Philosophy Major
Acceptance to Major Requirements
Course Requirements: three Philosophy courses
Minimum Grade and/or GPA for required courses: 2.00 GPA
Minimum Cumulative GPA: 2.00
Other Requirements: Exceptions for students with 2 PHIL courses can be made by the department chair
Philosophy Major Requirements
The major is organized around two questions: "What can we know?" and "How should we live?" Most courses fall into either the "Knowing" or the "Living" category. Students will take a total of 12 credits in each category, distributed as follows:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level PHIL "Knowing" Course | 4 | |
| 100-level PHIL "Living" Course | 4 | |
| 200-level PHIL Reasoning Course 1 | 4 | |
| Logic | ||
| Critical Thinking | ||
| PHIL Electives 2 | 24 | |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
- 1
Reasoning courses fall into the "Knowing" category of courses
- 2
Additional Details about PHIL Electives:
- At least 4 elective credits must be "Knowing" courses
- At least 8 elective credits must be "Living" courses.
- A minimum of 20 credits must be at the 300 Level
- No more than 8 credits at the 100 level may count towards the major without permission from the Department Chair.
List of courses in "Knowing" and "Living" categories:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Knowing | ||
| PHIL 121 | Great Issues in Philosophy | 4 |
| PHIL 123 | The Philosophy of Human Nature | 4 |
| PHIL 155 | Reinventing Identity | 4 |
| HONR 120D | Community and Identity: Philosophy of Race and Ethnicity | 4 |
| PHIL 156 | Buddhist Philosophy and Benedictine Spiritual Practice | 4 |
| PHIL 210 | Logic | 4 |
| PHIL 220 | Critical Thinking | 4 |
| PHIL 331 | Ancient Philosophy | 4 |
| PHIL 339 | Wisdom of Ancient Chinese Philosophy | 4 |
| PHIL 346 | Philosophy of Religion | 4 |
| PHIL 363 | Scientific Revolutions: Understanding Humans’ Place in the Universe | 4 |
| PHIL 367 | Philosophy of Mind | 4 |
| PHIL 379A | The Quest for Truth in Modern Philosophy | 4 |
| PHIL 379B | Knowledge and Power | 4 |
| Living | ||
| PHIL 115 | Becoming a Person | 4 |
| PHIL 125 | What is Justice?: Social Philosophy | 4 |
| PHIL 150D | Otherness and Difference` | 4 |
| PHIL 241 | Ethics Tools | 2 |
| PHIL 321 | Moral Philosophy | 4 |
| PHIL 322 | Environmental Ethics | 4 |
| PHIL 323 | Biomedical Ethics | 2 |
| PHIL 324 | Business Ethics | 4 |
| PHIL 346 | Philosophy of Religion | 4 |
| PHIL 350 | Buddhist Philosophy and Christian Contemplation | 4 |
| PHIL 368M | The Good Life | 4 |
| PHIL 377A | Feminist Ethics | 4 |
| PHIL 377B | Liberty, Equality & Race in American Political Thought | 4 |
| Other courses may be counted for a category with permission from the department chair. | ||
Additional Requirements:
General Education Requirements:
All undergraduate students must complete the requirements of the Integrations Curriculum (IC) which is designed to ensure all of our students receive a liberal arts education. Please review details of the Integrations Curriculum requirements here.
Graduation Requirements:
In addition to the Integrations Curriculum, all undergraduate students must meet the following minimum degree requirements to earn their degree from CSB and SJU.
Credits: 124 total credits, 40 of which must be from upper division coursework
GPA: 2.0 or higher*
Residency: At least 24 of your last 32 credits must be completed at CSB and SJU
Please visit Graduation under the Academic Policies and Regulations portion of the catalog for additional details regarding degree requirements.
* Cumulative GPA as well as major(s)/minor(s) GPA. Please note some majors/minors may require a higher GPA to earn their degree.
Suggested Plan of Study
The Suggested Plan of Study is a recommended semester-by-semester program roadmap and assumes full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted. This plan is not a substitute for regular advising appointments with your primary advisor. Students should meet with their advisor prior to registration each semester to review their plans. Course availability, and sequencing are subject to change. Transfer credits, double majors or minors, and study abroad plans may impact suggested sequencing and coursework.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| INTG 100 | Learning Foundations | 4 |
| Language 111 | 4 | |
| PHIL 1@@ (Knowing) | 4 | |
| THEO 100 | Theological Explorations | 4 |
| INTG 105 | The Lookout | 1 |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| PHIL 1@@ (Living) | 4 | |
| Language 112 | 4 | |
| Integrations Requirement or Elective | 4 | |
| Integrations Requirement or Elective | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Language 211 | 4 | |
| PHIL 3@@ (Living) | 4 | |
| Integrations Requirement or Elective | 4 | |
| Integrations Requirement or Elective | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Logic | ||
| Critical Thinking | ||
| Integrations Requirement or Elective | 4 | |
| Integrations Requirement or Elective | 4 | |
| Integrations Requirement or Elective | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| PHIL 3@@ (Knowing) | 4 | |
| PHIL 3@@ (Living) | 4 | |
| Theological Integrations | 4 | |
| Integrations Requirement or Elective | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| Study Abroad (optional) or | ||
| COLG 1@@ | 4 | |
| COLG 3@@ | 4 | |
| Integrations Requirement or Elective | 4 | |
| Integrations Requirement or Elective | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| PHIL 3@@ | 4 | |
| PHIL 3@@ | 4 | |
| Integrations Requirement or Elective | 4 | |
| Integrations Requirement or Elective | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| PHIL 3@@ | 4 | |
| INTG 300 | Learning Integrations | 4 |
| Integrations Requirement or Elective | 4 | |
| Elective/Integrations Requirement | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Total Hours | 129 | |
Integrations Curriculum Requirements
Depending on elective PHIL course selection, Philosophy majors can fulfill a variety of Integrations requirements. Please see below for a list of integrations requirements you will need to satisfy via elective courses.
Integrations Designations
See Integrations Curriculum under Academic Policies and Regulations for further description of the general education requirements.
Foundational Courses
| Code | Integrations Requirement |
|---|---|
| CI | Cultural/Social Difference - Identity |
| LF | Learning Foundations (INTG 100) |
| College Success (INTG 105) | |
| TE | Theological Exploration (THEO 100) |
Ways of Thinking
| Code | Integrations Requirement |
|---|---|
| AE | Artistic Expression |
| AS | Abstract Structures |
| HE | Human Experience |
| NW | Natural World |
| SW | Social World |
Upper-level Courses
| Column1 | Column2 |
|---|---|
| CS | Cultural/Social Differences - Systems |
| LI | Learning Integrations |
| TI | Theological Integrations |
Thematic Coursework
To complete the themes course requirement: students will successfully complete 3 courses in the same theme (Truth, Justice, or Movement), in at least 2 different departments, at least 1 of which is a thematic focus course (TF/JF/MF). The other two can be Focus or Encounter courses. Encounter courses can be identified by: T1/T3, J1/J3, M1/M3.
| Code | Integrations Requirement |
|---|---|
| J1, J3, JF, or M1, M3, MF, or T1, T3, TF | Thematic Encounter or Focus Course |
| J1, J3, JF, or M1, M3, MF, or T1, T3, TF | Thematic Encounter or Focus Course |
| JF, MF, or TF | Thematic Focus Course |
Global Language
| Code | Integrations Requirement |
|---|---|
| 111 | Beginning I Course |
| 112 | Beginning II Course |
| 211 | Intermediate Course |
For more details on meeting this requirement, please see the Integrations Curriculum tab on Global Language Requirements.
Engagement and Designation Requirements
| Code | Integrations Requirement |
|---|---|
| AR | Artistic Engagement |
| BN | Benedictine Raven* |
| EX | Experiential Engagement |
| GL | Global Engagement** |
| QR | Quantitative Reasoning |
| WR | Writing Designation |
- *
BN and WR waived for students entering during Academic Year 2020 and 2021.
- **
GL waived for students entering during Academic Years 2020-2025