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Major and Minor Programs
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Philosophy Major
Program objectives for a B.A. in Philosophy are (a) to acquire fundamental knowledge reflecting the subdivisions within the discipline;
(b) to express a high degree of satisfaction with the program and instruction within
the department; and (c) to be able to demonstrate skills which will be beneficial
in further study or in their career paths.
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A. University General Education Program (41 hours)
See Graduation from the University link for the University General Education Program
requirements.
B. College and Degree (B.A.) Requirements (18-19 hours)
The College of Arts and Sciences and Bachelor of Arts requirements are in addition
to the University General Education Program requirements.
C. The Major (30 hours)
Completion of 30 semester hours in philosophy courses including PHIL 1101 or 1102,
1611, 3001 (Fall), 3002 (Spring), 3411 (Fall) or 3511 (Spring) and 15 additional upper
division semester hours. To prepare philosophy students for success in a number of
fields, the department offers a variety of upper division courses. See the philosophy
section of the Undergraduate Catalog for course descriptions.
D. Electives
Additional electives may be chosen to bring the total number of hours to 120. See
the Undergraduate Catalog for more information.
E. Honors Program
This program is open to philosophy majors with a 3.0 overall average and a 3.5 average
in philosophy. The student will complete, with a minimum grade of "B", a thesis submitted
for credit in PHIL 4891. The thesis topic must be approved by the thesis director
before the student registers for PHIL 4891. Those students who complete the program
and the regular college requirements will be recognized at the commencement ceremony
by having their degree conferred “With Honors in Philosophy.” Moreover, the student’s
diploma and record at the University of Memphis will reflect this distinction.
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Philosophy Minor
Completion of 18 semester hours in philosophy courses, including PHIL 1101 or 1102,
1611, and 12 upper division semester hours. In consultation with the coordinator of
undergraduate studies in philosophy, a student may design a minor (18 hours) that
applies to the student’s major area of study.
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Online BA in Philosophy - Concentration in Applied Ethics
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This program focuses on ethical theories and ethical problem-solving in the context
of a number of professional domains including medicine, law, and business. Core courses
in this program provide a solid foundation in the history of philosophy and logic.
This degree may be completed in the following ways: (a) University of Memphis courses
(entirely online), or (b) by combining University of Memphis courses (online and on-campus),
or (c) by combining University of Memphis courses (online and on-campus) with a limited
number of approved courses transferred from other institutions (please consult the
Undergraduate Catalog for more information). Additionally, out-of-state students may qualify for in-state
tuition. Click here for more information.
Degree Requirements
This program's degree requirements are the same as listed above (Philosophy Major) except part C. which will read as follows.
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C. The Major (30 hours)
Completion of 30 semester hours in philosophy courses comprised of the two lists,
Core and Applied Ethics, below. To prepare philosophy students for success in a number
of fields, the department offers courses in the following sub-divisions of philosophy.
Core (15 hrs) - 1102, 1611, 3001, 3002, 3411
Applied (15 hrs.) - 3514, 3515, 3571, 3781
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Availability of Online Classes
Development of online classes began in the Fall of 2010. Not all classes required
for the major are available online, but will be in the near future. Below is a list
of classes currently available online and which are still in development. This list
will be updated as the classes become available online.
Currently Available - 1102, 1611, 3411, 3514, 3515, 3741
In Development - 3001, 3002, 3571, 3781
For further information about this program, please contact Melissa Ebbers by completing
the form on University of Memphis eCampus website.
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Undergraduate Advising
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The Undergraduate Advisor is Prof. Hoke Robinson:
Prof. Hoke Robinson
307 Clement Hall
901-678-3356
hrobinsn<at>memphis<dot>edu
Initially, however, it is best to contact the Philosophy Department to schedule an
appointment for advising:
Cathy Wilhelm
Department Secretary
327 Clement Hall
901-678-5130
cwilhelm<at>memphis<dot>edu
Before your appointment, please review the online version of the Undergraduate Catalog. After reviewing that information, check this site for additional news for Philosophy
Majors and Minors.
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Activities and Awards
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The Philosophy Circle is a registered student organization for undergraduates (of any major) with an interest
in philosophy. The "Circle" meets throughout the fall and spring semesters to present
guest speakers, host discussions, and organize reading groups. In addition to its
regular meetings, the Circle hosts an annual undergraduate conference each spring
that coincides with the Midsouth Philosophy Conference. The Philosophy Circle advisor
is Prof. Somogy Varga.
Philosophy majors are eligible to receive the Carroll R. Bowman Scholarship, awarded each year in memory of the late Professor Bowman to a philosophy major with
demonstrated financial need and academic potential. Also, each spring the department
also presents the Outstanding Senior Award to a graduating senior in philosophy.
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Links & Documents
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Major and Minor Programs
Online BA in Philosophy
Undergraduate Advising
Activities and Awards
Undergraduate Philosophy Circle
Philosophy in the News
Top 6 Reasons to Declare a
Philosophy Major
CAS Academic Advising Center
Undergraduate Catalog
Philosophy Course Descriptions
Online Schedule of Classes
Intent to Graduate Form
Overview of Courses 
Registration Worksheet 
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Top 6 Reasons to Declare a Philosophy Major
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1. Let’s face it, it just sounds cool.
2. Because philosophy isn’t a mainstream major, we’ve got a smaller group of students
than many other departments. And that’s how we like it because we know you’ll end up feeling like part of a close-knit
group, not just a random face lost in the crowd. When you leave Memphis, we’ll remember you.
3. We pick up where every other major leaves off. English majors read and write about love and sadness, good and evil. We ask, what
is love and sadness, good and evil? Art majors paint and compose beautiful things.
We ask, what is beauty anyway? Psychology majors study how the mind works? We ask,
are there really minds at all? Biology majors study species and animals. We ask, what
makes a “species” a species; what makes an “animal” an animal? Sociology majors study
how men, women, and families interact and behave. We ask, what makes a “man” a man,
a “woman” a woman, or a “family” a family? Do such identities really exist? Etc.
4. Philosophy majors ROCK the standardized exams – and we mean ALL of them. Philosophy majors consistently rank 3rd on the LSAT (for law school, behind only math
and economics), 2nd on the GMAT (for business school – and way above business majors),
and 1st among all humanities on the MCAT. When it comes to the GRE, the facts are
particularly impressive:
- On the verbal section of the GRE, Philosophy majors have the highest mean score of any major, including, notably, English majors.
- On the quantitative section, Philosophy majors have the highest mean score compared with any other humanities or social science major except economics.
- On the analytic section, Philosophy majors have the highest mean score of any major.
5. Philosophy majors get jobs! In 1995, 84.1% of the 8300 Philosophy PhDs surveyed were employed full-time (7.1%
were retired; 6.5% were employed part-time, and 2.3% were unemployed). Most common
jobs included teaching at all levels from grade school through college, law, medicine,
government positions, banking, marketing, and business management.
6. We make persuasive arguments like this one and teach you how to do the same.
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Philosophy in the News
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The Stone - regular column featuring "the writing of contemporary philosophers on issues both
timely and timeless" (New York Times)
The Examined Life, Age 8 (New York Times, April 8, 2010)
Finding Equality Through Logic (National Public Radio, August 3, 2008)
Epistemology (Rocketboom, June 4, 2008)
College Students Opt for the Life Examined (New York Times, April 6, 2008)
Be Cool to the Pizza Delivery Dude (National Public Radio, May 16, 2005)
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