Academic Program Guide
The Academic Program Guide for Philosophy is a very helpful resource for anyone considering a major or minor in philosophy. Students who plan to graduate with a major in philosophy should also read the following carefully.
Program Planning Notes
The student's program is planned in consultation with the Undergraduate Advisor. Please review all college-wide degree requirements summarized in the "College of Arts and Sciences" chapter of the most recent General Bulletin. Note, the required courses listed below may not be offered every semester. Students should check with the department undergraduate advisor(s) at least two semesters before graduation to make sure they will have the opportunity to complete the requirements.
Minimum Program Requirements
Summary
- Liberal Studies: 36 sem. hrs. (3 hours of major coursework may be used to satisfy Liberal Studies-Humanities requirements)
- Major Coursework: 30 sem. hrs. (Grades below 'C-' will not be accepted for major credit)
- Minor Coursework: 12 sem. hrs. (Grades below 'C-' will not be accepted for minor credit)
- Electives (possibly including 12 hours in a foreign or classical language): 42 sem. hrs.
TOTAL 120 sem. hrs.
Notes
- 60 hours must be earned at a senior institution.
- The final 30 hours must be in residence at FSU.
- 40 hours must be at the 3000/4000 level.
- 66 hours must be in College of Arts & Sciences.
Admission to the College of Arts and Sciences requires at least a 2.0 grade point average in prior academic work. Arts and Sciences students are required to complete 3 hours of math, 3 hours of history, 6 hours of English composition, 6 hours of humanities, and 6 hours of natural sciences. This requirement is usually satisfied through the student's general education program (Liberal Studies or A.A.) or major/minor program. If not, additional coursework must be taken.
Program Requirements
Detail
Thirty (30) semester hours in philosophy are required for the major, including the following:
1) Logic (3 hours).* One of:
- PHI 2100 Reasoning & Critical Thinking (3)
- IDS 3358 Making the Argument: Symbolic Logic and the Forms of Good Reasoning (3)
* NOTE: Students who wish to continue their studies in philosophy at the graduate level should take IDS 3358.
2) History of Philosophy (6 hours):
- Ancient Philosophy. One of:
- PHH 3130 Plato and his Predecessors (3)
- PHH 3140 Aristotle to Augustine (3)
and
- Modern Philosophy:
- PHH 3400 Modern Philosophy (3)
3) Ethics (3 hours):
- PHI 3670 Ethical Theory (3)
4) Contemporary Metaphysics and Epistemology (3 hours). One of:
- PHI 3220 Introduction to Philosophy of Language (3)
- PHI 3300 Knowledge and Belief (3)
- PHI 3320 Philosophy of Mind (3)
- PHI 3330 Free Will (3)
- PHI 3331 Philosophy of Action (3)
- PHI 3400 History and Philosophy of Science (3)
- PHI 4500 Metaphysics (3)
- PHH 4600r Contemporary Philosophy (3)
5) Seminar for Majors, to be taken in the senior year (3 hours):
- PHI 4938r Seminar for Majors (3)
The balance of the student's program should be developed in consultation with a faculty advisor. In planning a program of studies the student's academic and career interests and goals should be taken into consideration.
Additional requirements : At least twenty-one (21) hours in the major must be at the 3000 level or above; at least fifteen (15) hours must be completed in the Philosophy Department at Florida State University; and completion of a minor in an approved field (12 semester hours, or as required by the minor area).
Other Required Coursework (typically 12 semester hours): Students must complete a classical or modern foreign language through the 2200 (or equivalent) level. This requirement may be satisfied through coursework, examination (CLEP for French, German or Spanish; departmental examination for Latin), or demonstration of native speaking ability.