Program Requirements and Opportunities

Students may complete a major or minor in Philosophy.

The Department of Philosophy introduces students to some of the most compelling answers to questions of human existence and knowledge. It also grooms students for a variety of fields that require analysis, conceptual precision, argumentative skill, and clarity of thought and expression. These include administration, the arts, business, computer science, health professions, law, and social services. The major in Philosophy also prepares students for graduate-level study leading to careers in teaching and research in the discipline.

The curriculum focuses on three major areas: the systematic areas of philosophy, such as logic, theory of knowledge, metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics; the history of philosophy through the study of key philosophers and philosophical periods; and the philosophical explication of methods in such domains as art, history, religion, and science.

The department is a member of the Greater Philadelphia Philosophy Consortium comprising 13 member institutions in the Delaware Valley. It sponsors conferences on various topics in philosophy and an annual undergraduate student philosophy conference.

Major Requirements

Students majoring in Philosophy must take a minimum of 11 semester courses in the discipline and attend the monthly noncredit departmental colloquia which feature leading visiting scholars. The following six courses are required for the major:

• the two-semester Historical Introduction (PHIL 101 and 102);
• Ethics (PHIL 221 - "Writing Attentive");
• Theory of Knowledge (PHIL 211 - "Writing Attentive"), Metaphysics (PHIL 212 - "Writing Attentive"), or Logic (PHIL 103);
• and Senior Conference (PHIL 398 and PHIL 399).
• At least three of the five elective courses must be at the 300 level, one of which must concentrate on the work of a single philosopher or a period of philosophy.

All majors will be required to complete two writing attentive courses prior to the start of their senior year.

Philosophy majors are encouraged to supplement their philosophical interests by taking advantage of courses offered in related areas, such as anthropology, history, history of art, languages, literature, mathematics, political science, psychology, and sociology.

Major Requirements for students who entered in Fall 2023 and onward:

Students majoring in Philosophy must take a minimum of 11 semester courses in the discipline and attend the monthly noncredit departmental colloquia which feature leading visiting scholars. The following seven courses are required for the major:

• Two-semester Historical Introduction to Philosophy (PHIL 101 and 102);
• Ethics (PHIL 221 - "Writing Attentive));
• Theory of Knowledge (PHIL 211 - "Writing Attentive") or Metaphysics (PHIL 212 - "Writing Attentive));
• Logic (PHIL 103);
• Senior Conference (PHIL 398 and PHIL 399);
• In addition, students complete at least four electives, of which at least three must be at the 300-level: At least two of these three 300-level courses must be taken within Bryn Mawr's Philosophy Department.

All majors will be required to complete two writing attentive courses prior to the start of their senior year.

Philosophy majors are encouraged to supplement their philosophical interests by taking advantage of courses offered in related areas, such as anthropology, history, history of art, languages, literature, mathematics, political science, psychology, and sociology.

Honors

Honors will be awarded by the department based on the senior thesis and other work completed in the department. The Milton C. Nahm Prize in Philosophy is a cash award presented to the graduating senior major whose senior thesis the department judges to be of outstanding caliber. This prize need not be granted every year.

Minor Requirements

Students may minor in Philosophy by taking six courses in the discipline at any level. They must also attend the noncredit department colloquia.  At least three of the six courses must be taken within Bryn Mawr's Philosophy Department.

Cross-Registration

Students may take advantage of cross-registration arrangements with Haverford College, Swarthmore College, and the University of Pennsylvania. Courses at these institutions may satisfy Bryn Mawr requirements, but students should check with the major advisor to make sure specific courses meet requirements.

Prerequisites

No introductory-level course carries a prerequisite. However, most courses at both the intermediate and advanced levels carry prerequisites. Unless stated otherwise in the course description, any introductory course satisfies the prerequisite for an intermediate-level course, and any intermediate course satisfies the prerequisite for an advanced-level course.

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