Philosophy B.A.

View information for the Department of Philosophy and Modern Languages , including Learning Objectives for the department and its programs.

View the degree program Roadmaps , which provide recommended advising maps to complete the degree program. Please consult your academic advisor as you develop your academic plan.

Requirements

1. Complete the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

A student must comply with all University regulations and satisfy the following requirements:

Units and Residency (minimum of 120 units: 40 units of upper division coursework and 30 semester units at Stanislaus State. At least 24 of these 30 units must be earned in upper-division courses, at least 12 must be in the major, and at least 9 must be applicable to General Education-Breadth requirements)
Baccalaureate Degree Requirements (minimum grade point average of 2.0 (C) or better)
General Education Program (minimum of 43 units)
Upper Division Writing Proficiency (minimum of 3 units)
- Writing Proficiency (WP) Course (may double count in the major)
United States Constitution and California State and Local Government (minimum of 3 units)
Sociocultural Inquiry Requirement (minimum of 3 units) (may double count with General Education requirements or in the major)
Skills for Student Success (minimum of 1 unit) and Life-long Learning Skills (minimum of 1 unit)

Subsequently, all students must submit an application for graduation and receive approval from the major advisor and department chair. For more information see the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements .

2. Complete the following prerequisites to the major:

(6 units)

Choose any two lower-division courses in Philosophy:

PHIL 1000 - Philosophy as a Way of Life 3 unit(s)
PHIL 1010 - Introduction to Philosophy 3 unit(s)
PHIL 2000 - Introduction to Critical Thinking 3 unit(s)
PHIL 2005 - Honors Critical Thinking Seminar 3 unit(s)
PHIL 2100 - Logic 3 unit(s)
PHIL 2200 - Ancient Philosophy 3 unit(s)
PHIL 2230 - Modern Philosophy 3 unit(s)
PHIL 2300 - Philosophy of Science 3 unit(s)
PHIL 2400 - Contemporary Moral Issues 3 unit(s)
PHIL 2410 - Philosophy of Religion 3 unit(s)
PHIL 2500 - Philosophy and Film 3 unit(s)
PHIL 2600 - Technology, Values, and Digital Life 3 unit(s)
PHIL 2700 - Introduction to Political Philosophy 3 unit(s)
Students choosing the Graduate Track are strongly encouraged to take:

PHIL 2100 - Logic (3 units) AND PHIL 2200 - Ancient Philosophy (3 units)

OR

PHIL 2230 - Modern Philosophy (3 units)

3. Complete the major of at least 24 upper-division units (including no more than two GE UD-C courses)

The Major

Track 1, General

(24 units, not more than two GE UD-3 courses)

1. Complete the following required courses:

(9 units)

PHIL 3000 - Philosophical Reading and Analysis 3 unit(s)
PHIL 3400 - Ethics (WP) 3 unit(s)
PHIL 4200 - Advanced Study in History of Philosophy (WP) 3 unit(s)

2. Complete one “History of Philosophy” course from the following list:

(3 units)

PHIL 3010 - Advanced Introduction to Philosophy 3 unit(s)
PHIL 3050 - Existentialism 3 unit(s) (GE UD-3)
PHIL 3100 - Introduction to Continental Philosophy 3 unit(s)
PHIL 4200 - Advanced Study in History of Philosophy (WP) 3 unit(s) (second section)

3. Complete two “Value Theory” courses from the following list:

(6 units)

PHIL 3200 - Philosophy of Work and Labor 3 unit(s)
PHIL 4000 - Philosophy Through Literature 3 unit(s)
PHIL 4050 - Environmental Ethics 3 unit(s) (GE UD-3)
PHIL 4430 - Bioethics 3 unit(s) (GE UD-3)
PHIL 4450 - Eastern Philosophy 3 unit(s) (GE UD-3)
PHIL 4500 - Philosophy of Art (WP) 3 unit(s)
PHIL 4600 - Philosophy and Feminism 3 unit(s)
PHIL 4800 - Nature Revisited 3 unit(s)

4. Complete two “Philosophical Issues” courses from the following list:

(6 units)

PHIL 3300 - Belief and Knowledge 3 unit(s)
PHIL 3500 - Philosophy of Mind (WP) 3 unit(s)
PHIL 4150 - Cognitive Phenomenology 3 unit(s)
PHIL 4300 - Philosophy of Language 3 unit(s)
PHIL 4700 - Contemporary Latin American Political Philosophy 3 unit(s)
PHIL 4960 - Senior Seminar 3 unit(s)

Track 2, Graduate School

(30 units, no more than one GE UD-3 course)

Complete the above requirements (but with no more than one GE UD-3 course), along with the following two courses (6 units).

PHIL 4200 Advanced Study in History of Philosophy (WP)
Any other upper-division non-GE course from the above list, 3 units

Students completing the Graduate Track are encouraged to fulfill the prerequisites to the major by taking:

5. Senior Paper Requirement:

In addition to completing course requirements for the BA degree, each student must submit a paper that conforms to established department criteria. Guidelines and criteria are available from the department chair.

6. Honors in the Major:

(+3 units)

To recieve honors, students submit a Senior Thesis which also satisfies the Senior Paper requirement.

PHIL 4990 - Senior Thesis 1-3 unit(s)