Philosophy - BA
The program in philosophy at Texas A&M is structured to provide students with the skills necessary to appreciate more fully the central concerns of humans existence and develop abilities in problem-solving, communication, persuasion, writing and critical thinking. In essence, the study of Philosophy is what college is all about: engaging with topics that matter; cultivating skills that will carry you the rest of your life.
The Philosophy major requires one introductory level course, three courses in the history of philosophy, plus six elective PHIL courses. Philosophy majors must also use PHIL 240 to satisfy one of their core requirements in mathematics. Select the "Program Requirements" tab for a semester-by-semester recommendation for a course of study that satisfies all degree requirements. For an alternative display of the degree requirements, visit the Department of Philosophy website and select the "Undergraduate" tab.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Semester Credit Hours | |
| ENGL 104 | Composition and Rhetoric | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Contemporary Moral Issues | ||
| Technology and Human Values | ||
| Philosophy of Education | ||
| Introduction to Philosophy | ||
| Introduction to Hip-Hop Philosophy | ||
| Latin American Philosophy | ||
| Foreign language 1 | 4 | |
| Government/Political science | 3 | |
| Mathematics | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| PHIL 240 | Introduction to Logic | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Public Speaking | ||
| Communication for Technical Professions | ||
| Argumentation and Debate | ||
| Writing about Literature | ||
| Technical and Business Writing | ||
| Foreign language 1 | 4 | |
| Government/Political science | 3 | |
| Life and physical sciences | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| American history | 3 | |
| Foreign language 1 | 3 | |
| Language, philosophy and culture 2 | 3 | |
| Life and physical sciences | 3 | |
| Social and behavioral sciences | 3 | |
| General elective | 1 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| American history | 3 | |
| Foreign language 1 | 3 | |
| Life and physical sciences | 3 | |
| Social and behavioral sciences | 3 | |
| Philosophy elective 3 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Indian and Oriental Religions | ||
| Classical Philosophy | ||
| Medieval Philosophy | ||
| Creative arts | 3 | |
| Literature directed elective | 3 | |
| Philosophy elective 3 | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Nineteenth Century Philosophy | ||
| American Philosophy | ||
| Recent British and American Philosophy | ||
| Phenomenology | ||
| Existentialism | ||
| Language, philosophy and culture or creative arts 2 | 3 | |
| Literature directed elective | 3 | |
| Philosophy elective 3 | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| PHIL 412 or PHIL 413 | Seventeenth-Century Philosophy or Eighteenth-Century Philosophy | 3 |
| Philosophy elective 3 | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Philosophy elective 3 | 3 | |
| Philosophy elective 3 | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| General elective | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 | |
| 1 | Complete 14 hours of a foreign language through the intermediate level. If you choose to enroll in a language you have studied previously without receiving college credit, you must first take a placement test. See academic advisor. |
| 2 | Philosophy courses can not be used to meet this requirement. |
| 3 | In consultation with an advisor select from PHIL 100-499. At least four of the courses must be 300-400 level. |
Graduation requirements include 3 hours of International and Cultural Diversity courses and 3 hours of Cultural Discourse courses. A course satisfying a Core category, a college/department requirement, or a free elective can be used to satisfy this requirement. The required 6 hours may be met by courses satisfying other areas of a degree program. See your academic advisor for further information.
30 credits minimum. A grade of C or higher is required for a course to be counted in the major field.