Bachelor of Arts
Why Study Philosophy?
Philosophy students are without question the students best-trained in the ability to understand and evaluate reasoning. An education in philosophy does not train students for any one specific career. Instead, the discipline provided by philosophical training prepares students for a variety of professional and scholarly fields where independent judgment, conceptual dexterity, and intellectual acumen are required. The skills of philosophy are universal skills, basic to professional expertise in fields such as law, business, journalism, and education. This accounts for why philosophy majors are among the most sought-after of all university graduates.
I have come to realize the answer to the question perpetually posed, "Philosophy? What are you going to with that?" The correct response is "Absolutely anything you want."
In philosophy, students learn to think critically about fundamental questions concerning our understanding of the world and our responsibilities within it. By studying philosophy, students develop a thorough understanding of both historical and contemporary responses to these questions. This requires the ability to read and comprehend complex texts and to express ideas and arguments clearly and concisely. In addition, philosophy students gain an appreciation of diverse points of view, and learn to expose their own assumptions to critical reflection.
“If I were to start again as an undergraduate, I would major in philosophy. I think that subject is really at the core of just about everything we do. If you study humanities or political systems or sciences in general, philosophy is really the mother ship from which all of these disciplines grow.”
Matthew Goldstein, Chancellor of the City University of New York, New York Times, 6 April 2008
Philosophy majors perform better than any other major on the verbal and analytical writing sections of the GRE test, and perform better than any other humanities major on the quantitative reasoning section. In addition, Philosophy/Religion majors rank second on the LSAT behind only Physics/Math majors.
For some comments from former Virginia Tech Philosophy majors click here. For two other websites that discuss the merits of a Philosophy major see the University of Maryland and Illinois State,
The Philosophy Major
Students graduating in 2011 or later
Students graduating in 2011 or later are required to satisfy the following requirements to major in Philosophy. You can download the checksheet here.
A. History of Philosophy (9 hours)
Philosophy 2115: Ancient Philosophy
Philosophy 2125: Early Modern Philosophy
One additional course from the following list:
Philosophy 2116: Medieval Philosophy
Philosophy 2126: Late Modern Philosophy
Philosophy 3024: Philosophical Movements
B. Logic (3 hours)
Philosophy 3505: Modern Logic
C. Value Theory (3 hours)
One course from the following list:
Philosophy 2304: Global Ethics
Philosophy 3015: Political Theory
Philosophy 3016: Poltical Theory
Philosophy 3314: Ethical Theory
Philosophy 3414: Aesthetics
Philosophy 4304: Topics in Social and Political Philosophy
Philosophy 4324: Business and Professional Ethics
Philosophy 4334: Jurisprudence
D. Core Analytic Philosophy (3 hours)
One course from the following list:
Philosophy 4204: Philosophy of Mind
Philosophy 4214: Metaphysics
Philosophy 4224: Epistemology
Philosophy 4604: Philosophy of Biology
Philosophy 4614: Philosophy of Science
E. Philosophy Electives (12 hours)
1. Six additional hours of 3000- or 4000-level philosophy classes.
2. Six additional hours of any philosophy classes.
Students graduating in 2010
Students graduating in 2010 are presently required to satisfy the following requirements to major in Philosophy. Please consult with the director of undergraduate studies, Prof. Joe Pitt, about possible substitutions. You can download the checksheet here.
A. History of Philosophy (12 hours)
Philosophy 2115: Ancient Philosophy
Philosophy 2116: Medieval Philosophy
Philosophy 2125: Early Modern Philosophy
Philosophy 2126: Late Modern Philosophy
B. Logic (3 hours)
Philosophy 3505: Modern Logic
C. Philosophy Electives (15 hours)
1. One Writing-Intensive Class: Philosophy 4204, 4214, 4224, 4334, 4606, or 4614
2. Six hours of 3000- or 4000-level classes (excluding Philosophy 3505).
3. Six more elective hours.
Philosophy classes may be used to fulfill core requirements. No more than 50 hours in Philosophy may be counted towards the 120 hours required for graduation. No Philosophy class requires more than 3 hours of prerequisites.
The Philosophy Minor
Philosophy minors are required to earn at least eighteen credit hours in Philosophy by satisfying the following requirements:
1. Either Philosophy 1504: Language and Logic, or Philosophy 3505: Moden Logic
2. Any three courses in the history of philosophy sequence (2115, 2116, 2125, 2126) or at the 3000 or 4000 level.
3. Six hours of electives in Philosophy.