Philosophy Major
This page explains the requirements for the B.A. in Philosophy at UC San Diego.
There are many reasons to consider a major in philosophy. Some students with a primary major in philosophy pursue graduate studies and ultimately go on to an academic career as professors. Others go to professional schools that prepare them for careers in the private or public sector. Many students find that undergraduate work in philosophy is an especially good preparation for law school (one study showed that the mean LSAT score for philosophy majors was higher than it was for both pre-law and political science majors). Other students combine a major (or minor) in philosophy with another primary major. We have majors who are also majoring in history, political science, psychology, cognitive science, computer science, economics, mathematics, and biology. Sometimes this can be a strategic choice to enhance a professional school application, but more often it reflects students discovering a passion for philosophy in the course of pursuing another major.
A major in philosophy requires a total of 15 courses. Majors may choose to structure their electives according to the optional areas of emphasis listed at the bottom of this page.
PART I: General Requirements
- the B.A. in Philosophy requires a total of 15 courses; at least 12 must be upper-division courses
- all courses applied toward the major must be taken for a letter grade
- all courses applied toward the major must be passed with a grade of C- or better
- a GPA of 2.0 must be maintained for all courses applied toward the major
- courses numbered 191-199 (Honors and Directed Studies Courses) do not apply toward the requisite 15 courses
- courses repeated for credit can be applied toward the major by petition only
PART II: Core Requirements
The major in Philosophy must satisfy the 6 core requirements (8 courses total). These requirements are described in the General Catalog. To satisfy the core requirements, the major must take 8 courses from the table below.
The History of Philosophy Sequence must be completed in order. For Moral and Political Philosophy, Metaphysics and Epistemology, and Philosophy of Science, choose 1 course from the course boxes. Each course can satisfy only one requirement.
| Requirement | Course No. | Course Title |
|---|---|---|
| I. Lower-Division Logic | Phil 10 | Introduction to Logic |
| II. Upper-Division Logic | Phil 120 | Symbolic Logic I |
| III. History of Philosophy Sequence (must be completed in order) |
Phil 110 Phil 111 Phil 112 |
History of Philosophy: Ancient History of Philosophy: Early Modern History of Philosophy: Late Modern |
| IV. Moral and Political Philosophy (choose one) |
Phil 160 Phil 161 Phil 166 Phil 167 |
Ethical Theory Topics in the History of Ethics Classics in Political Philosophy Contemporary Political Philosophy |
| V. Metaphysics & Epistemology (choose one) |
Phil 130 Phil 131 |
Metaphysics Topics in Metaphysics |
| VI. Philosophy of Science (choose one) |
Phil 145 Phil 146 Phil 147 Phil 149 Phil 150 Phil 151 Phil 152 |
Philosophy of Science Philosophy of Physics Philosophy of Biology Philosophy of Psychology Philosophy of Cognitive Science Philosophy of Neuroscience Philosophy of Social Science |
PART III: Electives
In addition to the core requirements, seven philosophy electives are required. Up to two of these course can be lower-division.
Some students may wish to take a sampling of philosophy courses to complete their electives while others may want to choose a particular focus for their elective classes. If you wish to have a focus for your electives, see the optional areas of emphasis at the bottom of this page.
PART IV: Worksheet
Use the attached worksheet for tracking your courses toward fulfillment of the major.
NOTE: Of the 15 courses required for the major, at least 12 must be upper-division courses.
Areas of Emphasis
The four optional Areas of Emphasis are available to help students focus their courses on a certain area of philosophy. Courses taken to complete an Area of Emphasis are counted toward the 15 courses required for the major. Completing an Area of Emphasis requires majors to pass 5 courses from one area. Minors may complete an Area of Emphasis by taking 4 of their 7 courses from one area.
Law, Ethics, and Society
This area targets the nature and source of our moral rights and obligations, the authority of the state and law, the basis of value and goodness. Several courses in this area target ethical issues in medicine, the environment, technological change, economic inequality, and matters concerning race, gender, class, ethnicity, and nationality. In this area, students will learn how moral and legal reasoning can reshape the political debates over abortion, the death penalty, privacy on the internet, genetic testing, religious tolerance, free speech, affirmative action and other issues. This area is excellent preparation for law school as well as for postgraduate study and careers in public policy.
148. Philosophy and the Environment
152. Philosophy of Social Science
160. Ethical Theory
161. Topics in the History of Ethics
162. Contemporary Moral Issues
163. Biomedical Ethics
164. Technology and Human Values
165. Freedom, Equality, and the Law
166. Classics in Political Philosophy
167. Contemporary Political Philosophy
168. Philosophy of Law
170. Philosophy and Race
186. Authoritarianism
189. Applied Ethics
Science, Technology, and Medicine
This area focuses on the insights and challenges presented by science. Modern science and technologies affect our view of ourselves and of nature, introducing novel promises and problems. For instance, how do we balance technical, economic, environmental, and ethical values in making decisions concerning which technologies or drugs to develop? Modern science has also changed our understanding of nature. Quantum physics, the genetic revolution, and neuroscience (to name a few) present problems and have important implications for human life. Finally, there are questions about science itself. What are the methods of modern science? Do they vary from one science to another? Can the sciences be value free? This area will appeal especially to those students interested in pursuing careers in philosophy, science, clinical medicine, medical research, the social sciences, science journalism and public policy.
123. Philosophy of Logic
145. Philosophy of Science
146. Philosophy of Physics
147. Philosophy of Biology
148. Philosophy and the Environment
149. Philosophy of Psychology
150. Philosophy of Cognitive Science
151. Philosophy of Neuroscience
152. Philosophy of Social Science
163. Biomedical Ethics
164. Technology and Human Values
Mind, Brain, and Cognitive Science
Traditional Epistemology (the theory of how and what we know) and Philosophy of Mind (the theory of that-which-perceives-and-thinks) have recently been joined by several scientific disciplines in a collective search for illuminating theories. Psychology, cognitive neurobiology, computer science, and sociology, have all made explosive contributions to a tradition as old as Plato and Aristotle. For example, our growing understanding of the biological brain has given new life to our traditional attempts to understand the nature of the Mind. New accounts of the various mechanisms of cognition - both at the cellular and the social levels - have provided entirely new perspectives on the nature of consciousness, the self, knowledge and free will, and on the nature of science itself. This area is excellent preparation for careers in cognitive science, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, science journalism and philosophy.
132. Epistemology
134. Philosophy of Language
136. Philosophy of Mind
145. Philosophy of Science
147. Philosophy of Biology
149. Philosophy of Psychology
150. Philosophy of Cognitive Science
151. Philosophy of Neuroscience
180. Phenomenology
Historical Perspectives on Philosophy, Science, and Religion
Throughout its history, philosophy has developed in a complex relationship with the natural sciences and religion. Philosophical ideas have both contributed to and challenged our understanding of nature and God, and developments in the sciences and religion have posed new challenges for philosophical thinking. The Historical Perspective emphasis focuses on the fertile interplay between philosophy, science, and religion in several key periods: Ancient Greece, the Scientific Revolution, and Enlightenment and Post-Enlightenment Europe. The aim is not simply to document the history of philosophical ideas, but to use this history as a way of better understanding contemporary debates about the basic questions of human life. This area prepares students for post-graduate work in philosophy, and for any career that requires breadth of knowledge, intellectual flexibility, as well as communicative and analytical skills.
100. Plato
101. Aristotle
102. Hellenistic Philosophy
104. The Rationalists
105. The Empiricists
106. Kant
107. Hegel
108. Nineteenth Century Philosophy
109. History of Analytic Philosophy
161. Topics in the History of Ethics
166. Classics in Political Philosophy
180. Phenomenology
181. Existentialism
183. Topics in Continental Philosophy