Major

This page contains information for current and prospective philosophy majors. You can read about degree and major requirements and the department's recommended plan of study. Please click here for information about the senior thesis option and click here for opportunities for undergraduate philosophy students.

Degree Requirements Heading link

Summary of requirements

To earn a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences degree from UIC, students must complete University, college, and department degree requirements. The Department of Philosophy degree requirements are outlined below. Students should consult the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences page for additional degree requirements and college academic policies.

  • Major requirements: 33 semester hours
  • General Education requirements and electives: 87 semester hours
  • Total requirements: 120 semester hours

The major requirements are explained below. For information on meeting UIC’s General Education requirements, see the General Education and Writing-in-the-Discipline section of the LAS page.

Major requirements

Of the 33 semester hours required for the major, students must complete at least 12 semester hours at the 400-level. Courses must be distributed across several broad areas, as follows. (Note that PHIL 102 also fulfills the LAS Quantitative Reasoning requirement, and PHIL 300 fulfills the Writing-in-the-Discipline requirement.)

Required courses

  • PHIL 102, Introductory Logic
  • PHIL 300, Fundamentals of Philosophical Discourse

History of philosophy requirement

Select three of the following courses, from at least two different groups.

Group 1
  • PHIL 220, Ancient Philosophy I: Plato and His Predecessors
  • PHIL 221, Ancient Philosophy II: Aristotle and His Successors
  • PHIL 222, Philosophy in the Islamic World
  • PHIL 422, Studies in Medieval Philosophy
  • PHIL 428, Topics in Ancient Philosophy
Group 2
  • PHIL 223, History of Modern Philosophy I: Descartes and His Successors
  • PHIL 224, History of Modern Philosophy II: Kant and His Predecessors
  • PHIL 423, Studies in Early Modern Philosophy
  • PHIL 424, Kant
Group 3
  • PHIL 225, Nineteenth-Century Philosophy
  • PHIL 226, Twentieth-Century Analytic Philosophy
  • PHIL 227, Continental Philosophy I: Phenomenology and Existentialism
  • PHIL 425, Studies in Nineteenth-Century Philosophy
  • PHIL 426, Analysis and Logical Empiricism
  • PHIL 429, Special Studies in the History of Philosophy

Electives

Select two of the following courses:

  • PHIL 201, Theory of Knowledge
  • PHIL 202, Philosophy of Psychology
  • PHIL 203, Metaphysics
  • PHIL 204, Introduction to the Philosophy of Science
  • PHIL 206, Introduction to the Philosophy of Language
  • PHIL 210, Symbolic Logic
  • PHIL 211, Inductive Logic and Decision Making
  • PHIL 226, Twentieth-Century Analytic Philosophy
  • PHIL 227, Continental Philosophy I: Phenomenology and Existentialism
  • PHIL 240, Philosophy and Revelation: Jewish and Christian Perspectives
  • PHIL 241, Philosophy of Religion
  • PHIL 401, Theory of Knowledge
  • PHIL 402, Topics in Philosophy of Mind
  • PHIL 403, Metaphysics
  • PHIL 404, Philosophy of Science
  • PHIL 406, Topics in Philosophy of Language
  • PHIL 426, Analysis and Logical Empiricism
  • PHIL 427, Continental Philosophy II: European Thought Since 1960
  • PHIL 441, Topics in Philosophy of Religion

Select one of the following courses:

  • PHIL 230, Topics in Ethics and Political Philosophy
  • PHIL 232, Sex Roles: Moral and Political Issues
  • PHIL 234, Philosophy and Film
  • PHIL 432, Topics in Ethics
  • PHIL 433, Topics in Social/Political Philosophy

Additional requirement

Choose any three additional philosophy courses, at least one of which must be above the 100-level.

Note

A single course may only be counted toward one requirement. For example, PHIL 226 can be applied toward either the history (group 3) requirement or the elective requirement, but not both.

First Year, Fall Semester (15 term hours)

Course Description Credit Hours
ENGL 160 Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts 3
Foreign Language 4
General Education Requirement course 4
General Education Requirement course 4

First Year, Spring Semester (15 term hours)

Course Description Credit Hours
ENGL 161 Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research 3 hours
PHIL 1XX 3 hours
Foreign Language 4 hours
General Education Requirement Course 3 hours
General Education Requirement Course 3 hours

Second Year, Fall Semester (16 term hours)

Course Description Credit Hours
PHIL 102 Introductory Logic 3 hours
PHIL 2XX 3 hours
Foreign Language 4 hours
General Education Requirement Course 3 hours
General Education Requirement Course 3 hours

Second Year, Spring Semester (15 term hours)

Course Description Credit Hours
PHIL 2XX 3 hours
PHIL 2XX 3 hours
Foreign Language 4 hours
General Education Requirement Course 5 hours

Third Year, Fall Semester (12-15 term hours)

Course Description Credit Hours
PHIL 300 Fundamentals of Philosophical Discourse 3 hours
PHIL 2XX 3 hours
General Education Requirement Course/Elective 3
Electives 3-6 hours

Third Year, Spring Semester (15 term hours)

Course Description Credit Hours
PHIL 4XX 3 hours
Electives 12 hours

Fourth Year, Fall Semester (15 term hours)

Course Description Credit Hours
PHIL 4XX 3 hours
PHIL 4XX 3 hours
Electives 9 hours

Fourth Year, Spring Semester (15 term hours)

Course Description Credit Hours
PHIL 4XX 3 hours
Electives 12 hours