Philosophy, B.A.
Every field and career path needs people who can think logically and communicate effectively. Students majoring in philosophy learn how to examine complex problems, analyze internal logic, question assumptions, understand other points of view, and find unique and creative solutions. Graduates with these skills are sought after in fields like law, medicine and business, as well as the arts, humanities, history and social sciences.
Our department offers the Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy. Students in the major may also pursue the Bachelor of Arts degree with Leadership Distinction, which offers several paths for engagement beyond the classroom, such as advocacy, professional and civic engagement, internships and research opportunities.
Philosophy majors, on average, outperform other majors on the GRE, LSAT and GMAT, making it a great primary or secondary major for those pursuing a graduate or professional degree. Philosophy majors also lead the way in the pursuit of advanced degrees such as medical school, law school and business school as well as Ph.D. and master's degrees.
Learning Outcomes
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of the history and most important disciplines of philosophy.
- Students will read philosophical texts knowledgeably and critically.
- Students will recognize philosophical questions and grasp philosophical arguments.
- Students will engage in philosophical discussion and will be capable of presenting philosophical ideas in class.
- Students will write philosophical papers that require research, interpretation and argument.
Admissions
Entrance Requirements
New freshmen who meet University admissions standards are eligible for admission to degree programs offered by the college. A student who wishes to enter the College of Arts and Sciences from another college on the Columbia campus must be in good standing and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher. A student who wishes to enter the College of Arts and Sciences from another UofSC campus must fulfill one of the following requirements:
- Be in good standing, meet the admission requirements for a baccalaureate degree on the Columbia campus, and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher.
- Be in good standing and have completed 30 semester hours with a GPA of 2.00 or higher on a UofSC campus.
Some programs in the College of Arts and Sciences have special admission requirements established by the department or committee that supervises the specific degree program, for example, Cardiovascular Technology, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Economics, Environmental Science, the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. These requirements are listed in the sections of this bulletin that describe department and special degree programs.
Degree Requirements (120 hours)
Program of Study
| Requirements | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| 1. Carolina Core | 32-44 |
| 2. College Requirements | 15-18 |
| 3. Program Requirements | 34-49 |
| 4. Major Requirements | 24 |
Founding Documents Requirement
All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade in the subject areas of History, Political Science, or African American Studies that covers the founding documents including the United State Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation and one or more documents that are foundational to the African American Freedom struggle, and a minimum of five essays from the Federalist papers. This course may count as a requirement in any part of the program of study including the Carolina Core, the major, minor or cognate, or as a general elective. Courses that meet this requirement are listed here.
1. Carolina Core Requirements (32-44 hours)
CMW – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written (6 hours)
must be passed with a grade of C or higher
- any CC-CMW courses
ARP – Analytical Reasoning and Problem Solving (6-7 hours)
- PHIL 114*
- Any CC-ARP course
SCI – Scientific Literacy (8 hours)
- Two 4-credit hour CC-SCI laboratory science courses
GFL – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language (0-6 hours)
Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the minimal passing grade on the exit examination in the 122 course is required. Students can demonstrate this proficiency by successfully completing Phase II of the Proficiency Test or by successfully completing the 122 course, including the exit exam administered as part of that course. The foreign languages recommended for students majoring in philosophy are French, German, Greek, and Latin.
It is strongly recommended that students continuing the study of a foreign language begin college-level study of that language in their first semester and continue in that language until their particular foreign language requirement is completed.
GHS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking (3 hours)
- any CC-GHS course
GSS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences (3 hours)
- any CC-GSS course
AIU – Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding (3 hours)
- any CC-AIU course
CMS – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-CMS course
INF – Information Literacy1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-INF course
VSR – Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-VSR course
- 1
Carolina Core Stand Alone or Overlay Eligible Requirements — Overlay-approved courses offer students the option of meeting two Carolina Core components in a single course. A maximum of two overlays is allowed. The total Carolina Core credit hours must add up to a minimum of 31 hours. Some programs may have a higher number of minimum Carolina Core hours due to specified requirements.
2. College Requirements (15-18 hours)
Foreign Language (0-3 hours)
- only if needed to meet 122-level proficiency
History (3 hours)
The College of Arts and Sciences requires one additional GHS course beyond the Carolina Core GHS requirement.
- If the Carolina Core GHS requirement is fulfilled by a U.S. history course, the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement must be fulfilled by a non-U.S. history course.
- If the Carolina Core GHS requirement is fulfilled by a non-U.S. history course, the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement must be fulfilled by a U.S. history course.
Please select the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement from the approved list of U.S. and non-U.S. history courses.
Social Science and Fine Arts or Humanities (12 hours)
- Social Science (3 hours)
- The College of Arts and Science requires one 3- hour Social Science Course
- Fine Arts/Humanities (9 Hours)
- A Bachelor of Arts from the College of Arts and Sciences requires three 3-hour Fine Arts/Humanities Courses
3. Program Requirements (34-49 hours)
Cognate or Minor (12-18 hours)
Students must complete a cognate (12 hours) or a minor as part of this program. In lieu of a cognate or minor, an additional major may be added to a student’s program of study. Additional majors must include all major courses as well as any prescribed courses noted (*) in the bulletin. Prescribed courses noted in the bulletin may be shared with Carolina Core, College requirements, and Program requirements in the primary program.
Cognate (12 hours)
The cognate must consist of twelve (12) hours of courses at the advanced level, outside of but related to the major. The cognate may be taken in one or more departments or programs.
Courses offered by departments and programs that are acceptable for cognate credit are outlined in the section titled Courses Acceptable for Cognate Credit in Degree Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences. Some major programs have specific cognate requirements. It should be emphasized that the cognate is not a second set of elective courses to be chosen at random by the student. Students are urged to consult their major advisors for specific requirements in their major.
For Bachelor of Arts degrees, all cognate courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher.
Minor (18 hours)
In place of the cognate a student in the College of Arts and Sciences may choose a minor consisting of at least 18 credit hours of prescribed courses.
The minor is intended to develop a coherent basic preparation in a second area of study. It differs from the cognate inasmuch as the courses must follow a structured sequence.
Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the minor. No course may satisfy both major and minor requirements. All minor courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher. At least half of the courses in the minor must be completed in residence at the University.
A list of minor programs of study can be found at Programs A-Z.
Electives (16-37 hours)
120 (or 128) degree applicable credits are required to complete any degree at UofSC. After the cognate, minor or second major is complete, any additional credits needed to reach 120 (or 128) total credits can be fulfilled by electives. No courses of a remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may apply as credit toward degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences. The College of Arts and Sciences allows the use of the Pass-Fail option on elective courses. Further clarification on inapplicable courses can be obtained from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Note: 13-34 hours of electives will be needed to reach hours to graduate and Program Requirements will range from 31-46 hours, if completing the B.A. with Distinction in Philosophy.
4. Major Requirements (24 hours)
A minimum grade of C is required in all major courses.
Major Courses (15 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL 390 | Junior Seminar in Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 490 | Senior Seminar in Philosophy | 3 |
| Select one course from each of the following groups: | 9 | |
| Ancient Philosophy: | ||
| Ancient Philosophy | ||
| Greek and Roman Philosophy after Aristotle | ||
| History of Medieval Philosophy | ||
| Classical Origins of Western Medical Ethics | ||
| Between Magic and Method: Ancient Medicine | ||
| Modern Philosophy: | ||
| Seventeenth and Eighteenth-Century Philosophy | ||
| Nineteenth and Twentieth-Century Philosophy | ||
| American Philosophy | ||
| Existentialism | ||
| Field of Philosophy: | ||
| American Philosophy | ||
| Existentialism | ||
| Classical Origins of Western Medical Ethics | ||
| Between Magic and Method: Ancient Medicine | ||
| Ethics | ||
| Medical Ethics | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Ethics of Science and Technology | ||
| Business Ethics | ||
| Engineering Ethics | ||
| Social and Political Philosophy | ||
| Crime and Justice | ||
| Philosophy of Education | ||
| Contemporary Marxism and Society | ||
| Feminist Philosophy | ||
| Philosophy of Art | ||
| Philosophy and Film | ||
| Knowledge and Reality | ||
| Mind and Nature | ||
| History and Philosophy of Science | ||
| Special Topics in Philosophy | ||
| Junior Seminar in Philosophy | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Major Electives (9 hours)
- Two courses in Philosophy at the 500-level
- One course in Philosophy numbered 201 or above
Notes: Students majoring in philosophy are encouraged to take PHIL 390 during the junior year, or before the final 30 hours of study.
If PHIL 390 is used to satisfy both the Junior Seminar in Philosophy and Field of Philosophy requirements, then the student must take an additional course numbered 201 or above in order to reach the required 24 hours for the major.
Major Concentration in Society, Ethics, and Law (24 hours) optional
Students may choose to complete a concentration in Society, Ethics, and Law instead of the general Philosophy major requirements.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL 390 | Junior Seminar in Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 490 | Senior Seminar in Philosophy | 3 |
| Select one course from each of the following groups: | 9 | |
| Ancient Philosophy | ||
| Ancient Philosophy | ||
| Greek and Roman Philosophy after Aristotle | ||
| History of Medieval Philosophy | ||
| Classical Origins of Western Medical Ethics | ||
| Between Magic and Method: Ancient Medicine | ||
| Modern Philosophy | ||
| Seventeenth and Eighteenth-Century Philosophy | ||
| Nineteenth and Twentieth-Century Philosophy | ||
| American Philosophy | ||
| Existentialism | ||
| Ethics | ||
| Special Topics in Ethics and Values | ||
| Contemporary Moral Issues | ||
| Communicating Moral Issues | ||
| Ethics | ||
| Medical Ethics | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Ethics of Science and Technology | ||
| Business Ethics | ||
| Engineering Ethics | ||
| Ethical Theory | ||
| Virtues, Acts, and Consequences | ||
| Select two Social, Political, or Legal philosophy courses: | 6 | |
| Law and Religion | ||
| Social and Political Philosophy | ||
| Crime and Justice | ||
| Feminist Philosophy | ||
| Disobedience, Dissent, and Revolution | ||
| Special Topics in Philosophy 1 | ||
| Junior Seminar in Philosophy 1 | ||
| Jurisprudence | ||
| Social Justice | ||
| Select one course in Philosophy numbered 201 or above | 3 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 24 | |
Notes: Students concentrating in Society, Ethics, and Law must take at least two courses in Philosophy numbered 501 or above.
- 1
The Undergraduate Committee of the Philosophy Department, in consultation with the faculty member teaching the class, will determine whether PHIL 370 Special Topics and PHIL 390 Junior Seminar courses can be used to satisfy concentration requirements.
B.A. with Distinction (27 hours)
The Departmental Undergraduate Research Track is available to students majoring in philosophy who wish to participate in significant research activities in collaboration with, or under the supervision of, a faculty mentor.
In addition to the General Major Requirements, students must complete the following:
- PHIL 495
- A minimum GPA of 3.50 in the major
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.30
- A public presentation of the Senior Thesis in one of the following venues:
- Annual Meeting of the South Carolina Society for Philosophy (or another appropriate meeting)
- A regular or special session of the Philosophy Department Colloquium Series
- USC Discovery Day
- Submission to an undergraduate or a professional journal
- A written sponsorship agreement with the supervising faculty member will be placed on file in the Department of Philosophy office.
Major Map
A major map is a layout of required courses in a given program of study, including critical courses and suggested course sequences to ensure a clear path to graduation.
Major maps are only a suggested or recommended sequence of courses required in a program of study. Please contact your academic advisor for assistance in the application of specific coursework to a program of study and course selection and planning for upcoming semesters.