among all majors in verbal and analytic sections of the GRE (and first among humanities majors in the quantitative section)
PHIL majors score higher on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (the test that most MBA programs require) than students in any business major (management, finance, accounting, marketing, etc.)
PHIL majors' salaries increase more over 10 years than most other majors, including marketing and accounting (The Wall Street Journal).
"The present value of the extra earnings that graduates in humanities majors can expect over their lifetime is
$444,700 for English majors, $537,800 for history majors, and $658,900 for philosophy majors" (Forbes).
For more information, visit: http://www.philosophy.umn.edu/
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.
CLA BA degrees require 18 upper-division (3xxx-level or higher) credits outside the major designator. These credits must be taken in designators different from the major designator and cannot include courses that are cross-listed with the major designator. The major designator for the Philosophy BA is PHIL.
No more than 8 credits of PHIL 1xxx may count toward the degree. At least two 3-or-more-credit courses must be PHIL 4xxx or higher.
At least 11 upper-division credits in the major must be taken at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus.
Students may earn a BA or a minor in philosophy, but not both.
All incoming CLA first-year (freshmen) must complete the First-Year Experience course sequence.
All incoming CLA first-year (freshmen) students earning a BA, BS, or BIS degree must complete the second-year career management course CLA 3002.
All students must complete a capstone in at least one CLA major. Philosophy majors who complete the BA capstone in another CLA major and complete all other major requirements in both majors may waive the capstone in Philosophy. Student completing an additional degree must complete the capstone in each degree area.
Core Courses
Take exactly 4 course(s) totaling 14 - 16 credit(s) from the following:
History of Philosophy
Take exactly 1 course(s) totaling 4 or more credit(s) from the following:
·
PHIL 3001W - General History of Western Philosophy: Ancient Period
[AH, WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3005W - General History of Western Philosophy: Modern Period
[AH, WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
Logic
Take exactly 1 course(s) totaling 4 or more credit(s) from the following:
·
PHIL 5201 - Symbolic Logic I
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 1001 - Introduction to Logic
[MATH]
(4.0 cr)
or
PHIL 1001H {Inactive}
[MATH]
(4.0 cr)
·
ELMS (Epistemology/Philosophy of Language/Metaphysics/Philosophy of Science)
Take exactly 1 course(s) totaling 3 - 4 credit(s) from the following:
·
PHIL 3234 - Knowledge and Society
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3601W - Scientific Thought
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4101 - Metaphysics
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4105W - Epistemology
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4231 - Philosophy of Language
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4607 - Philosophy of the Biological Sciences
(3.0 cr)
·
Value Theory
Take exactly 1 course(s) totaling 3 - 4 credit(s) from the following:
·
PHIL 3311W - Introduction to Ethical Theory
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4311W - History of Moral Theories
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4320 - Intensive Study of a Historical Moral Theory
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4331 - Contemporary Moral Theories
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4414 - Political Philosophy
(3.0 cr)
Electives
Students can choose any combination of courses from the Philosophy Electives to reach the 33-credit minimum for the major.
Take 15 - 16 credit(s) from the following:
Lower-division Courses
No more than 8 credits of PHIL 1xxx may count toward the major.
Take 0 - 8 credit(s) from the following:
·
PHIL 1003W - Introduction to Ethics
[CIV, WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 1004W - Introduction to Political Philosophy
[AH, CIV, WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 1005 - Scientific Reasoning
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 1001 - Introduction to Logic
[MATH]
(4.0 cr)
or
PHIL 1001H {Inactive}
[MATH]
(4.0 cr)
·
Upper-division Courses
Take 0 or more course(s) from the following:
·
PHIL 3001W - General History of Western Philosophy: Ancient Period
[AH, WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3005W - General History of Western Philosophy: Modern Period
[AH, WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3231 {Inactive}
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3234 - Knowledge and Society
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3301 - Environmental Ethics
[ENV]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3304 - Law and Morality
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3305 - Medical Ethics
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3311W - Introduction to Ethical Theory
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3601W - Scientific Thought
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3607 - Philosophy of Psychology
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4055 - Kant
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4101 - Metaphysics
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4105W - Epistemology
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4231 - Philosophy of Language
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4311W - History of Moral Theories
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4320 - Intensive Study of a Historical Moral Theory
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4326 - Lives Worth Living: Questions of Self, Vocation, and Community
[CIV, AH]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4331 - Contemporary Moral Theories
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4414 - Political Philosophy
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4607 - Philosophy of the Biological Sciences
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4615 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 5201 - Symbolic Logic I
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 5202 - Symbolic Logic II
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 5211 - Modal Logic
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 5222 - Philosophy of Mathematics
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 5415 - Philosophy of Law
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 5601 - History of the Philosophy of Science
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 5602 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 5603 - Scientific Inquiry
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 5606 - Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3302W - Moral Problems of Contemporary Society
[CIV, WI]
(4.0 cr)
or
PHIL 3322W - Moral Problems of Contemporary Society
[CIV, WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4085 - Wittgenstein
(3.0 cr)
or
PHIL 5085 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
Capstone
The capstone culminates students' work in the major with an opportunity to be part of a cohort of philosophical writers engaging skills in analysis, critical thought, and clear expression.
Take 1 or more course(s) totaling 1 - 4 credit(s) from the following:
Phil 4888/H Capstone
PHIL 4888 / 4888H will be offered once a year in the Spring semester. The courses are offered concurrently. Honors students will complete an Honors thesis along with additional requirements as determined by the faculty teaching the capstone.
·
PHIL 4888 - Philosophy Senior Capstone
(4.0 cr)
or
PHIL 4888H - Honors Philosophy Senior Capstone
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4893 Capstone
In exceptional circumstances students may seek approval from the Director of Undergraduate Studies to substitute PHIL 4893 Senior Capstone: Directed Study (1 credit) for PHIL 4888/4888H, but must still meet the 33 credit minimum for the major by taking an additional 3 (or 4) credit philosophy course.
·
PHIL 4893 - Capstone: Directed Studies
(1.0 cr)
·
Double major
Students who double major and choose to complete the capstone requirement in their other major may waive the Philosophy capstone, but are still responsible for taking the 33 credits required for the Philosophy BA.
Upper Division Writing Intensive within the major
Students are required to take one upper division writing intensive course within the major. If that requirement has not been satisfied within the core major requirements, students must choose one course from the following list. Some of these courses may also fulfill other major requirements.
Take 0 - 1 course(s) from the following:
·
PHIL 3001W - General History of Western Philosophy: Ancient Period
[AH, WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3005W - General History of Western Philosophy: Modern Period
[AH, WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3311W - Introduction to Ethical Theory
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3601W - Scientific Thought
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4105W - Epistemology
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 4311W - History of Moral Theories
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3302W - Moral Problems of Contemporary Society
[CIV, WI]
(4.0 cr)
or
PHIL 3322W - Moral Problems of Contemporary Society
[CIV, WI]
(3.0 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.
Ethics and Civic Life Concentration Courses
Ethics and Civic Life Concentration Courses also count towards the Philosophy Electives in within the major.
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 3304 - Law and Morality
(3.0 cr)
·
PHIL 3305 - Medical Ethics
(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 3302W - Moral Problems of Contemporary Society
[CIV, WI]
(4.0 cr)
or
PHIL 3322W - Moral Problems of Contemporary Society
[CIV, WI]
(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.
|
|
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] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 1001/1001H/1021 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
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: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4607/Phil 5607 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4605/5605 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4605/5605 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
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 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: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 1003W/V/1103 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
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 1005/Phil 1005H |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 1001/1001H/1021 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
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: | 3.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Spring Odd Year |
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 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4055/Phil 5055 |
Typically offered: | Periodic 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: | 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: | 4.0 [max 8.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4326/5326 |
Typically offered: | Every Summer |
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: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4607/Phil 5607 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Spring Odd Year |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 3302W/Phil 3322W |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 3302W/Phil 3322W |
Typically offered: | Every Summer |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 6.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4010/Phil 5010 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 6.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4010/Phil 5010 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4085/Phil 5085 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4510/Phil 5510 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4510/Phil 5510 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4605/5605 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4605/5605 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4995/H/4893/4888 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 4995/H/4893/4888 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every 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 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] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
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 4311/Phil 5311 |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 3302W/Phil 3322W |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 3302W/Phil 3322W |
Typically offered: | Every 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: | 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: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 3302W/Phil 3322W |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phil 3302W/Phil 3322W |
Typically offered: | Every Summer |