Major Requirements – 72 Total Credits

72 Credits, 12 of which are from the comps sequence (PHIL 398: Comps Proposal, PHIL 399: Senior Thesis, PHIL 400: Integrative Exercise)

Distribution of Levels

  • Up to 12 credits from 100-level courses can count toward the major.
  • Students must take at least two courses at the 300-level other than 398 and 399.
  • With some few exceptions (e.g. a cognitive science seminar taught by Jason Decker or a seminar on Decolonial Feminisms taught by Cynthia Marrero-Ramos), the two seminars must be taught in the philosophy department.

Distribution of Areas

Below are the areas students must accumulate points in and the number of points they must accumulate in each area.

Traditions: 4 Points, two of which must be from the same course

Traditions 1 Point Courses

  • PHIL 100.01: Utopias (26/FA)
  • PHIL 119: Meaning of Life
  • PHIL 213: Ethics
  • PHIL 215: Objectivity in Science (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 217: Reason in Context: Limitations and Possibilities
  • PHIL 218: Virtue Ethics (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 223: Philosophy of Language (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 225: Philosophy of Mind (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 261: The Individual and the Political Community (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 317: Objectivity in Science (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 323: Living Wisely (not offered 2026-27)
  • RELG 231: From Luther to Kierkegaard (not offered 2026-27)

Traditions 2 Point Courses

  • CGSC 207: Japanese Philosophy: No Mind, No Life
  • CHIN 258: Classical Chinese Thought: Wisdom and Advice from Ancient Masters (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 207: Japanese Philosophy: No Mind, No Life
  • PHIL 219: American Pragmatism
  • PHIL 270: Ancient Greek Philosophy
  • PHIL 272: Early Modern Philosophy (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 297: Kant’s Philosophy of Mind
  • PHIL 302: Anne Conway’s Principles
  • PHIL 322: Mortals Seeking Immortality
  • PHIL 338: Philosophy East and West (not offered 2026-27)
  • POSC 160: Political Philosophy

Value Theory: 4 points, two of which must be from the same course

Value Theory 1 Point Courses

  • GWSS 114: Love and Sex
  • GWSS 275: Latina/x Feminisms
  • PHIL 114: Love and Sex
  • PHIL 202: Philosophy Lab: Leading a Pre-Collegiate Philosophy Program
  • PHIL 203: Bias, Belief, Community, Emotion (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 270: Ancient Greek Philosophy
  • PHIL 272: Early Modern Philosophy (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 276: Existentialism and Literature
  • PHIL 289: Death, Dying and Discussion (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 299: Ethics Bowl (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 322: Mortals Seeking Immortality
  • POSC 254: Freedom, Excellence, Happiness: Aristotle’s Ethics
  • POSC 256: Nietzsche: Beyond Good and Evil (not offered 2026-27)
  • POSC 354: Freedom, Excellence, Happiness: Aristotle’s Ethics
  • RELG 234: Angels, Demons, and Evil (not offered 2026-27)

Value Theory 2 Point Courses

  • GWSS 365: Black Feminist Thought (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 119: Meaning of Life
  • PHIL 123: Topics in Medical Ethics (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 124: Friendship (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 213: Ethics
  • PHIL 218: Virtue Ethics (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 260: Critical Philosophy of Race (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 323: Living Wisely (not offered 2026-27)

Social and Political Theory: 4 points, two of which must be from the same course

Social and Political Theory 1 Point Courses

  • AFST 215: Contemporary Theory in Black Studies (not offered 2026-27)
  • GWSS 200: Gender, Sexuality & the Pursuit of Knowledge
  • GWSS 265: Black Feminist Thought (not offered 2026-27)
  • GWSS 334: Feminist Theory
  • GWSS 365: Black Feminist Thought (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 100.01: Utopias (26/FA)
  • PHIL 111: Bullshit: How To Spot It and Protect Yourself
  • PHIL 124: Friendship (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 219: American Pragmatism
  • PHIL 224: The Self
  • PHIL 260: Critical Philosophy of Race (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 299: Ethics Bowl (not offered 2026-27)
  • POSC 160: Political Philosophy
  • POSC 251.01: Liberalism & Its Critics (27/SP)
  • POSC 255: Post-Modern Political Thought
  • POSC 275: Black Political Thought (not offered 2026-27)

Social and Political Theory 2 Point Courses

  • AFST 200: Frederick Douglass: The Politics and Philosophy of Citizenship (not offered 2026-27)
  • GWSS 397: Decolonial Feminisms
  • PHIL 203: Bias, Belief, Community, Emotion (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 221: Philosophy of Law (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 222: Fairness, Transparency, Privacy, Dread
  • PHIL 232: Social and Political Philosophy (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 257: Contemporary Issues in Feminist Philosophy
  • PHIL 261: The Individual and the Political Community (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 304: Decolonial Feminisms

Language, Epistemology, Metaphysics, Mind: 4 points, two of which must be from the same course

Language, Epistemology, Metaphysics, Mind 1 Point Courses

Language, Epistemology, Metaphysics, Mind 2 point courses

  • CGSC 253: Philosophy of Cognitive Science
  • CGSC 330: Embodied Cognition
  • PHIL 111: Bullshit: How To Spot It and Protect Yourself
  • PHIL 116: Sensation, Induction, Abduction, Deduction, Seduction (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 208: Improv and Philosophy
  • PHIL 209: Philosophy of Theater: Actors, Characters, Performances (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 223: Philosophy of Language (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 224: The Self
  • PHIL 225: Philosophy of Mind (not offered 2026-27)

Logic and Formal Reasoning: 2 points

Logic and Formal Reasoning 1 Point Courses

  • MATH 236: Mathematical Structures
  • PHIL 116: Sensation, Induction, Abduction, Deduction, Seduction (not offered 2026-27)

Logic and Formal Reasoning 2 Point Courses

Continental Philosophy: 2 points 

Continental Philosophy 1 Point Courses

Continental Philosophy 2 Point Courses

  • CGSC 340: Phenomenology and Cognitive Science
  • PHIL 217: Reason in Context: Limitations and Possibilities
  • PHIL 274: Existentialism (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 276: Existentialism and Literature

Interdisciplinary: 2 points 

Interdisciplinary 1 Point Courses

  • AFST 200: Frederick Douglass: The Politics and Philosophy of Citizenship (not offered 2026-27)
  • CGSC 207: Japanese Philosophy: No Mind, No Life
  • CGSC 253: Philosophy of Cognitive Science
  • CGSC 330: Embodied Cognition
  • CGSC 340: Phenomenology and Cognitive Science
  • CHIN 258: Classical Chinese Thought: Wisdom and Advice from Ancient Masters (not offered 2026-27)
  • GWSS 397: Decolonial Feminisms
  • PHIL 112: Intelligence, Agency and Autonomous Machines
  • PHIL 123: Topics in Medical Ethics (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 202: Philosophy Lab: Leading a Pre-Collegiate Philosophy Program
  • PHIL 207: Japanese Philosophy: No Mind, No Life
  • PHIL 208: Improv and Philosophy
  • PHIL 209: Philosophy of Theater: Actors, Characters, Performances (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 221: Philosophy of Law (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 232: Social and Political Philosophy (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 257: Contemporary Issues in Feminist Philosophy
  • PHIL 289: Death, Dying and Discussion (not offered 2026-27)
  • PHIL 304: Decolonial Feminisms

Interdisciplinary 2 Point Courses

  • AFST 215: Contemporary Theory in Black Studies (not offered 2026-27)
  • CGSC 130.01: What Minds Are & What They Do (26/FA)
  • CGSC 130.01: Revolutions in Mind (27/WI)
  • CGSC 130.01: Revolutions in Mind (27/SP)
  • GWSS 114: Love and Sex
  • GWSS 200: Gender, Sexuality & the Pursuit of Knowledge
  • GWSS 265: Black Feminist Thought (not offered 2026-27)
  • GWSS 275: Latina/x Feminisms
  • GWSS 312: Queer and Trans Theory (not offered 2026-27)
  • GWSS 334: Feminist Theory
  • IDSC 250: Color!
  • MATH 236: Mathematical Structures
  • PHIL 114: Love and Sex
  • PHIL 318: Buddhist Studies in India and Thailand Program: Buddhist Philosophy
  • POSC 251.01: Liberalism & Its Critics (27/SP)
  • POSC 254: Freedom, Excellence, Happiness: Aristotle’s Ethics
  • POSC 255: Post-Modern Political Thought
  • POSC 256: Nietzsche: Beyond Good and Evil (not offered 2026-27)
  • POSC 275: Black Political Thought (not offered 2026-27)
  • POSC 354: Freedom, Excellence, Happiness: Aristotle’s Ethics
  • RELG 231: From Luther to Kierkegaard (not offered 2026-27)
  • RELG 234: Angels, Demons, and Evil (not offered 2026-27)

Senior Integrative Exercise – Required 12 credits

All students must complete the Philosophy Comps sequence in order:

  • PHIL 398: Comps Proposal (a 3 credit S/Cr/NC class offered each fall devoted to developing a proposal for a comps project)
  • PHIL 399: Senior Thesis (a 6 credit graded course offered each winter devoted to writing a substantial piece of philosophy)
  • PHIL 400: Integrative Exercise (a 3 credit S/NC class offered each spring devoted to presenting one’s project to peers and the public)

Additional Departmental Notes

Courses from outside Philosophy

Students may count up to 12 credits from other departments toward the major. The department will keep a list of courses from outside the department that can count toward our major and assign points for these courses. We will consider other courses on a case-by-case basis.