Major Requirements: The Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy requires 42 hours of Philosophy major courses comprised of a combination of history of philosophy, ethics, and logic courses, as well as History of Christian Theology I or II. In addition, students are encouraged to take other support courses such as Art History, Political Theory, Literary Criticism, etc. in order to narrow their focus to the career of their choosing.

General Education Requirements: The Philosophy degree requires 57 hours of general education courses that students complete over four years in addition to their major courses and electives.

View and download the full degree plan for our Philosophy major (PDF).

A few examples of courses students in this major take:             

• History of Philosophy I – This course covers a period of almost a thousand years, beginning with the Greeks circa 600 B.C. and continuing through the transition from the classical to the medieval period.
• Philosophy of Religion – This course explores the complex relations between religion and culture.
• Advanced Logic – This course offers more-advanced consideration of sequential logic, first-order predicate logic and modal logic (logic of possibility and necessity). (Pre-req: PHIL 2303)

Philosophy faculty members are  active in their fields and bring their expertise to the classroom.

Our students have access to offices and programs outside of the classroom that support their success. We encourage students to take advantage these resources that help them thrive and excel:

Learn more about these services.

Food and Philosophy Ethics Series 

An ongoing lecture series featuring well known speakers from around the country, addressing topics designed to stimulate intellectual conversations about current topics. Past presentations have included...

• Decisional Capacity and the Adolescent Brain: Reconsidering the Doctrine of the Mature Minor
• Genetically Engineering Our Children
• Drug Peddlers & Politicians: Why Al Capone is Morally Superior to Al Gore
• Pro-Choice Beyond Abortion: The Scope of Your Constitutional Rights to Do Things with Your Body
• Conscientious Refusal to Participate in Evil
• Real Judging, Fake Judging and the Myth of Judicial Activism

For more info, contact: Professor Mark J. Cherry

Fusion Discussion Group

Faculty, staff and students discuss their diverse and distinct perspectives on important and relevant issues. A brief reading is selected for discussion during lunch. Past discussions in the Center for Ethics and Leadership have included...

• Jan Hoffman's article, What Your Therapist Thinks About You, a New York Times article looking at the therapist’s view of the patient
• “Small Change, Why the revolution will not be tweeted,” written by Malcolm Gladwell for The New Yorker
• “The Disruption Machine, What the gospel of innovation gets wrong,” written by Jill Lepore for The New Yorker

For more info, contact: Dr. Jack Musselman

Internships

The career counselors in the Career and Professional Development office (Moody Hall 134, phone 512-448-8530) can help you find an internship that works for you. Your skills as a philosophy major--i.e. critical and analytical reasoning to provide clear and compelling arguments--are in demand by non-profits, for-profits and government employers. So, go to Moody Hall 134 and talk to a career counselor to get an internship. After that, go talk to your philosophy faculty about how that internship can become a philosophy course under their supervision.

Study philosophy to learn how to live, to get a top LSAT and GRE score, and a great job.

The importance of philosophy today: Don’t Dismiss the Humanities, by Nicholas Kristof, The New York Times

John Cleese:  Why Philosophy is Nothing to Laugh About

Philosophy's role in shaping leaders: How Philosophy Makes You a Better Leader, by David Brendel, The Harvard Business Review

How philosophy helps in business: The Unexpected Way Philosophy Majors Are Changing the World of Business, by Carolyn Gregoire, The Huffington Post

And don't just take it from professors on campus. Philosophy is a Great Major spells out all the reasons to become a lover of wisdom.

Even the editorial page of Forbes magazine thinks majoring in philosophy is well worth it.

And here is a poster of famous philosophers to hang on your wall--unless you'd rather just read a long list of famous philosophy majors.

Skeptical about all these claims? Excellent! You're ready to be a philosophy major! And don't trust us just because we said all this. Ask St. Edward's English professor (and lawyer) Drew Loewe, French professor (and Department Chair) Philippe Seminet, University Studies professor Cory Lock, and Associate Vice President of Admission Tracy Manier if their B.A. degrees in philosophy prepared them for life and work. They're bound to tell you it really helped them prepare for careers and more. And don't hesitate to contact the faculty in the department for more information!

Students who wish to earn a Philosophy Minor must take the following coursework, totaling 18 hours.

Required Courses:

Students may choose any upper division Philosophy elective to complete their minor.

For more information about applicable coursework, please consult the undergraduate bulletin.