Philosophy: Degree Requirements

Philosophy Degree Requirements * ¹

General Information
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy

A minimum of 122 credit hours are required to complete the Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy.

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 24 credit hours in philosophy, including:

Either a survey of philosophy (P110 Introduction to Philosophy) or a basic course in ethics (P120 Ethics, S120 Ethics - Honors, P237 Environmental Ethics, P326 Ethical Theory, or P393 Biomedical Ethics).
A basic course in logic (P162 Logic or P265 Elementary Symbolic Logic).
A minimum of 9 credit hours at the 300-400 level.

Double Majors
Students planning to major in a discipline other than philosophy are encouraged to consider philosophy as a second major. Students planning such a double major should consult the Department of Philosophy about philosophy courses most suitable to their academic interests and career goals.

Departmental Honors Program
To provide superior students the option of advanced work in philosophy, the department offers H-Options in all 200 to 500-level courses other than P265. To graduate with honors in philosophy, a student must complete at least 24 credit hours of honors work, including at least 12 credit hours in philosophy and at least 6 credit hours outside philosophy, and must satisfy the requirements for a major in philosophy. The student must maintain a minimum overall grade point average of 3.3, with a 3.5 in philosophy and a 3.5 in honors courses. For further information, contact the department chairperson.

Core Course Requirements

First-Year Experience (1-3 cr.) University College: UC110
Junior/Senior Integrator (3 cr.)

Area I. Communications Core
English Composition (6 cr.) W131 and W132
Speech Communication R110 (3 cr.)
Foreign Languages Requirement. First-year competency is required and second-year competency is strongly recommended. This requirement may be satisfied in one of the following ways:

by completing first-year (10 credit hours) courses in a single language with passing grades;
by completing a second- or third-year course with a grade of C or better;
by taking a placement test and placing into the 200 level or higher; this waives the 100 level requirement but does not carry with it credit toward graduation.

This requirement may be met with first-year proficiency in American Sign Language.

Area II. Basic Courses

A. Analytic Skills (6 cr.)
These courses provide the student with insight into the process of logical reasoning. Each student must complete 3 credit hours in mathematics (Math M118 or above) plus Sociology R359

B. Natural Science (9-11 cr.)
The credit hours are to be selected from at least two of the following areas:

Anthropology A103
Astronomy A100, A105
Biology N100, N107, N200, N212, N213 (lab), N214, N215 (lab), N217, N251, N261
Chemistry C100, C101, C102, C105, C106
Geology G107, G117 (lab), G109, G119 (lab), G110, G120 (lab)
Physics 200, 218, 219
Psychology B105
At least one of these courses must be a laboratory course.

C. History (6 cr.)
This requirement is fulfilled by taking H113 and H114.²

D. Arts and Humanities (6 cr.)
The 6 credit hours must come from two of the areas below. Courses in ones major cannot be used to fulfill this requirement; however, one course taken as part of a minor may be used.

English Literature L115
Herron H100
Music M174
Folklore F101²
History H105, H106, H113²
Philosophy P110, P120
Religious Studies R111, R133², R180, R212²

E. Social Sciences (6 cr.)
The 6 credit hours must come from two of the areas following. Courses in ones major cannot be used to fulfill this requirement; however, courses taken as part of a structured minor may be used to fulfill this requirement.

Anthropology A104
Communication Studies C180
Economics E101, E201
Folklore F101²
Geography G110²
Political Science Y101, Y103
Psychology B104, B310

F. Comparative World Cultures (3 cr.) ³
Students must take one course from one of the areas below:

Anthropology A104
Geography G110
History H108
Political Science Y217
Religious Studies R133, R212

Area III. Advanced Courses (15 cr. at 300-400 level)

In addition to advanced courses in ones major, the SLA student should conduct in-depth study in other areas of the liberal arts or sciences. Ordinarily, at least 15 credit hours of ones 300 to 400 level courses must be taken outside the major department and in four different departments or interdisciplinary programs within the School of Liberal Arts or the School of Science. Up to four junior- or senior-level courses in a second major will count toward this requirement.

Area IV. Philosophy Requirements (24 credit hours)

A minimum of 24 credit hours in core courses with a grade of C or higher are required for a major in philosophy.
A minimum of 24 credit hours in philosophy, including:

Either a survey of philosophy (P110 Introduction to Philosophy) or a basic course in ethics (P120 Ethics, S120 Ethics - Honors, P237 Environmental Ethics, P326 Ethical Theory, or P393 Biomedical Ethics).
A basic course in logic (P162 Logic or P265 Elementary Symbolic Logic).
A minimum of 9 credit hours at the 300-400 level.

Suggested Program of Study

The following is a proposed program of study. It is meant to be an example of how one could schedule their classes to meet all of the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy degree. Students are NOT required to take every course listed below. In many cases, there are other courses which can fulfill the same degree requirements. Consult with your advisor as you plan your program of study!

If you wish to take fewer credit hours in the fall and spring semesters, you may take classes during the summer sessions instead.

The IUPUC curriculum offers a significant portion of the IUPUI plan of study. Students transfer to the Indianapolis campus for degree completion.

First Year

First Semester

W131 Elementary Composition (3 cr.)

R110 Fundamentals of Speech Communication (3 cr.)

P110 Introduction to Philosophy (3 cr.)

U110 First Year Seminar (1 cr.)

S131 Intensive Beginning Spanish I (5 cr.)

Second Semester

W132 Elementary Composition II (3 cr.)

P120 Ethics (3 cr.)

S132 Intensive Beginning Spanish II (5 cr.)

B104 Psychology as a Social Science (3 cr.)

Second Year

First Semester

H113 History of Western Civilization I (3 cr.)

M118 Finite Mathematics (3 cr.)

G109 Fundamentals of Earth History (3 cr.)

G119 Fundamentals of Earth History Lab (1 cr.)

P162 Logic (3 cr.)

L115 Literature for Today (3 cr.)

Second Semester

H114 History of Western Civilization II (3 cr.)

P322 Philosophy of Human Nature (3 cr.)

G110 Introduction to Human Geography (3 cr.)

B105 Psychology as a Biological Science (3 cr.)

R100 Introduction to Sociology (3 cr.)

Third Year

First Semester

A104 Cultural Anthropology (3 cr.)

A100 The Solar System (3 cr.)

R212 Comparative Religions (3 cr.)

P331 Philosophy of Science (3 cr.)

I300 Junior/Senior Integrator (3 cr.)

Second Semester

P414 Philosophy and Culture (3 cr.)

E320 Indians of North America (3 cr.)

B310 Life Span Development (3 cr.)

B370 Social Psychology (3 cr.)

R312 Sociology of Religion (3 cr.)

Fourth Year

First Semester

P393 Biomedical Ethics (3 cr.)

C228 Discussion and Group Methods (3 cr.)

R339 Varieties of American Religion (3 cr.)

Y103 Introduction to Political Science (3 cr.)

W231 Professional Writing Skills (3 cr.)

R461 Race and Ethic Relations (3 cr.)

Second Semester

B370 Social Psychology (3 cr.)

A348 Civil War and Reconstruction (3 cr.)

R220 The Family (3 cr.)

F101 Introduction to Folklore (3 cr.)

H100 Art Appreciation (3 cr.)

* The IUPUC curriculum offers a significant portion of the IUPUI plan of study. Students transfer to the Indianapolis campus for degree completion.

1. Courses which meet all general education requirements (approximately 92 credit hours) and Philosophy courses which meet nine of the 24 credit hours for the major are available in Columbus.

2. This course appears on more than one list or in more than one section. However, this course may be used to satisfy only one requirement unless specifically stated.

3. These courses may be used for Comparative World Cultures and one other requirement if they appear on the Arts and Humanities or the Social Sciences lists (see above) toward this requirement. Three courses at the 300 or 400 level in a structured minor, including the business structured minor, can also be counted. The Junior/Senior Integrator course can be used to satisfy one of the Area III requirements.

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