Academics

 

The Department of Philosophy offers a Major, a Minor, and two tracks for an Honors Degree at Ohio State. More information can be found by checking out our Guide to Undergraduate Studies or by making an appointment with our Faculty Advisor, Professor Lisa Shabel. To help you start planning:

 

Philosophy Major

A Major in Philosophy requires taking a prerequisite and 30 credit hours distributed as follows:

picture of courses


Your individual path through the Major will depend on your own timeline and your other studies, and should be discussed with your Academic Advisor.
For reference, here is one possible path through the Major:
Semester 1: 2000-level elective + 1500, 1501, or 2500*
Semester 2: 3000* + 3000-level history of philosophy course or 3000-level elective
Semester 3: 3000-level topics course + any other 3000-level course(s) that satisfy remaining requirements
Semester 4: 5000-level elective + a 3000-level course(s) that satisfies remaining requirements
Semester 5: 5000-level elective + a 3000-level course(s) that satisfies remaining requirements

* These two requirements should be taken as early as possible in your major program
 

NOTE: 

  • Philosophy 5010S may not count toward your 5000-level electives.
  • Major program courses may not be used for GE purposes, with the following exceptions:
    • New GE:  One GE Foundation course may be satisfied with the prerequisite to the major (Philosophy 1500, 1501, or 2500). Up to two Theme courses from different themes may be counted in both the GE and the major.
    • Legacy GE: The Global Studies Requirement may be counted in the major; the Quantitative and Logical Skills requirement may be satisfied with the prerequisite to the major (Philosophy 1500, 1501, or 2500).

For more details, see our Guide to Undergraduate Studies. 

 

Interested?

  • Contact our Faculty Advisor, Professor Lisa Shabel, to plan your path to a Major in Philosophy, or to ask questions about upcoming courses and course content.
  • Schedule an appointment with our Academic Advisor, Margaret Downing.226, to declare your Major and discuss your path to graduation. To schedule an appointment with Margaret Downing, please call 614-292-6961 (option 3) or email  askascadvising@osu.edu.

All new majors must meet with Professor Lisa Shabel before declaring with our Academic Advisor.

 
 

Philosophy Minor

Getting a minor in philosophy is easy! All you need is 4 courses:
 

Philosophy minor
 

NOTE: A maximum of 6 semester hours on the Minor may also count on the GE. For more details, see our  Guide to Undergraduate Studies.

Philosophy Minors may distribute the four courses among any combination of philosophical topics. If you are excited about a particular area of philosophy, or want your minor to complement your major, you can cluster your courses in a particular area of interest. Here are some examples of ways you might focus your minor classes; there are many other possible ways to do so. And note that a minor focus is NOT required.

Interested? 

  • Contact your Academic Advisor in your Major to officially declare your Minor in Philosophy.
  • Contact our Faculty Advisor, Professor Lisa Shabel, to ask questions about upcoming courses and course content. 

New minors are NOT required to meet with Professor Lisa Shabel before declaring their Minor. 

 

Honors Degree in Philosophy

There are two ways to graduate with “honors” in Philosophy, beyond the standard major program: Graduation with Honors in the Arts and Sciences and Graduation with Distinction in Philosophy. A student may plan his or her course of study to lead to both Graduation with Honors in the Arts and Sciences and Graduation with Distinction in Philosophy.

The guidelines for the foregoing courses of study can be found in the Guide to Undergraduate Studies. All students interested in these programs should consult with our faculty advisor, Professor Lisa Shabel; students seeking to graduate with Honors in the Arts and Sciences should also consult with an ASC Honors Counselor.