The Philosophy Minor

The Philosophy Minor Program is designed to reinforce a student's major area of study, to complement the acquisition of professional skills, and to broaden intellectual horizons. Many students develop an appreciation for philosophical thinking in their Core courses and wish to bring the depth and rigor of philosophical questioning to their other areas of academic interest. The Minor Program allows this dimension of their work to be represented in their undergraduate degree.

Reasons for Minoring in Philosophy

A minor in philosophy can reinforce a major academic field of study by bringing fundamental questions and broad perspectives to bear upon that field. Philosophy students develop the ability to critique the problems and presuppositions that are at the heart of other areas of study. Philosophy provides ways of raising questions of ethics and values that bring an insightfulness to both scholarship and professional development. Students who are seeking careers that require creative and critical thinking, persuasive and precise writing, and the ability to penetrate and formulate complex arguments find all of these skills at work in the study of philosophy.

Requirements for the Minor

A minor in philosophy requires 30 credits in philosophy, including:

PHIL 110 Introduction to Philosophy and Critical Thinking: 5 credits
PHIL 220 Philosophy of the Human Person: 5 credits
PHIL 345 Ethics (or other approved upper-division ethics): 5 credits
PHIL Electives: 15 credits

Transfer students who have taken PHIL 210 instead of PHIL 110 and 220 need 20 credits of electives rather than 15 to complete the minor. Students who have completed the Honors Program need an additional 10 elective philosophy credits to complete the minor.

Concentrations in the Minor

The department can assist students to design a special track in the philosophy minor that complements the student's major field. The following are examples of such tracks; they should be seen as suggestions rather than requirements.

Prelaw: Logic; Philosophy of Law: Social and Political Philosophy
Health Sciences: Health Care Ethics; Logic; Philosophy of Science
Business: Business Ethics; Social and Political Philosophy
Engineering: Ethics in Science and Technology; Logic; Philosophy of Science
Psychology: Phenomenology; Existentialism
English: Philosophy of Literature; Philosophy of Art; Existentialism

To Declare a Philosophy Minor

The Philosophy Department's Administrative Assistant, Kate Reynolds, can provide the forms for declaring a minor in philosophy, and can arrange to meet with the department chairperson and other advisors.