Faculty: Palmer (Program Coordinator), Kurtsal

The Philosophy major is a program in the Values and Societies Area of study.

Philosophy Major Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete a major in Philosophy should be able to:

• Research arguments in their primary sources (in translation, as necessary) and explain the research to their peers;
• Describe methodologies employed in inquiry, as well as their cultural and historical sources;
• Critically analyze the legitimacy and limitations of the knowledge these methodologies elicit;
• Discern the role of cultural and historical context in the development of philosophical inquiry, and demonstrate awareness of the ethical issues created by the culture of inquiry of the modern and contemporary West;
• Develop thoughts and articulate clear and well-structured oral and written arguments relevant to philosophical inquiry..

The Philosophy Major

The Philosophy major, consisting of 42 credits, leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. At graduation, Philosophy majors must have a GPA of at least 2.0 in the required courses and further courses that satisfy the credit count up to the department requirement of 42 credits. Only the most recent grade is considered for courses that have been repeated. No more than eight credits in Philosophy may be taken Credit/No Credit to count toward the major; two of these credits must be PHIL 600 , which is only offered CR/NC. A combined maximum of eight transfer credits and credits taken credit/no credit at Allegheny may be counted toward the major; exceptions must be approved by the Program Coordinator.