Bachelor of Arts, Major in Philosophy
Program Specific Requirements
The Philosophy Major requires 30 semester hours of course work in Philosophy. All majors are required to take:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| PHIL 2303 | Critical Thinking | 3 |
| or PHIL 2352 | Introduction to Contemporary Logic | |
| PHIL 3364 | Ancient & Medieval Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 3365 | Modern Philosophy | 3 |
| 21 hours of additional PHIL coursework | 21 | |
| Approved Minor (6 of which must be advanced) | 18 | |
| Total Hours | 48 | |
It is suggested that students visit with their advisors in choosing a minor.
As of Fall 2009, only grades of C or above in Philosophy Program courses (those with the prefix PHIL) will count toward the major in Philosophy.
Note: In addition to advanced PHIL hours, students should use elective and/or minor hours to satisfy the 42-advanced-hour requirement.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Arts, Major in Philosophy | ||
| Core Curriculum | ||
| Component Area I (Communication) | 6 | |
| Component Area II (Mathematics) 1 | 3 | |
| Component Area III (Life and Physical Science) | 8 | |
| Component Area IV (Language, Philosophy, and Culture) 2 | 3 | |
| Component Area V (Creative Arts) | 3 | |
| Component Area VI (U.S. History) | 6 | |
| Component Area VII (Political Science/Government) | 6 | |
| Component Area VIII (Social and Behavioral Sciences) 3 | 3 | |
| Component Area IX (Component Area Option) | 4 | |
| Degree Specific Requirements | ||
| Foreign Language first two courses | 8 | |
| Foreign Language second two courses | 6 | |
| Additional Fine Arts course (PHIL 3366 recommended) 4 | 3 | |
| Major Core | ||
| PHIL 2303 | Critical Thinking 3 | 3 |
| or PHIL 2352 | Introduction to Contemporary Logic | |
| PHIL 3364 | Ancient & Medieval Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 3365 | Modern Philosophy | 3 |
| Major | ||
| PHIL Coursework 5 | 21 | |
| Minor (required) | 18 | |
| Electives (PSYC 1301, World History, and World Literature recommended) 6 | 13 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
| 1 | MATH 1332 is recommended. |
| 2 | Philosophy majors can satisfy this requirement by completing either PHIL 1301 or PHIL 2306, which will also count toward the required PHIL coursework. |
| 3 | Philosophy majors can satisfy this requirement by completing PHIL 2303, which will also count toward the Philosophy Major Core. |
| 4 | Philosophy majors can satisfy this requirement by completing PHIL 3366, which will also count toward the required PHIL coursework. |
| 5 | These 21 hours are in addition to the 9 hours of required PHIL courses listed in the Major Core. Students may satisfy this requirement by completing any PHIL courses with grades of C or better. |
| 6 | All students are required to complete a minimum of 120 hours of course work to earn their B.A. in Philosophy. Students who count any combination of PHIL 1301,PHIL 2303, PHIL 2306, or PHIL 3366 toward both the required PHIL courses/hours and other degree requirements (see footnotes 2, 3, and 4) must complete additional elective hours to reach the required 120 hours of total coursework. Students are encouraged to use this increased flexibility to take additional courses that complement their plan of study, |
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Component Area II1 | 3 | Component Area VIII6 | 3 |
| Component Area IV2 | 3 | ENGL 13023 | 3 |
| ENGL 13013 | 3 | HIST 13024 | 3 |
| HIST 13014 | 3 | PHIL 2303 or 23527 | 3 |
| POLS 23055 | 3 | POLS 23065 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Component Area III | 4 | Component Area III | 4 |
| Component Area V | 3 | Component Area IX | 1 |
| PHIL 3364 | 3 | Minor | 3 |
| WOLC 14118 | 4 | PHIL 3365 | 3 |
| WOLC 14128 | 4 | ||
| 14 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Additional Fine Arts (PHIL 3366 recommended)9 | 3 | Minor | 6 |
| Elective 10, 11 | 3 | PHIL Coursework12 | 6 |
| Minor | 3 | WOLC 23118 | 3 |
| PHIL Coursework12 | 3 | ||
| WOLC 23128 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Electives10, 11 | 9 | Component Area IX | 3 |
| Minor: Advanced course | 3 | Electives10, 11 | 1 |
| PHIL Coursework12 | 3 | Minor: Advanced course | 3 |
| PHIL Coursework 12 | 9 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Total Hours: 120 | |||
| 1 | MATH 1332 is recommended |
| 2 | Philosophy majors can satisfy this requirement by completing either PHIL 1301 or PHIL 2306, which will also count toward the required PHIL coursework. |
| 3 | Satisfies Core Curriculum requirement for Component Area I (Communications). |
| 4 | Satisfies Core Curriculum requirement for Component Area VI (U.S. History). |
| 5 | Satisfies Core Curriculum requirement for Component Area VII (Political Science/Government). |
| 6 | Philosophy majors can satisfy this requirement by completing PHIL 2303, which will also count toward the Philosophy Major Core. |
| 7 | PHIL 2303 satisfies both the Core Curriculum requirement for Component Area VIII (Social and Behavioral Sciences) and 3 hours toward the major. |
| 8 | Four courses required in one language. |
| 9 | Philosophy majors can satisfy this requirement by completing PHIL 3366 which will also count toward the required PHIL coursework. |
| 10 | All students are required to complete a minimum of 120 hours of course work to earn their B.A. in Philosophy. Students who count any combination of PHIL 1301, PHIL 2303, PHIL 2306, or PHIL 3366 toward both the required PHIL courses/hours and other degree requirements (see footnotes 2, 6, and 7) must complete additional elective hours to reach the required 120 hours of total coursework. Students are encouraged to use this increased flexibility to take additional courses that complement their plan of study, |
| 11 | PSYC 1301, World History, and World Literature recommended. |
| 12 | These 21 hours are in addition to the 9 hours of required PHIL courses listed in the Major Core. Students may satisfy this requirement by completing any PHIL courses with grades of C or better. |
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) marketable skills initiative is part of the state’s 60x30TX plan and was designed to help students articulate their skills to employers. Marketable skills are those skills valued by employers and/or graduate programs that can be applied in a variety of work or education settings and may include interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skill areas.
Students with a degree in Philosophy would graduate with the following skills,
- A well-developed capacity for synthesizing information.
- Strong critical thinking abilities.
- The ability to communicate ideas in a clear and coherent way, in both written and oral mediums.
- A well-developed capacity to understand diverse perspectives.
