Undergraduate Minor Law & Society

Any philosophy course numbered in the 1000s or 2000s is suitable for beginning study in the field. Sections of PHIL 1110, 1111, and 1112 are part of the first-year writing seminar program; they are taught by various members of the staff on a variety of philosophical topics, and because of their small size (18 students at most) they provide ample opportunity for discussion. Students who want a broad introduction to philosophy may take PHIL 1100, but many students with special interests may find that the best introduction to philosophy is a 2000-level course in some particular area of philosophy; such courses have no prerequisites and are usually open to first-year students.

For more information about appropriate courses in philosophy, browse the course listings here.

Students expecting to major in philosophy should begin their study of it in their first or second undergraduate year. Admission to the major is granted by the Director of Undergraduate Studies of the department on the basis of a student's work during the first two years. Normally the student must have completed two philosophy courses with grades of B or better. Students wishing to become philosophy majors should apply via the online form.

Students admitted to the major select or are assigned a faculty member as their academic advisor. The advisor can help students plan an appropriate curriculum in the major, select courses outside the major, and ensure that they are meeting college and department degree requirements.

A grade of B- or better is required for any course to count toward satisfaction of major requirements.

A course in formal logic (e.g., PHIL 2310), while not required, is especially recommended for majors or prospective majors.

Majors in philosophy may choose to pursue honors in their senior year.

The pursuit of honors in philosophy affords students an opportunity in their senior year to undertake a specialized, in-depth research project under the supervision of a member of the Sage School faculty resulting in a substantial piece of written work, an honors essay. Honors are awarded to candidates upon completion of a satisfactory honors essay. Honors candidates typically devote two courses (eight credit hours) during their senior year to honors work. Students interested in pursuing honors should consult with their faculty advisors in their junior year. Application to pursue honors can be made in the Department of Philosophy office, 218 Goldwin Smith Hall.

Students interested in pursuing honors should be a philosophy major and normally have:

Admission to the honors thesis course is decided on a case by case basis by the student's proposed advisor in consultation with the DUS (Director of Undergraduate Studies) and faculty who have taught the student in the past. Some requirements may be waived for students in special circumstances. Students meeting the other requirements but unable to recruit an advisor should consult the DUS.

In either or both semesters of the senior year, a candidate for honors, with the permission of the faculty member who will supervise the honors project, enrolls in PHIL 4900/4901 and undertakes research leading to the writing of the honors essay by the end of the final semester. Honors students normally need to take both PHIL 4900 (fall) and 4901 (spring) in their senior year to write a satisfactory honors essay. Neither PHIL 4900 nor 4901 counts toward the eight philosophy courses required for the major.

The decision to award a degree in philosophy with honors (cum laude), high honors (magna cum laude) or highest honors (summa cum laude) is made by the faculty of the Sage School. The faculty primarily considers the quality of the honors essay but also give some weight to the student's overall academic record, record in philosophy, and performance in PHIL 4900/4901. Candidates whose honors essays are judged by the faculty not to merit the award of honors may, at the discretion of the faculty, be awarded a passing grade for PHIL 4900/4901.

The philosophy minor is designed for students who would like to formally pursue focused studies in philosophy, receiving recognition for this work, along with their major in another field.

Admission to the minor is based on a student's work in philosophy; students would be expected to have completed two philosophy courses with grades of B or better prior to applying.

To satisfy the requirements and complete the minor in philosophy, a minimum of five philosophy courses must be taken for a letter grade (B- or better), including:

If you are interested in applying for the minor, please fill out the minor request form here.

The Law & Society minor is open to all undergraduates throughout the university. Though many of those who register for the minor have intentions of going on to law school or a law-related profession, the Law & Society minor is not just for students interested in entering law school.

The best candidates for the Law & Society minor are students interested in broader relations between legal institutions and historical and contemporary societies. This broader topic is, and should be, of interest to many students, regardless of whether they intend to enter the legal profession.

Visit the Program on Ethics & Public Life (EPL) page for more information on this minor.

Activities and events in the Sage School provide opportunities for philosophy majors and other students interested in philosophy to engage with one another, with graduate students and faculty in the Sage School, and with visiting philosophers. In addition to opportunities intended specifically for undergraduates in philosophy, there are many activities and events sponsored by the Sage School which undergraduates in philosophy are encouraged to attend.

Each academic year, the undergraduate philosophy majors choose a speaker to invite to campus to give a lecture and interact with undergraduate students. Normally a speaker is selected in the fall semester and invited to visit in the following spring semester. The visit includes a reception or dinner or additional discussion session with the speaker (primarily for majors). The Director of Undergraduate Studies coordinates the selection process and assists the majors in arranging and hosting the event.

Each academic, year two research assistantships are made available to undergraduate majors in philosophy (one each semester). Majors are invited to apply to assist on available faculty research projects. (Available faculty research projects are publicized to majors on an ongoing basis — normally on the department website.) Research assistants earn no academic credit but earn an hourly wage.

The application, which must be submitted to the Director of Undergraduate Studies by the advertised deadline, consists of (1) a letter of application specifying one (or more) of the available faculty research projects and (2) a short statement (no longer than 300 words) explaining the applicant’s qualifications for and interest in the project(s). Applicants should contact the faculty member sponsoring the research project in advance of submitting an application. Research assistantships are awarded on the basis of the applicant’s overall academic record, record in philosophy courses and suitability for the project. Other things being equal, preference is given to seniors, then to juniors and finally to sophomores. Applications are reviewed by a faculty committee chaired by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Should the faculty committee judge in any given semester that there are no suitable applicants, no research assistantship will be awarded in that semester.

Undergraduate majors in philosophy staff and edit Logos, a refereed journal that publishes undergraduate work in philosophy. Logos also sponsors undergraduate reading and discussion groups.

The Sage School sometimes has a limited amount of funding available to support special undergraduate initiatives. In the past, these have included the undergraduate discussion club, travel by undergraduates to philosophy conferences, and Logos. Inquiries about funding for special initiatives should be made to the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Undergraduate majors are entitled to use the departmental library housed in the Philosophy common room, 213 Goldwin Smith Hall.

Contacts for the Director of Undergraduate Studies (Harold Hodes) and for general inquiries about the philosophy major/minor are available on the department contacts page.