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.
Degree Requirements
Core Requirements: Basic Level
9 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Complete the following:
- PHI2010 - Introduction to Philosophy (3)
- Complete at least 2 of the following:
- HUM2020 - Encountering the Humanities (3)
- HUM2210 - Studies in Culture: Ancient to 17th Century (3)
- HUM2230 - Studies in Culture: 17th Century to Present (3)
- REL2300 - World Religions (3)
Core Requirements: Advanced Level
36 Total Credits No Rules
Core
6 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Complete the following:
- PHI3083 - Research Methods in Philosophy (3)
- PHI4938 - Senior Research Seminar (3)
- PHI 3083- To be completed before the end of Junior year as a prerequisite to enrollment in Senior courses.
Reasoning
6 Total Credits
- Complete at least 2 of the following:
- PHI2011 - Philosophical Reasoning (3)
- PHI2101 - Formal Logic I (3)
- PHI2108 - Critical Thinking (3)
- PHI2647 - Logic and Ethics (3)
- PHI3131 - Formal Logic II (3)
History of Philosophy
9 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Complete at least 2 of the following:
- PHH3100 - Ancient Philosophy (3)
- PHH3200 - Medieval Philosophy (3)
- PHH3460 - Modern Western Philosophy (3)
- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- PHH3600 - Contemporary Philosophy (3)
- PHH3510 - Marx and Nietzsche (3)
- PHH3700 - American Philosophy (3)
- PHI3790 - African Philosophy (3)
Values and Society
6 Total Credits
- Complete at least 2 of the following:
- PHI3670 - Ethical Theory (3)
- PHI3626 - Advanced Ethics in Science and Technology (3)
- PHM3401 - Philosophy of Law (3)
- PHI3800 - Aesthetics (3)
- PHM3123 - Feminist Theories (3)
- PHI3638 - Ethical Issues in the 21st Century (3)
- PHI3625 - Virtual Ethics (3)
- PHI4633 - Ethics and Biological Science (3)
- PHM3100 - Freedom and Justice (3)
- PHI3640 - Environmental Ethics (3)
- PHM4031 - Environmental Philosophy (3)
- PHH3701 - Native American Philosophy (3)
- PHM3020 - Philosophy of Love (3)
- PHI4673 - Biomedical Ethics (3)
- HUM4823 - Queer Theory in the Humanities (3)
Being and Knowing
6 Total Credits
- Complete at least 2 of the following:
- PHI4500 - Metaphysics (3)
- PHI4341 - Ways of Knowing (3)
- PHI4300 - Theories of Knowledge (3)
- PHI3700 - Philosophy of Religion (3)
- PHI4400 - Philosophy of Science (3)
- PHI3320 - Philosophy of Mind (3)
- PHI3451 - Philosophy of Psychology (3)
- PHI4420 - Philosophy of Social Science (3)
- PHI3323 - Minds and Machines: Philosophy of Cognitive Science (3)
- PHP4782 - Phenomenology (3)
- PHI4221 - Philosophy of Language (3)
Topics in Philosophy
3 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Appropriate Special Topics in Philosophy may be substituted for some core courses with prior approval by Departmental advisor.
- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- PHI4931 - Philosophy in the News (3)
- PHI4321 - Philosophies of Embodiment: Mind/Body/Self (3)
- PHI3033 - Philosophy, Religion, and the Environment (3)
- PHP3783 - Modernity as a Philosophical Problem (3)
- PHI3750 - The Problem of Evil (3)
- PHI3720 - Faith and Reason (3)
- REL3111 - Religion and Philosophy Through Film (3)
- PHP3786 - Existentialism (3)
- HUM4330 - Performance Theory (3)
- PHI4935 - Topics in Philosophy of Mind (3)
- PHP4933 - Key Concepts in Philosophy (3)
- PHP4931 - Key Figures in Philosophy (3)
Restricted Electives
6 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: 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.
Grand Total Credits: 51
Total Undergraduate Credit Hours Required: 120
Restricted Electives
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 or Area of Concentration
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
- 42 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.
Additional Information
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 Requirements of Honors in the Major
- 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.)
Related 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
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
- GEP Credit Hours 3
- Foreign Language Elementary I Credit Hours: 4
- Select one Credit Hours 3:
- HUM 2020 - Encountering the Humanities
- HUM 2210 - Studies in Culture: Ancient to 17th Century
- HUM 2230 - Studies in Culture: 17th Century to Present
- REL 2300 - World Religions
Freshman Year - Spring (16 Credit Hours)
- ENC 1102 - Composition II Credit Hours: 3
- GEP Credit Hours: 3
- GEP Credit Hours: 3
- Foreign Language Elementary II Credit Hours: 4
- Select one Credit Hours 3:
- HUM 2020 - Encountering the Humanities
- HUM 2210 - Studies in Culture: Ancient to 17th Century
- HUM 2230 - Studies in Culture: 17th Century to Present
- REL 2300 - World Religions
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
- 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
- Elective Credit Hours: 3
- Elective Credit Hours: 4
