Majoring in Philosophy
Requirements for Majors and Minors in Philosophy
Notes:
It is strongly recommended that students successfully complete two of PHIL 1000H, 1100H, 1200H before enrolling in upper level Philosophy courses.
The minimum requirement for registration in any Philosophy 2000-level course is successful completion of four university credits or permission of the chair of the department.
The minimum requirement for registration in any Philosophy 3000- or 4000-level course is successful completion of seven university credits or permission of the chair of the department.
Students may earn a joint-major Honours B.Sc. in Philosophy and a Science subject if they satisfy the departmental requirements for the joint-major Honours program in Philosophy and in the Science subject and if they complete 14.0 science credits. PHIL – COIS 2410H (240H), PHIL – PSYC 2270H (2770Y, 277) and PHIL – ASCI 2780H (278H) count as science credits. Students who wish to earn a B.Sc. should consult with the chair of the department very early in their program.
For the Emphasis in Applied Ethics, see the Undergraduate Academic Calendar or the Emphasis in Applied link on the Philosophy Department website.
Students who have fulfilled the requirements for a single-major Honours degree in another subject may apply to the Office of the Registrar for a minor in Philosophy if they have met the requirements for the joint-major General degree (see below).
Bachelor of Arts program in Philosophy
See the Undergraduate Calendar for requirements which apply to all undergraduate degree programs.
The same course may not simultaneously satisfy the requirements of both programs in a joint-major degree.
PHIL 1000H, 1100H and 1200H are strongly recommended for all students in Philosophy.
It is strongly recommended that students majoring in philosophy take PHIL – AHCL 2420H and 2430H (2400Y, 210) before they take PHIL 3420H and 3430H (3100Y, 310), and that they take PHIL – AHCL 2420H and 2430H (2400Y, 210) in the second year of the program.
PHIL – COIS 2410H (240H) is strongly recommended for all students in Philosophy, especially for those intending to do graduate work in Philosophy.
No more than 1.0 credit from reading courses may count towards the number of Philosophy credits required for the degree.
Single Major Honours Program
20.0 credits including the following 9.0 credits:
- 2.0 PHIL credits consisting of PHIL 2420H and 2430H (2400Y); PHIL 3420H and 3430H (3100Y)
- 0.5 PHIL credit from PHIL 1200H (or 1005Y) or 2410H
- 2.0 PHIL credits at the 4000 level
- 2.0 PHIL credits at the 3000 level or beyond in addition to the above
- 2.5 PHIL credits in addition to the above.
Joint Major Honours Program
20.0 credits including the following 7.0 credits:
- 2.0 PHIL credits consisting of PHIL 2420H and 2430H (2400Y); PHIL 3420H and 3430H (3100Y)
- 1.5 PHIL credits at the 4000 level
- 1.0 credits at the 3000 level or beyond in addition to the above
- 2.5 PHIL credits in addition to the above.
The single-major General Program
15.0 credits including the following 6.0 credits:
- 2.0 PHIL credits consisting of PHIL 2420H and 2430H (2400Y); PHIL 3420H and 3430H (3100Y)
- 1.0 PHIL credit at the 3000 level or beyond in addition to the above
- 3.0 PHIL credits in addition to the above
The joint-major General Program
15.0 credits including the following 5.0 credits:
- 1.0 PHIL credit from PHIL 2420H, 2430H, PHIL 3420H or 3430H (2400Y, PHIL 3100Y)
- 1.0 PHIL credit at the 3000 level or beyond in addition to the above
- 3.0 PHIL credits in addition to the above
The minor in Philosophy consists of the following 5.0 credits:
- 1.0 PHIL credit from PHIL 2420H, 2430H, PHIL 3420H or 3430H (2400Y, 3100Y)
- 1.0 PHIL credit at the 3000 level or beyond in addition to the above
- 3.0 PHIL credits in addition to the above
Emphasis in Applied Ethics
The Emphasis in Applied Ethics is available to students in any Honours or General program. A solid grounding in critical thinking, ethical theory and applied ethics is increasingly important for the many different kinds of careers that involve developing reasoned responses to public policy initiatives. The Emphasis in Applied Ethics is designed for students interested in careers as professional ethicists in fields such as medicine, environmental resource management, computing, law, or business. It also provides a good background for students interested in careers that involve advocacy on public policy issues.
The transcripts of students graduating with an Honours or General degree who have successfully completed the requirements of the Emphasis will contain the notation “with an Emphasis in Applied Ethics.”
Students earn the Emphasis in Applied Ethics by successfully completing 5.0 credits including:
- 1.0 credit from PHIL 1000H, 1100H or 1200H (or 1001Y, 102H, 103H, 104H, 1004H, 105, 1005Y)
- 0.5 credit consisting of PHIL 2110H (2300Y or 230)
- 1.0 credit from PHIL 2390H (239H), PHIL – COIS 3370H (337H, 337) or PHIL – POST 2150H (2032Y, 232)
- 0.5 credit from PHIL 2010H, 2020H or 2030H
- 1.0 credit consisting of PHIL 3110H and 3120H (or 3380Y, 338)
- 1.0 credit from PHIL – POST 3140H and 3180H (3390Y, 339), or PHIL – ADMN 4250H and 4260H, or PHIL – ERST 3300Y (330)
Year Abroad Program
Students have the option of pursuing third-year studies at a university abroad, facilitated by Study Abroad.