The Minor in Philosophy
The philosophy minor programs are planned in conjunction with the departmental advisor who will help the student plan a program compatible with his or her interests. Minor programs may be, but do not have to be, focused in a particular area such as ethics or the history of philosophy or philosophy of mind.
Course Requirements (16 total credits)
- At least one course at the 200-level or above (4 credits)
- At least two courses taught by a member of the Philosophy Department (8 credits)
- Independent studies may be taken to satisfy the minor requirements (4 credits)
The Minor in Philosophy, Law & Public Policy
Seldom in history have the philosophical foundations of law and public policy been more critically important. This minor is based on the idea that while law is codified policy, policy is persuasive philosophical-moral argument. Consequently, it begins from the premise that both a knowledge of established law, and those policy arguments that instigate transformation, require an understanding of the philosophical essence that gives a policy or law its authority. This make the philosophical study of public affairs the most practical of endeavors.
This minor seeks, in a compact set of courses, to provide the student the methodological and critical skills that are the core of philosophical understanding. In addition, the student will learn how to contextualize these skills through primary historical-philosophical sources, applying them to the analysis of those philosophical imperatives that currently drive the law, as well as the synthesis of legal-policy arguments for change.
Course Requirements (16 total credits)
Core Course (4 credits)
Select one of the following courses:
- PHIL/ES 301 Philosophical-Policy & Legal Design: Methods & Applications
- PHIL/ES 342 International Law and Philosophical-Policy Design
- PHIL/ES 333 International Environmental Law & Philosophical-Policy Design
- PHIL/ES 343 Comparative Environmental Law & Philosophical-Policy Design
- PHIL 350 Special Topics in Philosophy, Law & Public Policy
100-level courses (8 credits)
Select two of the following courses:
- PHIL 105 Ethics
- PHIL 116 Bioethics
- PHIL 122 Philosophy of Law
- PHIL 125 Social and Political Philosophy
- PHIL 117 Philosophy of Race
- PHIL 172 Philosophy of Economics
A student may, with permission from the Philosophy Department, substitute a course from a different department in a germane subject for one of the above courses.
One additional philosophy course at the 200-level or above (4 credits)
A second core course can be taken to fulfill this requirement.