Degree Requirements

Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy
The B.A. program in philosophy requires at least 27 credit hours in courses offered by the department. One of these courses may be a 100-level course. All others must be at the 200 level or above, including two courses in the history of philosophy (P201 and P214); one course in logic or the history and philosophy of science (either P250 or any course in history and philosophy of science, e.g., X100, X200, X220, X303); one course in ethics or social and political philosophy (any one of P340, P341, P342, P343, P344, or P345); and one course in metaphysics or epistemology (any one of P310, P311, P312, P313, or P360). Other courses should be chosen in consultation with a departmental adviser.

Interdepartmental Major
Students pursuing an interdepartmental major in philosophy and some other discipline must have a philosophy faculty adviser, as well as an adviser from the other discipline, with whom they work out a 40-credit-hour program of study according to the following guideline: at least 15 credit hours in courses offered by the philosophy department at the 200 level or above.

Minor in Philosophy
Students can earn a minor in philosophy by meeting the following requirements: (1) completion of at least 15 credit hours in courses offered by the department of which at least 12 credit hours are courses at the 200 level or above; (2) one course in the history of philosophy (either P201 or P214); (3) one course in metaphysics or epistemology (any one of P310, P311, P312, P313, or P360); and (4) one course in ethics, logic, or the history and philosophy of science (any one of P250, P340, P341, P342, P343, P344, P345, X200, X220, X303, or X336).

Associate of Arts in Philosophy
At least 15 credit hours in philosophy are required for the Associate of Arts in Philosophy, of which at least 12 credit hours are at the 200 level or above; one course in the history of philosophy (either P201 or P214); one course in metaphysics or epistemology (any one of P310, P311, P312, P313, or P360); and one course in ethics, logic, or the history and philosophy of science (any one of P250, P340, P341, P342, P343, P344, P345, X200, X220, X303, or X336).

Majoring in Philosophy

The First Course
Students majoring in philosophy usually begin by taking a 100-level philosophy course in their freshman or sophomore year, either P100 Introduction to Philosophy, P105 Thinking and Reasoning, P135 Introduction to Existentialism, or P140 Elementary Ethics. P100 is the beginning survey course. It introduces students to basic areas, figures, terms, and problems in philosophy. Although a 100-level philosophy course is not required for the major, students planning to major in philosophy are advised to begin with a course at this level.

Coursework in the Major
Prospective majors should choose their philosophy courses so that, by graduation, they have taken at least 27 credit hours of coursework in philosophy. Of these 27 required credit hours, 24 must be in courses at the 200 level or above and 15 must be in courses from the following four required subject areas: (1) the history of philosophy (two courses required), (2) logic or the history and philosophy of science (one course required), (3) ethics or social and political philosophy (one course required), and (4) metaphysics or epistemology (one course required). (See the statement of degree requirements above for a listing of courses that satisfy these area requirements.) Because courses in the four required subject areas might not be offered every semester, it is important that students planning to major in philosophy not pass up opportunities to take these courses when they are offered.

Graduation Assessment
The department presently encourages and soon will require that all philosophy majors in their senior year participate in one or the other of two graduation assessment options: a proseminar option or a portfolio option. In the proseminar option, the student enrolls in the senior proseminar (P495) to prepare a paper suitable for public presentation. The paper is to be completed under the supervision of a project committee and then presented to the IUSB Philosophy Colloquium (or to some other appropriate group or forum). In the portfolio option, the student submits a portfolio of three or more papers. These papers are read and evaluated by a committee consisting of at least two full-time department members. The point of the portfolio is not just to collect and evaluate examples of a student's best work but to help the student achieve a larger perspective on his or her work in philosophy and to provide specific guidelines for further progress.

Activities and Awards

Philosophy Day
Each year, the department invites a highly regarded philosopher to IUSB to deliver a public lecture and colloquium and to meet with students. A faculty and student discussion group meets for several weeks prior to Philosophy Day to study the work of the visiting philosopher. The visitor meets with the discussion group and, frequently, with one or more philosophy classes. The Philosophy Day 2006 speaker was Charles Taliaferro, from St. Olaf College, whose public lecture was entitled "The Importance of Being Conscious: A Presentation on Minds and Machines." For Philosophy Day 2005, Nancy Sherman, University Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University, gave a lecture on the ethics of war entitled "Stoic Warriors." (Click here for a list of all Philosophy Day speakers since its inception in 1979.)

Philosophy Club
IUSB is fortunate to have an active philosophy club. You do not need to be a philosophy major to be a member of the club. The philosophy club has sponsored several kinds of events, including a film series, discussion groups, and social events. The philosophy club is an important part of the overall philosophy program. If you plan to study philosophy at IUSB, you should think about joining the philosophy club.

Student Scholarship
IUSB philosophy students have presented their scholarly work in a variety of settings. In 2000, a paper by Elizabeth Krager was presented at an interdisciplinary conference in the United Kingdom. Last year, Alison Niedbalski presented her paper "Taking Pleasure in Pornography?" at an undergraduate research conference in Indiana. This year, Michael Campbell presented his paper "The Implications of the Special Theory of Relativity for Persistence" at a public event sponsored by the philosophy club.

Excellence Award
The department recognizes exceptional academic performance with an excellence award. This award is presented at the annual Honors Convocation. The recipient of the award is usually, but not always, a graduating senior. The most recent winner of the Excellence Award was Michael Campbell (2006).

Philosophy Alumni/ae Scholarship
The department sometimes awards a Philosophy Alumni/ae Scholarship to recognize academic achievement or special contributions to the philosophy program. The most recent winner of the Alumni/ae Scholarship was Alison Niedbalski (2005).