Philosophy (Major)
Every major in Philosophy at Notre Dame begins with a common foundation of three classes and then picks his or her own intellectual path, choosing each semester from the wide range of small, discussion-based seminars offered on topics ranging from ethics to the philosophy of science to feminism to the history of philosophy.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Two-course University Requirement courses | 6 | |
or (for students who took course in Catholicism Across the Disciplines in place of the 2nd University Requirement) the first University Requirement and an elective at 2xxxx-level or higher | ||
| PHIL 30301 | Ancient and Medieval Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 30302 | History of Modern Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 30313 | Formal Logic | 3 |
| or PHIL 43907 | Intermediate Logic | |
| or MATH 10130 | Beginning Logic | |
(but the latter does not count toward the classes required for the major: students taking it must take an additional elective) | ||
| Two seminars at the 4xxxx-level | 6 | |
| Three electives at the 3xxxx- or 4xxxx-level | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
All 4xxxx-level philosophy courses are writing intensive, requiring at least 20 pages of written work that may take various forms: reflections on readings, class presentations, or shorter or longer research papers. Students planning to go on to graduate studies in philosophy or related disciplines typically write a senior thesis as well.
Philosophy, Science, and Mathematics Concentration
Students pursuing a major in philosophy with a concentration in Philosophy, Science, and Mathematics follow an overlapping, but distinct, course of study. The courses required for a concentration in Philosophy, Science, and Mathematics are distributed as follows:
- Either the two-course University Requirement or (for students who took course in Catholicism Across the Disciplines in place of the 2nd University Requirement) the first University Requirement and an elective at 2xxxxlevel or higher;
- the Core Seminar in Philosophy, Science, and Mathematics (PHIL 30329) (an intensive team-taught seminar offered every fall);
- a course in logic (Formal Logic (PHIL 30313) or a more advanced option);
- a survey of the history of philosophy (either Ancient and Medieval Philosophy (PHIL 30301), or History of Modern Philosophy (PHIL 30302));
- two other upper-level philosophy courses, taught at the 3xxxx or 4xxxx-level, at least one of which will be in the philosophy of science, philosophy of mathematics, or logic; and
- three majors-level electives in science or mathematics.
Honors Track
Students who are pursuing either a regular philosophy major, or the major with concentration in philosophy, science, and mathematics, may also elect to pursue the Honors Track. Honors philosophy majors complete all the requirements for the regular major and in addition write a senior thesis. Students writing the senior thesis enroll in Senior Thesis (PHIL 48499) in both semesters of the senior year (the equivalent of two regular 3-hour seminars). To be eligible for the honors major, and thus for the senior thesis, a student must ordinarily maintain a GPA of 3.5 or above in courses in the major. Students considering the senior thesis are encouraged to have completed at least two of the three core courses (the two history surveys and formal logic) AND three 4xxxx-level seminars by the end of the junior year.