Major in Philosophy

Philosophy majors must meet the academic requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as those of the department. Departmental requirements include a minimum of 40 hours of coursework in philosophy, of which at least three courses must be numbered at the 400 level or above. Within the 40 hours of coursework in philosophy, three specific courses are required of every philosophy major: PHIL 310, The History of Ancient Philosophy, which deals largely with Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle; PHIL 312, The History of Western Philosophy from Descartes to Hume, which covers major philosophers of the 17th and 18th centuries; and PHIL 320, Symbolic Logic I, which treats the techniques of contemporary symbolic logic and provides an understanding of methodology which is useful in various fields of philosophy. Students are also required to take PHIL 490, Senior Seminar, in the Spring Quarter of their senior year.
Pre-Law Major in Philosophy

To obtain a Pre-Law Major in Philosophy one must take a minimum of 40 hours in philosophy, including the following:

·         Either PHIL 101 (Fundamentals) or PHIL 130 (Intro to Ethics)

·         PHIL 240 (Social and Political)

·         PHIL 320 (Symbolic Logic)

·         Either PHIL 310 (West Phil Ancient) or PHIL 312 (West Phil Modern)

·         Either PHIL 440 (Contemp Social) or PHIL 442 (Phil of Law)

·         PHIL 490 (Senior Seminar)

·         2 additional courses above 400

 

Other Recommended Courses:

 

·         POLS 374 (Great Jurists)

·         POLS 401 (Amer Constit Law)

·         POLS 402 (Amer Constit Law)

·         POLS 404 (Civil Liberties)

For more information, contact Prof. Arthur Zucker, Dept. of Philosophy, Pre-Law Advisor, 593-4596, zuckera@ohio.edu.

Minor in Philosophy

For students majoring in other disciplines, the Department of Philosophy provides a minor in philosophy whose requirements include 25 hours of coursework in philosophy, at least 20 hours of which must be in courses numbered at the 200 level or above.
Honors in Philosophy

A Junior or senior with at least a 3.25 accumulative grade-point average may apply to the department for admission to this program, which normally involves completion of 15 hours of independent research in the junior or senior year, or both, and submission of an honors thesis for approval by a faculty committee.
Honors Tutorial in Philosophy

Intended for the superior student and using a one-to-one tutorial method supplemented by special seminars and thesis research, this three-year bachelor's degree program offered through the Honor Tutorial College prepares students for graduate work or for the professional school. Ample time is available for courses outside philosophy, thus providing for breadth as well as depth of education. Enrollment for this program is limited.
Additional Programs

Pre-law and Pre-theology
Pre-law and Pre-theology students frequently select philosophy as a major to obtain a solid preparation for the study of law or religion.

Philosophy Circle
This undergraduate student organization is supported by the department and is open to all philosophy students. The circle meets regularly to provide students with an opportunity to discuss philosophical topics with one another and with faculty on an informal basis.