Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy

Degree Requirements

Total credits: minimum 120

Core Courses without Concentration

Logic

• PHIL 173 Logic and Critical Thinking 3 or PHIL 376 Symbolic Logic

History of Philosophy

• PHIL 301 History of Western Philosophy: Ancient 3
• PHIL 303 History of Western Philosophy: Modern 3

Analytic Tradition

Select one course from the following: 3

• PHIL 332 Issues in Analytic Philosophy
• PHIL 333 American Philosophy: Pragmatism
• PHIL 338 Philosophy, Race, and Gender
• PHIL 355 Theories of Ethics
• PHIL 356 Philosophy of Art
• PHIL 357 Philosophy of the Social Sciences
• PHIL 358 Ethics and Economics
• PHIL 371 Philosophy of the Natural Sciences
• PHIL 373 Theory of Knowledge
• PHIL 374 Philosophy of Mind
• PHIL 411 Theories of Decision

Continental Tradition

Select one course from the following: 3

• PHIL 325 Karl Marx's Social and Political Thought
• PHIL 335 Nineteenth-Century Philosophy
• PHIL 336 Twentieth-Century Continental Thought: Existentialism
• PHIL 337 Twentieth-Century Continental Thought: Phenomenology
• PHIL 338 Philosophy, Race, and Gender
• PHIL 339 Recent Continental Philosophy
• PHIL 340 Hermeneutic Philosophy
• PHIL 356 Philosophy of Art
• PHIL 357 Philosophy of the Social Sciences

Ethics and Social and Political Philosophy

Select one course from the following: 3

• PHIL 305 Business Ethics
• PHIL 309 Bioethics (Mason Core)
• PHIL 311 Philosophy of Law
• PHIL 323 Classical Western Political Theory
• PHIL 324 Modern Western Political Theory
• PHIL 325 Karl Marx's Social and Political Thought
• PHIL 327 Contemporary Western Political Theory
• PHIL 329 Philosophy after Auschwitz
• PHIL 338 Philosophy, Race, and Gender
• PHIL 343 Topics in Environmental Philosophy (Mason Core)
• PHIL 344 Ethical Issues in Global Health
• PHIL 353 Theories of Justice
• PHIL 355 Theories of Ethics
• PHIL 358 Ethics and Economics
• PHIL 411 Theories of Decision
• PHIL 429 Advanced Topics in Social and Political Philosophy

Total Credits 18

Electives without Concentration

Select five or six electives from any philosophy courses including those listed above that are not used to meet another requirement. 15-18

Total Credits 15-18

Optional Concentrations

Students interested in a degree in philosophy with a concentration will complete the coursework for one of the concentrations below.

• Concentration in Philosophy and Law (PHLW)
• Concentration in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE)
• Concentration in Philosophy and Law (PHLW)

Writing-Intensive Requirement

The university requires all students to complete at least one course designated "writing intensive" in their majors at the 300 level or above. All senior seminars (PHIL 421 Seminar (Mason Core), PHIL 422 Honors Seminar (Mason Core)) in philosophy are writing intensive. Philosophy majors should consult the undergraduate director for other courses that can be taken to fulfill this requirement.

Upper-Level Requirement

Students seeking a bachelor’s degree must apply at least 45 credits of upper-level courses (numbered 300 or above) toward graduation requirements.

Additional Electives

Any remaining credits may be completed with elective courses to bring the degree total to 120.

College Level Requirements for the BA Degree

In addition to the Mason Core program, students pursuing a BA degree must complete the coursework below. Except where expressly prohibited, a course used to fulfill a college-level requirement may also be used simultaneously to satisfy other requirements (Mason Core requirements or requirements for the major).

• Philosophy or Religious Studies
• Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Foreign Language
• Non-Western Culture

Mason Core

Some Mason Core requirements may already be fulfilled by the major requirements listed above. Students are strongly encouraged to consult their advisors to ensure they fulfill all remaining Mason Core requirements.

Foundation Requirements

• Written Communication (ENGH 101) 3
• Oral Communication 3
• Quantitative Reasoning 3
• Information Technology and Computing 3

Exploration Requirements

• Arts 3
• Global Understanding 3
• Literature 3
• Natural Science 7
• Social and Behavioral Sciences 3
• Western Civilization/World History 3

Integration Requirements

• Written Communications (ENGH 302) 3
• Writing-Intensive 3
• Synthesis/Capstone 3

Total Credits 40