Majoring & Minoring

For complete information about majoring and minoring, see the online catalog.


We’ve got both. For a major, you only need a minimum of 40 semester credits (10 courses), distributed as follows:

  • 101.
  • 102 or 103.
  • Any 200-level philosophy course except 250.
  • 250.
  • Two courses from the history of philosophy sequence, 301-307.
  • Two courses from the themes in philosophy sequence, 310-315.
  • Two philosophical studies (400-level) courses.

So it’s easy to do a double major. You’ll have plenty of choices. You’ll be able to pursue your own interests. Ask the philosophy majors, and they’ll tell you — it’s wonderful!

Friedrich Nietzsche: “What I understand by ‘philosopher’: A terrible explosive in the presence of which everything is in danger.”

For a minor, you’d take a minimum of 20 semester credits (five courses), distributed as follows:

  • Philosophy 101.
  • Any 100-level or 200-level philosophy course except 101 and 250.
  • 250.
  • Two courses from the history of philosophy sequence, 301-307.
  • One course from the themes in philosophy sequence, 310-315.
  • One philosophical studies (400-level) course.

Also see the L&C Catalog: Philosophy Program and Requirements

Again, lots of choices. Even if you’re a double major, you can do a philosophy minor too.

As majors and minors, philosophy students have the opportunity to pursue honors in our department. Our process for receiving honors in the Department of Philosophy can be accessed below. 

Honors in Philosophy

Hypatia of Alexandria: “Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all.”