Philosophy, BA
Department Contacts
Sarah Tyson, PhD, Associate Professor and Department Chair (sarah.tyson@ucdenver.edu)
Mark Tanzer, PhD, Professor and Department Advisor (mark.tanzer@ucdenver.edu)
Sulastri Carr, Program Assistant (sulastri.carr@ucdenver.edu)
Main Phone: 303-315-7223
Introduction
Please click here to see the Philosophy department information.
The philosophy program offers a rigorous liberal arts education. It trains students to speak and write carefully, think and reason critically, and to seek out creative connections between ideas of all kinds. Philosophy is an excellent undergraduate preparation for almost any professional field. Philosophical inquiries can cover a wide range of subject matters including ethics and politics, art and literature, history and religion, technology, and the sciences. The benefits of a philosophy degree last a lifetime, setting students on a path toward self-development, intellectual sophistication, and the enrichment that comes from living a more reflective life.
These degree requirements are subject to periodic revision by the academic department, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences reserves the right to make exceptions and substitutions as judged necessary in individual cases. Therefore, the College strongly urges students to consult regularly with their major advisor and CLAS advisor to confirm the best plans of study before finalizing them.
Program Delivery
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This is an on-campus program.
Declaring This Major
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Click here to go to information about declaring a major.
- Contact department advisor Mark Tanzer (mark.tanzer@ucdenver.edu) for more information.
General Requirements
To earn a degree, students must satisfy all requirements in each of the three areas below, in addition to their individual major requirements.
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Click here for information about Academic Policies
Program Requirements
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Students must complete a minimum of 36 PHIL credit hours.
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Students must complete a minimum of 27 upper-division (3000-level and above) PHIL credit hours.
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Students must earn a minimum grade of C- (1.7) in all courses that apply to the major and must achieve a minimum cumulative major GPA of 2.0. All graded attempts in required and elective courses are calculated in the major GPA. Courses taken using P+/P/F or S/U grading cannot apply to major requirements.
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Students must complete a minimum of 18 PHIL credit hours with CU Denver faculty.
Program Restrictions, Allowances and Recommendations
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Courses taken at other institutions must either be transferred as direct equivalent to a CU Denver course or be approved by an advisor in the Philosophy Department for application towards the major.
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For those students who both major in philosophy and minor in ethics, philosophy or philosophy of science, up to two courses can satisfy the requirements for both.
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For those students who qualify for and fulfill the requirements of graduation with Honors, a minimum of 39 PHIL credit hours is required.
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Though certain courses may satisfy different requirements, no single course may count for more than one requirement towards the Philosophy Major.
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Courses not specifically listed here but offered by the University may count toward the degree upon the approval of the Department Undergraduate Advisor.
Code | Title | Hours |
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Complete the following required courses: | 9 | |
Ancient Greek Philosophy | ||
Knowledge, Perception, and the Search for Objectivity: Modern Philosophy | ||
Kant: Freedom, Reality, and the Mind | ||
Complete one of the following Logic and Reasoning courses: | 3 | |
Logic, Language and Scientific Reasoning | ||
Introduction to Symbolic Logic | ||
Philosophical Reasoning Skills | ||
Complete one of the following Social/Political Philosophy courses: | 3 | |
Propaganda: Truth, Lies, and Freedom | ||
Justice, Freedom, and Power: Social and Political Philosophy | ||
War and Morality | ||
Ideology and Culture: Racism and Sexism | ||
Feminist Philosophy | ||
Punishment and Social Justice | ||
Questioning Religious Belief and Practice: Introduction to Philosophy of Religion | ||
Complete one of the following Ethics courses: | 3 | |
Philosophies of the Good Life & Happiness | ||
History of Ethics | ||
Business, Society, and Moral Responsibility | ||
How to think green: Environmental Ethics | ||
Ideology and Culture: Racism and Sexism | ||
Philosophy of Death and Dying | ||
Twentieth Century Ethics | ||
Art, Beauty, and Aesthetic Criticism: Philosophy of Art | ||
Medicine, Health Care, and Justice: Bioethics | ||
Why Obey the Law? Introduction to Philosophy of Law | ||
Questioning Religious Belief and Practice: Introduction to Philosophy of Religion | ||
Complete one of the following Continental Philosophy courses: | 3 | |
Existentialism | ||
Feminist Philosophy | ||
Heidegger | ||
Nietzsche | ||
Complete one of the following American or Analytic Philosophy courses: | 3 | |
Twentieth Century Analytic Philosophy | ||
Metaphysics | ||
Epistemology | ||
Pragmatism: Classical American Philosophy | ||
Mind, Body, and Consciousness: Philosophy of Mind | ||
Philosophy of Science | ||
John Dewey | ||
Philosophy of Media and Technology | ||
Complete one of the following History of Philosophy courses: | 3 | |
Medieval Philosophy | ||
Existentialism | ||
19th and 20th Century Continental Philosophy | ||
Skepticism | ||
Art, Beauty, and Aesthetic Criticism: Philosophy of Art | ||
Postmodernism | ||
Rationalism | ||
Empiricism | ||
Hegel | ||
Heidegger | ||
Nietzsche | ||
Marx and Marxism | ||
Plato | ||
Aristotle | ||
Hume | ||
Complete nine additional Philosophy elective credits, with at least three credits being at upper division (3000 or above) courses | 9 | |
Total Hours | 36 |
Student Learning in the B.A. in Philosophy focuses on the following:
- Recognize and comprehend the salient elements of philosophy's significant historical figures, periods, and areas.
- Understand how philosophical frameworks and theories expand the meanings and implications of existing cultural areas (e.g. those found in science technology, the arts, politics, medicine, and social justice.
More specifically, the above includes training (most typically in writing) about how to:
- Interpret texts by careful reading and synthesis of meanings.
- Identify and criticize philosophical arguments.
- Develop original arguments supported by texts and logical reasoning.
- Outline major philosophical frameworks.
For questions and answers, please reach out to Mark Tanzer (mark.tanzer@ucdenver.edu) for further details.
To learn more about the Student Learning Outcomes for this program, please visit our website.
To review the Degree Map for this program, please visit our website.