Programs Available

The department offers a B.A. major in Philosophy and minors in both Philosophy and Religious Studies.

Requirements for the B.A. major in Philosophy

The major in philosophy requires 31 credit hours to complete. Of those hours, 22 are required.

Required Courses

The area requirements of the major are designed to ensure that students acquire the skills in analysis and writing that are required for the serious pursuit of philosophy. The required subject courses are designed to ensure that students have a good grounding in the history of philosophy, which is essential for an adequate understanding of contemporary philosophy, and a core competence in ethics and epistemology, the study of which play a foundational role in the study of many other subjects in philosophy. In general, students should aim to take skills courses early in their studies, and aim to finish subject courses before their senior year.

The remaining 9 hours required for the major are electives, which students may use either to pursue a particular interest in some depth, or to gain additional breadth in philosophy. At least 3 of the 9 elective hours must be at the 300 or 400 level, and may include departmentally approved courses bearing the UI (interdisciplinary studies) prefix. Students should discuss their interests and plans with an advisor in the philosophy department in choosing electives. Students wishing to prepare for postgraduate or professional work, in particular, should meet with the undergraduate advisor to discuss what program would be most appropriate.

Minor in Philosophy

Required Courses - 9 hours

• PL120 Symbolic Logic
• PL300 Ancient Philosophy
• PL390 Contemporary Philosophy

Choose one from among the following: (3 hours)

• PL110 Readings in Philosophy
• PL203 Aesthetics and the Arts
• PL204 Ethical Theory
• PL245 Social Philosophy
• RS101 World Religions

Choose 6 hours of PL courses (300-400 level) or any departmentally approved UI courses

Minor in Religious Studies

Required courses - 9 hours

• PL499 Independent Study in Philosophy
• RS101 World Religions
• UI336 Religion in America

Choose one from the following (3 hours):

• LI222 Mythic Dimensions of Literature
• RS201 New Testament Literature
• RS202 Old Testament Literature

Choose 6 hours from the following:

• AN375 Primitive Religions
• PL340 Philosophy of Religion
• RS350 Religious Topics and Issues
• SO350 Sociology of Religion
• UI415 Science and Religion

Double Majors

Students should also be aware that it is possible to have a double major in philosophy and another area. In fact, the vast majority of students majoring in philosophy at Southeast are double majors. Recent double majors have included Philosophy and Physics, Philosophy and Psychology, Philosophy and Mathematics, Philosophy and Political Science, Philosophy and Computer Science, Philosophy and Education, and Philosophy and Agriculture. In most cases, with some care in planning, students should experience no great difficulty in completing both a philosophy major and another major.