Philosophy Department
Degree Programs

HOW CAN I GET A DEGREE IN PHILOSOPHY?

The philosophy department offers a wide range of programs to suit your individual interests and aspirations, including a Philosophy Major and Minor, a Joint Major in Philosophy and Religion, an Ethics Minor, and a Rhetoric Minor. Below are the degree requirements for each of those programs.

MAJOR IN PHILOSOPHY (B.A.)

Major Requirements Credit Hours: 27
PHIL 3114 History of Philosophy I 4
PHIL 3214 History of Philosophy II 4
PHIL 3314 History of Philosophy III 4
REL/PHIL 4893 Senior Thesis 3
Elective courses in philosophy 12

*The philosophy department strongly encourages its majors to
complete a second major.

MINOR IN PHILOSOPHY

Requirements Credit Hours: 16
PHIL 3114 History of Philosophy I or
PHIL 3214 History of Philosophy II or
PHIL 3314 History of Philosophy III 4
Elective courses in philosophy 12

MINOR IN ETHICS

Requirements Credit Hours: 19
Required 7
PHIL/REL 2213 Introduction to Moral and
Social Philosophy 3
PHIL 3114 History of Philosophy I or
PHIL 3214 History of Philosophy II or
PHIL 3314 History of Philosophy III 4
Electives (select three): 9
PHIL/REL 2163 Moral Issues in Contemporary Culture –
Variable Topics (may be repeated with
different content)
PHIL 2203 Business Ethics
PHIL/REL 2703 Introduction to Christian Ethics
PHIL 2513 Ethics of Communications
Upper-division elective (select one) 3
PHIL/REL 3613 Problems and Issues in Christian Ethics
PHIL 3763 Topics in Ethics–Variable Topics
Other 3000- or 4000- level courses in philosophy and/or
religion with sufficient content in ethics (to be determined
by the chair of the philosophy department)

JOINT MAJOR IN PHILOSOPHY & RELIGION (B.A.)

The joint major in philosophy and religion is designed primarily for those students who want to undertake ethical and religious studies within a rigorous philosophical and theological context in preparation either for advanced academic study in philosophy or religion or professional training for the ordained ministry. The core requirements in the History of Philosophy (PHIL 3114, 3214, and 3314) and the History of Christianity (REL 3013 or 3113) are intended to provide students with a systematic grounding in the major philosophical and theological resources of Western philosophy and the Judeo-Christian tradition. Students may then select one of four areas of emphasis (philosophical theology, ethics, religion-philosophy and culture, or biblical studies) as the subject of more concentrated study. The culminating experience for all majors is the writing of a senior thesis (PHIL 4893 or REL 4893). The thesis is a major research paper, an original work in the
student’s area of emphasis, prepared under close supervision of one or more members of the philosophy department and/or the School of Religion.

Major Requirements Credit Hours: 36
Specific Course Requirements: 21
PHIL 3114 History of Philosophy I 4
PHIL 3214 History of Philosophy II 4
PHIL 3314 History of Philosophy III 4
REL/PHIL 4893 Senior Thesis 3
REL 3013 History of Christianity
(Ancient–Medieval) or
REL 3113 History of Christianity
(Reformation–Modern) 3
REL 3423 Contemporary Theology 3
Area of Emphasis (select one):
Philosophical Theology: 9
REL/PHIL 2413 Philosophy of Religion 3
REL.PHIL 4163 Seminar in Philosophy and Theology 3
REL/PHIL 4453 Directed Readings 3
Ethics: 9
PHIL 2213 Moral and Social Philosophy or
PHIL 2613 Political Philosophy 3
REL 2703 Introduction to Christian Ethics 3
REL 3613 Problems and Issues in Christian Ethics 3
Religion–Philosophy and Culture: 9
PHIL 2313 Philosophy of Culture 3
REL 3313 Religion in Contemporary America 3
REL 4103 Seminar: Religion and Culture 3
Biblical Studies: 9
REL 2023 Methods of Biblical Analysis 3
And two of the following: 6
REL 3103 Psalms and Wisdom Literature
REL 3203 Prophetic Literature
REL 3303 Gospels and Acts
REL 3403 Pauline Letters
REL 3993 Seminar in Religion (New Testament topic)
REL 4143 Seminar in Hebrew Bible
Elective courses in philosophy and/or religion 6

MINOR IN RHETORIC

The minor in rhetoric is designed for students who want to study the art of persuasion in both written and oral form. Administered jointly by the English and philosophy departments,these courses will examine the intricacies of eloquence,exploring the theories, techniques, and ethical implications of human communication as an agent of change. The minor consists of 18 hours of course work beyond the General Education requirements.

Required Courses: Credit Hours: 18
PHRH 2313 Persuasive Communication 3
ENGL 2303 Critical Reading and Writing 3
PHIL 2513 Ethics of Communications 3
ENGL 2613 Histories and Theories of Rhetoric 3

Elective Courses: 6
Choose one course from PHRH and one course from ENGL
PHRH 3113 Argumentation and Debate
PHRH 3513 Religious Communication
PHRH 3813 Political Communication
PHRH 4003 Rhetoric and Reality
PHRH 4513 Learning in Parables
ENGL 3093 Advanced Writing
ENGL 3323 Cyberliteracy
ENGL 4093 Legal Writing
ENGL 4323 Visual Rhetoric and Information Design
ENGL 4463 Seminar in Rhetoric