The B.A. program in Philosophy aims to provide students with the theoretical skills and knowledge to engage with the complex issues of our time. It centers on the principles of knowledge, responsibility, and society, and it provides students with opportunities to investigate the connections between intellectual pursuits and moral and public virtue.
Admission Requirements
Degree Requirements
- Students who change degree programs and select this major must adopt the most current catalog.
- Students must earn at least a “C” (2.0) in each required course.
- Co-op or internship credit cannot be used in this major without prior departmental approval.
- Students should consult with a departmental advisor.
- Departmental Residency Requirement consists of at least 18 semester hours of regularly scheduled 3000-4000 level courses taken from the UCF Philosophy Department.
- Courses designated in General Education Program and Common Program Prerequisites are usually completed in the first 60 hours.
General Education Program (GEP) (36 Credit Hours)
Communication Foundations (9 Credit Hours)
Cultural & Historical Foundations (9 Credit Hours)
- PHI 2010 - Introduction to Philosophy Credit Hours: 3 (Required)
Select Two: (6 Credit Hours)
- HUM 2020 - Encountering the Humanities Credit Hours: 3
- HUM 2210 - Humanistic Tradition I Credit Hours: 3
- HUM 2230 - Humanistic Tradition II Credit Hours: 3
- REL 2300 - World Religions Credit Hours: 3
Mathematical Foundations (6 Credit Hours)
Math (6 Credit Hours)
- MGF 1106 - Finite Mathematics Credit Hours: 3 (Suggested) or
- MGF 1107 - Explorations in Mathematics Credit Hours: 3 (Suggested) or
- You may substitute a higher level math with appropriate scores on the Math Placement Exam.
Statistics - Computers: (3 Credit Hours)
- Select a course from Mathematical Foundation, Area 2 list Credit Hours: 3
Social Foundations (6 Credit Hours)
- AMH 2020 - U.S. History: 1877-Present Credit Hours: 3 (Suggested)
Science Foundations (6 Credit Hours)
Common Program Prerequisites (CPP)
Core Requirements: Basic Level
- PHI 2010 - Introduction to Philosophy Credit Hours: 3 (GEP)
Select Two:
- HUM 2020 - Encountering the Humanities Credit Hours: 3 (GEP)
- HUM 2210 - Humanistic Tradition I Credit Hours: 3 (GEP)
- HUM 2230 - Humanistic Tradition II Credit Hours: 3 (GEP)
- REL 2300 - World Religions Credit Hours: 3 (GEP)
Core Requirements: Advanced Level (36 Credit Hours)
Core (6 Credit Hours)
- PHI 3083 - Research Methods in Philosophy Credit Hours: 3 1
- 1 To be completed before the end of Junior year as a prerequisite to enrollment in Senior courses.
- PHI 4938 - Senior Research Seminar Credit Hours: 3
Reasoning (6 Credit Hours)
Select Two: (6 Credit Hours)
- PHI 2011 - Philosophical Reasoning Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 2101 - Formal Logic I Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 2108 - Critical Thinking Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 2647 - Logic and Ethics Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 3131 - Formal Logic II Credit Hours: 3
History of Philosophy (9 Credit Hours)
Select Two: (6 Credit Hours)
- PHH 3100 - Ancient Philosophy Credit Hours: 3
- PHH 3200 - Medieval Philosophy Credit Hours: 3
- PHH 3460 - Modern Western Philosophy Credit Hours: 3
Select One: (3 Credit Hours)
- PHH 3600 - Contemporary Philosophy Credit Hours: 3
- PHH 3510 - Marx and Nietzsche Credit Hours: 3
- PHH 3700 - American Philosophy Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 3790 - African Philosophy Credit Hours: 3
Values and Society (6 Credit Hours)
Select Two: (6 Credit Hours)
- PHI 3670 - Ethical Theory Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 3626 - Advanced Ethics in Science and Technology Credit Hours: 3
- PHM 3401 - Philosophy of Law Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 3800 - Aesthetics Credit Hours: 3
- PHM 3123 - Feminist Theories Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 3638 - Ethical Issues in the 21st Century Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 3625 - Virtual Ethics Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 4633 - Ethics and Biological Science Credit Hours: 3
- PHM 3100 - Freedom and Justice Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 3640 - Environmental Ethics Credit Hours: 3
- PHM 4031 - Environmental Philosophy Credit Hours: 3
- PHH 3701 - Native American Philosophy Credit Hours: 3
- PHM 3020 - Philosophy of Love Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 4673 - Medical Ethics Credit Hours: 3
- HUM 4823 - Queer Theory in the Humanities Credit Hours: 3
Being and Knowing (6 Credit Hours)
Select Two: (6 Credit Hours)
- PHI 4500 - Metaphysics Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 4341 - Ways of Knowing Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 4300 - Theories of Knowledge Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 3700 - Philosophy of Religion Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 4400 - Philosophy of Science Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 3320 - Philosophy of Mind Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 3451 - Philosophy of Psychology Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 4420 - Philosophy of Social Science Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 3323 - Minds and Machines: Philosophy of Cognitive Science Credit Hours: 3
- PHP 4782 - Phenomenology Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 4221 - Philosophy of Language Credit Hours: 3
Topics in Philosophy (3 Credit Hours)
Select One: (3 Credit Hours)
Appropriate Special Topics in Philosophy may be substituted for some core courses with prior approval by Departmental advisor.
- PHI 4931 - Philosophy in the News Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 4321 - Philosophies of Embodiment: Mind/Body/Self Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 3033 - Philosophy, Religion, and the Environment Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 4804 - Critical Theory Credit Hours: 3
- PHP 3783 - Modernity as a Philosophical Problem Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 3750 - The Problem of Evil Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 3720 - Faith and Reason Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 3803 - Philosophy and Creativity Credit Hours: 3
- REL 3111 - Religion and Philosophy Through Film Credit Hours: 3
- PHP 3786 - Existentialism Credit Hours: 3
- HUM 4330 - Performance Theory Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 4935 - Topics in Philosophy of Mind Credit Hours: 3
- PHP 4933 - Key Concepts in Philosophy Credit Hours: 3
- PHP 4931 - Key Figures in Philosophy Credit Hours: 3
Restricted Electives (6 Credit Hours)
- Select six hours of approved courses in Philosophy or related areas, subject to approval by Departmental advisor.
- A list of approved restricted elective courses is found in the myKnight audit.
Capstone Requirements
Electives
- Select primarily from upper level courses after meeting with a departmental advisor. Courses may be outside the department.
Foreign Language Requirements
Admissions
- Met by graduation requirement.
Graduation
- Proficiency equivalent to one year of college instruction in a foreign language taught by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures or the Department of History (Hebrew). Standardized examinations for foreign languages may be used to meet the requirement. Majors who are contemplating graduate school should complete two years of a foreign language, preferably one functional in their area of proposed graduate interest.
Additional Requirements
- Signature Experience requirement is met by successful completion of the following course(s):
- PHI 4938 - Senior Research Seminar Credit Hours: 3
Required Minors
Departmental Exit Requirements
- Earn a “C” (2.0) or better in each required course.
- Departmental Exit Exam in final semester, included in PHI 4938 - Senior Research Seminar
- To avoid delaying graduation, you must request a review of requirements prior to registering for your last term.
University Minimum Exit Requirements
- A 2.0 UCF GPA
- 48 semester hours of upper division credit completed
- 60 semester hours earned after CLEP awarded
- 30 of the last 39 hours of course work must be completed in residency at UCF.
- A maximum of 45 hours of extension, correspondence, CLEP, Credit by Exam, and Armed Forces credits permitted.
- Complete the General Education Program, the Gordon Rule, and nine hours of Summer credit.
Total Undergraduate Credit Hours Required: 120
Honors In Major
- Students considering graduate school in philosophy are strongly encouraged to take Honors in the Major. Requirements are as follows:
Core Requirements (36 Credit Hours)
Same requirements as for regular majors, but must include the following:
- PHI 2101 - Formal Logic I Credit Hours: 3
Upper Division Restricted Electives (6 Credit Hours)
- Same as requirement for regular majors
Honors Thesis
- PHI 4903H - Honors Directed Reading I Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 4970H - Undergraduate Honors Thesis Credit Hours: 3
Additional Information
Additional Requirements
- Application and admission through the Philosophy Honors Coordinator and the Burnett Honors College.
- Fulfill University requirements for Honors in the Major.
- Maintain UCF GPA of at least 3.2 and a Philosophy GPA of at least 3.5.
- Successful completion and oral defense of Honors thesis.
- Earn a “B” (3.0) or better in both of the following courses:
- PHI 4903H - Honors Directed Reading I Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 4970H - Undergraduate Honors Thesis Credit Hours: 3
Related Programs
- Humanities and Cultural Studies (B.A.)
- Religion and Cultural Studies (B.A.)
Certificates
Related Minors
- Cognitive Sciences Minor
- Environmental Studies Minor
- Humanities and Cultural Studies Minor
- Religion and Cultural Studies Minor
- Women’s and Gender Studies Minor
Advising Notes
Transfer Notes
- Lower division courses do not substitute for upper division courses.
- Courses transferred from private and out-of-state schools must be evaluated for equivalency credit. The student must provide all supporting information.
Acceptable Substitutes for Transfer Courses
Program Academic Learning Compacts
- Program Academic Learning Compacts (student learning outcomes) for undergraduate programs are located at: http://www.oeas.ucf.edu/alc/academic_learning_compacts.htm
Plan of Study
- One of numerous possible plans of study. See program description for all requirements.
Freshman Year - Fall (16 Credit Hours)
- ENC 1101 - Composition I Credit Hours: 3
- PHI 2010 - Introduction to Philosophy Credit Hours: 3
- HUM 2210 or HUM 2230 Credit Hours: 3
- GEP Credit Hours: 3
- Foreign Language Elementary I Credit Hours: 4
Freshman Year - Spring (16 Credit Hours)
- ENC 1102 - Composition II Credit Hours: 3
- Select one: HUM 2210, HUM 2230, HUM 2020, or REL 2300 Credit Hours: 3
- GEP Credit Hours: 3
- GEP Credit Hours: 3
- Foreign Language Elementary II Credit Hours: 4
Sophomore Year - Fall (15 Credit Hours)
- GEP Credit Hours: 3
- GEP Credit Hours: 3
- GEP Credit Hours: 3
- Elective Credit Hours: 3
- Elective Credit Hours: 3
Sophomore Year - Spring (15 Credit Hours)
- GEP Credit Hours: 3
- Reasoning Elective Credit Hours: 3
- History of Philosophy Part I Elective Credit Hours: 3
- Elective Credit Hours: 3
- Elective Credit Hours: 3
Junior Year - Fall (15 Credit Hours)
- PHI 3083 - Research Methods in Philosophy Credit Hours: 3
- Reasoning Elective Credit Hours: 3
- Values & Society Elective Credit Hours: 3
- Being & Knowing Elective Credit Hours: 3
- Elective Credit Hours: 3
Junior Year - Spring (15 Credit Hours)
- Topics in Philosophy Elective Credit Hours: 3
- History of Philosophy Part I Elective Credit Hours: 3
- Values & Society Elective Credit Hours: 3
- Elective Credit Hours: 3
- Upper Level Elective Credit Hours: 3
Senior Year - Fall (15 Credit Hours)
- History of Philosophy Part II Elective Credit Hours: 3
- Being & Knowing Elective Credit Hours: 3
- Philosophy Restricted Elective Credit Hours: 3
- Upper Level Elective Credit Hours: 3
- Upper Level Elective Credit Hours: 3
Senior Year - Spring (13 Credit Hours)
- PHI 4938 - Senior Research Seminar Credit Hours: 3
- Philosophy Restricted Elective Credit Hours: 3
- Upper Level Elective Credit Hours: 3
- Elective Credit Hours: 4
