Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy

• University of Oregon Bachelor Degree Requirements
• Department of Philosophy Requirements
• Checklist of Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy Requirements
• Residency Requirements for Transfer Students
• Sample Course Plan for Majors
• Preparing for Graduate Study in Philosophy

In order to graduate with a major in philosophy, students must satisfy both the University of Oregon's Requirements for a Bachelor's Degree and the Department of Philosophy Requirements listed below.

I. University of Oregon Bachelor Degree Requirements

Students pursuing a major in philosophy must satisfy all Bachelor's Degree Requirements of the University of Oregon.

The UO Requirements for a Bachelor's Degree are available on the Registrar's page and may be downloaded as a pdf file. They are also printed in the Registration and Academic Policies section of the UO Catalog

Please note: effective Fall 2011, students may earn either a B.A. or a B.S. in philosophy (previously, students could only earn a B.S. in philosophy while earning a second major in a science; this requirement has been dropped).

II. Department of Philosophy Requirements

Students who declare a philosophy major in Fall 2009 or after must complete all of the requirements listed below. Students who declared a major prior in Spring 2009 or earlier are not required to satisfy requirement b. Gender, Race, Class, & Culture.

1. 52 credit hours of Philosophy courses, of which 40 must be upper-division hours (300 or 400 level). These courses must include:

   1. Three courses in the history of philosophy (12 credits)

      Philosophy 310 (History of Philosophy: Ancient and Medieval)
      Philosophy 311 (History of Philosophy: Modern)
      Philosophy 312 (History of Philosophy: 19th Century)

   2. Logic Requirement (4 credits)

      Philosophy 325 (Logic, Argumentation, and Inquiry)

   3. Gender, Race, Class, & Culture (GRCC) (4 credits)

      At least one of the following courses:
      Philosophy 110 (Human Nature)
      Philosophy 213 (Asian Philosophy)
      Philosophy 216 (Philosophy and Cultural Diversity)
      Philosophy 315 (Introduction to Feminist Philosophy)
      Philosophy 342 (Introduction to Latin American Philosophy)
      Philosophy 443 (Feminist Philosophy)
      Philosophy 444 (Feminist Ethics)
      Philosophy 452 (Philosophy and Race)

      Or an equivalent course on this theme as approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies

   4. Author's Courses (8 credits)

      Eight credits of course work dealing with the works of specific philosophers (e.g., Plato, Kant, Dewey, or Beauvoir) offered at the 400-level. At least one of the two author courses needs to be in philosophy (i.e., with a PHIL subject).

2. Students must receive a grade of C- or better in all courses that satisfy requirements of the major. No more than 8 hours of the 52 may be taken pass/no pass.

Checklist of Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy Requirements

A downloadable Word checklist of these degree requirements may be downloaded here: Philosophy Major Degree Requirements Checklist

A PDF checklist of these degree requirements may be downloaded here: Philosophy Major Degree Requirements Checklist

Residency Requirements for Transfer Students

Transfer students must complete at least 20 credits of upper division coursework in the University of Oregon Philosophy department.

Sample Course Plan for Majors

Preparing for Graduate Study in Philosophy

Students who intend to do graduate work in philosophy are strongly urged to prepare themselves by acquiring a good reading knowledge of a second language appropriate to their interests. Meet with the Undergraduate Director early in your undergraduate studies to discuss additional plans for graduate school preparation and for application advice.