Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Philosophy
Program Learning Outcomes for the BA Degree with a Major in Philosophy
Upon completing the BA degree with a major in Philosophy, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the general historical development of philosophy and develop an in-depth understanding of at least one historical period or movement.
- Demonstrate the ability to read philosophical texts critically and with understanding of the problems and contexts.
- Demonstrate the cognitive and formal abilities to evaluate critically philosophical arguments.
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly and logically their own views on a range of important philosophical problems.
Requirements for the BA Degree with a Major in Philosophy
For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Philosophy must complete:
- A minimum of 10 courses (30 credit hours) to satisfy major requirements.
- A minimum of 120 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
- A minimum of 5 courses (15 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
- A maximum of 4 courses (12 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit. For additional departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Philosophy | 30 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the BA Degree with a Major in Philosophy | 120 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| Core Courses | ||
| PHIL 210 | LOGIC | 3 |
| or PHIL 310 | MATHEMATICAL LOGIC | |
| PHIL 281 | HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY I | 3 |
| PHIL 283 | HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY II | 3 |
| Areas of Study Requirements | ||
| Group 1 | ||
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE | ||
| METAPHYSICS | ||
| PHILOSOPHY OF ART | ||
| PHILOSOPHY OF MIND | ||
| PHENOMENOLOGY | ||
| THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE | ||
| PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE | ||
| PHILOSOPHY OF BIOLOGY | ||
| THE PHILOSOPHY OF MEDICINE | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY OF MIND | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN THE SCIENCES OF THE MIND | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE | ||
| Group 2 | ||
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| ETHICS | ||
| METAETHICS | ||
| HISTORY OF ETHICS | ||
| MORAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY | ||
| HISTORY OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY | ||
| PHILOSOPHY OF LAW | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN ETHICS | ||
| ADVANCED TOPICS IN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY | ||
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 3 elective courses from departmental (PHIL) course offerings 1,2 | 9 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Philosophy | 30 | |
| Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements * | 59 | |
| University Graduation Requirements * | 31 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| * | Note: University Graduation Requirements include 31 credit hours, comprised of Distribution Requirements (Groups I, II, and III), FWIS, and LPAP coursework. In some instances, courses satisfying FWIS or distribution requirements may additionally meet other requirements, such as the Analyzing Diversity (AD) requirement, or some of the student’s declared major, minor, or certificate requirements. Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements include general electives, coursework completed as upper-level, residency (hours taken at Rice), and/or any other additional academic program requirements. |
| 1 | Students who pursue the senior thesis (departmental honors) option must take PHIL 498 and PHIL 499. These courses are required in addition to major requirements and will not fulfill Elective Requirements. For more information, see the Opportunities tab. |
| 2 | No more than 2 courses (6 credit hours) can be taken at the 100-level to fulfill major requirements. |
Policies for the BA Degree with a Major in Philosophy
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the major in Philosophy should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guideline:
- No more than 4 courses (12 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards the major.
Distribution Credit Information
The determination of distribution credit eligibility is done initially as part of the new course creation process. Additionally, as part of an annual roll call coordinated each Spring by the Office of the Registrar, course distribution credit eligibility is routinely reviewed and reaffirmed by the Dean’s Offices of each of the academic schools.
Faculty and leadership in the academic schools are responsible for ensuring that the courses identified as distribution-credit-eligible meet the criteria as set in the General Announcements. Students are responsible for ensuring that they meet graduation requirements by completing coursework designated as distribution-credit-eligible at the time of course registration.
Distribution courses from Philosophy (PHIL) study basic questions of knowledge, value, and reality. They show students the importance of critical examination and careful reasoning about fundamental issues that affect us as persons, as professionals, and as citizens. These courses tend to be broad based and address foundational concerns connected to studies in many other disciplines. Many bear importantly on basic ethical and political issues. Many involve the study of perspectives that have broadly and profoundly shaped history and culture.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Philosophy website: https://philosophy.rice.edu/.
Opportunities for the BA Degree with a Major in Philosophy
Academic Honors
The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.
Distinction in Research in Philosophy
Students must submit an application to be considered for "Distinction in Research in Philosophy" by April 1. Minimum qualifications are a 3.50 GPA in philosophy courses and enrollment in Honors Thesis course PHIL 499 or the Research Seminar for majors, PHIL 400. The work to be considered must be submitted to a committee appointed by the Chair, which will include the Director of Undergraduate Studies, any Honors Thesis supervisors, and the instructor(s) of the Research Seminar.
Senior Thesis and Departmental Honors in Philosophy
There are two paths to departmental honors in philosophy: coursework and a senior thesis.
Departmental honors can be awarded to any student who applies for departmental honors upon completion of three (3) courses at or above the 400-level as part of completion of the degree requirements for the BA with a major in Philosophy. In order to get honors via the three courses route (upon application), it is necessary and sufficient to get a letter grade of A (4.00 grade points) or A- (3.67 grade points) in three courses at the 400-level (or above).
Qualified majors may apply before their senior year for directed research leading to a senior thesis, carried out during both semesters of the senior year. Each semester will require 3 credit hours; these 6 hours (PHIL 498 and PHIL 499) are in addition to the course hours required for the major.
To qualify for the program, students must have an approved research proposal and the agreement of a faculty member to serve as advisor for that project. Applicants will normally be required to have a GPA of 3.75 in philosophy courses and to have completed at least two upper-level courses in the distribution area of the proposed research. (See the major requirements for the definition of the distribution areas.) Applications should be submitted to the departmental director of undergraduate studies and will be evaluated by the department.
Students who are considering applying to write a senior thesis should consult the departmental director of undergraduate studies and potential advisors as early as possible. Normally students will apply before preregistration in the second semester of their junior year and will spend time during the following summer reading from a list they have developed with their advisor. The thesis normally will be between 7,500 and 15,000 words (approximately 30–60 pages) in length. Students will enroll in PHIL 498 and PHIL 499. Students accepted into the Rice Undergraduate Scholars Program should enroll in HONS 470 and HONS 471 and will be awarded departmental honors for their work in that program if they meet the requirements in this statement. Note that acceptance into the departmental honors program is a separate process from acceptance in RUSP, as is the evaluation for departmental honors.
To be considered for honors, the senior thesis must be completed by the beginning of April. The thesis will be read and evaluated by the advisor and a second reader chosen by the department, and the final decision on honors will be made by the entire faculty. Students will receive honors if they receive a grade of A+, A, or A- in PHIL 499. Completion of the major with at least a 3.50 GPA in all philosophy courses is required for departmental honors. Students who miss the April deadline for thesis submission but meet the university deadline for the semester will receive a grade and credit for completed work but will not be considered for honors. Students whose thesis is not awarded honors will receive a grade and credit for completed work.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Philosophy website: https://philosophy.rice.edu/.