Minor in Philosophy
Program Learning Outcomes for the Minor in Philosophy
Upon completing the minor in Philosophy, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to read philosophical texts critically and with understanding of the problems and contexts.
- Demonstrate the ability to evaluate critically philosophical arguments.
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly and logically their own views on a range of philosophical problems.
Requirements for the Minor in Philosophy
Students pursuing the minor in Philosophy must complete:
- A minimum of 6 courses (18 credit hours) to satisfy minor requirements.
- A minimum of 3 courses (9 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
- A maximum of 2 courses (6 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 minor. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the minor’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the Program Director. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the minor'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 Minor in Philosophy | 18 | |
Minor Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| PHIL 281 | HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY I | 3 |
| or PHIL 283 | HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY II | |
| Areas of Study Requirements | ||
| Group 1 | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| 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 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| 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 | 9 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 18 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | Of the 6 required courses (18 credit hours), a total of 3 courses (9 credit hours) must be taken at the 300-level or above. Please note that not all courses listed above will be offered every academic year. |
Policies for the Minor in Philosophy
Program Restrictions and Exclusions
Students pursuing the minor in Philosophy should be aware of the following program restriction:
- As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, i.) students may declare their intent to pursue a minor only after they have first declared a major, and ii.) students may not major and minor in the same subject.
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 minor in Philosophy should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guideline:
- No more than 2 courses (6 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards the minor.
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.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Philosophy website: https://philosophy.rice.edu.
Opportunities for the Minor 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.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Philosophy website: https://philosophy.rice.edu.