Philosophy, BA

The study of philosophy begins with questions that are as personal as they are universal: What truths can I know? How should I live? Who, or what, am I? Where is my place in the grand scheme of things? To respond fruitfully to such questions requires training in critical habits of mind, learning from the rich traditions and the great minds that have reflected on such questions and engaging in lively discussion with a community of inquirers. Seattle University undergraduate philosophy courses communicate the value of philosophy and impart knowledge of its most influential figures. Courses in the curriculum help students to bring their own intellectual concerns into dialogue with great minds of the past and present, and to hone skills of reasoning and argumentation that make that questioning illuminating, reliable, and useful.

Requirements

In order to earn the bachelor of arts degree with a major in philosophy, students must complete a minimum of 180 credits with a cumulative and major/program grade point average of 2.00, including the following:

I. Core Curriculum Requirements

ENGL 110 - College Writing: Inquiry and Argument 5
PHIL 110 - Introduction to Philosophy and Critical Thinking 5
HIST 120 - Origins of Western Civilization 5
ENGL 120 - Introduction to Literature 5
MATH 107 or MATH 110 or above 5
Lab Science 5
Fine Arts (one approved 5-credit course) 5
Social Science I 5
Social Science II (different discipline from Social Science I) 5
Theology and Religious Studies Phase II (200-299 ) 5
Theology and Religious Studies Phase III (300-399 ) 5
Interdisciplinary 3 to 5
Senior Synthesis 3 to 5

II. College of Arts and Sciences Requirements

Modern Language 115, 125, 135, or equivalent (15)

NOTE:

All students with a major in the College of Arts and Sciences must demonstrate competency through the level of 135 in a language other than English. This competency is ordinarily achieved by successful completion of the three-course sequence: 115, 125, and 135. Because these courses are a college requirement, no courses in the sequence may be taken on a pass/fail, correspondence, or audit basis. Placement into other than the beginning course of the sequence is achieved by acceptable performance on the Modern Language Competency Examination. See the Modern Languages Department for details on the examinations. Courses used to satisfy the College of Arts and Sciences modern language requirement may not be used to fulfill philosophy major requirements.

Choose one of the following two courses:

III. Major Requirements

60 credits in philosophy, including:

A. Foundations

B. Ethics

PHIL 345 - Ethics 5 or
PHIL 351 - Business Ethics 5 or
PHIL 352 - Health Care Ethics 5 or
PHIL 353 - Ethical Issues in Science and Technology 5 or
PHIL 354 - Ethics and Criminal Justice 5 or
PHIL 358 - Communication Ethics 5 or

C. History and Traditions

D. Electives

PHIL 250 - Problems and Methods of Philosophy 5 or
Upper-Division (300-400 level) Electives (see course offerings ) (10)

E. Specialization

Choose three courses within one of the following specializations:

Specialization in Continental Philosophy: (15)

Specialization in Logic, Science, and Analytic Philosophy: (15)

Specialization in Critical and Global Perspectives: (15)

Specialization in Ethics, Law, and Justice: (15)

Individualized Specialization: (15)

Arranged with student’s advisor and approved by the department chair

NOTE:

* Only students who complete PHIL 110 at Seattle University are eligible to take PHIL 220 . Students who satisfy PHIL 110 with a transfer course or who receive a waiver in PHIL 110 will substitute PHIL 210 for PHIL 220 .

Several philosophy courses have been identified as satisfying the senior synthesis and the core interdisciplinary requirements. Those courses may be used to fill major requirements or major electives while also fulfilling university core requirements. The credit for each course completed is included in totals only once.

Departmental Honors

Philosophy Major with Departmental Honors