Information and Policies
Introduction
Philosophy investigates fundamental questions about the most basic facets of human thought and life, e.g., concerning knowledge and belief (epistemology), the nature of reality (metaphysics), and morality and aesthetics (value theory). Such questions can be studied by looking at answers that contemporary philosophers propose, by investigating the principles that other disciplines use to legitimate claims, or by learning how, historically, philosophers approached these issues. In this respect, “philosophy” names not only a historically defined subject matter, but also inquiry into any of the fundamental determinants of rational thought. Thus, students of philosophy can pursue a broad range of topics of the greatest historical, intellectual, social, political, and personal interest.
The department offers courses that relate these traditional philosophical questions to contemporary work in literature and the social and natural sciences. In addition, the department offers several courses that make a careful study of the classic texts in philosophy, ancient and modern. Moreover, the curriculum covers many of the dominant contemporary schools of philosophy in the Anglo-American and European traditions.
The study of philosophy enables students to expand their abilities in critical thinking and reasoning as well as to improve their skills in verbal and written communication. Students may major or minor in philosophy.
Philosophy prepares students for many careers as well as for most professional schools, including law, education, business, and non-profit management. Students who wish to go to graduate school in philosophy are encouraged to study logic at both the introductory and intermediate levels and any languages that are necessary for advanced scholarship in the different historical eras of philosophy.
Program Learning Outcomes
Students who complete the philosophy major should emerge with the following knowledge and skills:
- an ability to argue cogently for a philosophical point and to analyze and criticize the arguments of others;
- a familiarity with the central concepts and key debates in the core areas of contemporary philosophical thought, including ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology;
- a familiarity with the works of the major figures in the history of philosophy; and
- a familiarity with formal logic, including the ability to carry out proofs within symbolic formal systems.
Academic Advising for the Program
For undergraduate advising, please contact philadvi@ucsc.edu. For transfer students, please also consult the Transfer Information and Policy section and contact the undergraduate advisor with any questions. Please see our planned course offerings for year at this page.
Transfer Information and Policy
Transfer Admission and Screening Policy
Students planning to apply in this major are not required to complete specific major preparation courses for consideration of admission to UC Santa Cruz. Although this is not required for admission, students are recommended to complete courses in the following areas:
- Introduction to Symbolic Logic
- Ancient Philosophy
- Modern Philosophy
- Ethical Theory
- Philosophy of Mind or Epistemology
Students may petition to substitute courses taken at other institutions, or take courses articulated on assist.org. Please note that logic classes offered at community colleges will not fulfill the department’s logic requirement (i.e., PHIL 9). However, most students should be able to satisfy their second required lower-division introductory course before transferring in.
Transfer students wishing to major in philosophy are encouraged to consult with the Philosophy Department undergraduate advisor as soon as possible.
Getting Started in the Major: Transfer Students
Students can declare the major once they are enrolled in or have taken one philosophy course. To declare the major, please contact the undergraduate advisor and complete an Academic Plan and Petition for Major/Minor Declaration form.
Major Qualification Policy and Declaration Process
Major Qualification
Undeclared students may declare the major once they have enrolled in at least one lower-division philosophy course. Students of any year can declare the major. While specific courses are not required in order to declare, students will have ideally completed some or all of the lower-division requirements. There is no GPA requirement to declare the philosophy major. A student approaching the campus declaration deadline who has not enrolled in any philosophy courses will be allowed to declare the philosophy major if they enroll in a lower-division philosophy course in the next quarter. Students should contact philadvi@ucsc.edu in order to declare.
How to Declare a Major
In order to officially declare, students must schedule a meeting with the undergraduate advisor and complete an Academic Plan and Petition for Major/Minor Declaration form. Students should contact philadvi@ucsc.edu in order to declare.
Letter Grade Policy
This program does not have a letter grade policy.
Course Substitution Policy
For majors, students are allowed to substitute two upper-division courses for their required philosophy courses. Lower-division courses completed elsewhere may also be considered. Substitution requests are to be made via petition to and are subject to approval by the undergraduate program director. Students must have received a B or higher to transfer a course for credit.
Honors
Graduation with Honors in Philosophy requires at least a 3.7 average in all philosophy courses taken at UC Santa Cruz. Graduation with Highest Honors in Philosophy requires at least a 3.9 average in all philosophy courses taken at UC Santa Cruz. Students with an average between 3.8 and 3.9 may be awarded Highest Honors by vote of the Philosophy Department.
Program Planning Notes
When a faculty member thinks that a student has done exceptional work that could be carried to a more advanced level, the student may be given the option of writing a senior essay (PHIL 195A). Normally, the senior essay is completed in one quarter; in unusual circumstances, it can be continued for a second quarter (PHIL 195B), but only if the writing requirements for PHIL 195A are completed successfully and on time. The senior essay, like individual studies more generally, does not count toward the 11 courses required for the major.
After undergraduates have taken the requisite lower-division courses, they have a wide range of upper-division courses from which to choose. Those who are considering advanced study are encouraged to consult regularly with any member of the philosophy faculty about the courses that would best prepare them for graduate work. Preparation for graduate work ought to begin before senior year. The Philosophy Department sponsors workshops for students contemplating graduate school in philosophy.
Requirements and Planners
Course Requirements
Eleven courses are required: two at the lower-division level, two in the history of philosophy sequence (PHIL 100A, PHIL 100B, PHIL 100C), six additional upper-division courses (including one advanced seminar), and an elective course which may be from any level. These 11 courses must meet the following distribution requirements:
Lower-Division Courses
The following course:
| PHIL 9 | Introductory Symbolic Logic | 5 |
Plus
At least one other course numbered below PHIL 100A, with the exception of PHIL 8.
Transfer students should check Assist.org for articulation agreements.
Upper-Division Courses
History of philosophy
Two of the following courses:
All three are strongly recommended for students who anticipate graduate work in philosophy.
Taking any two from the sequence PHIL 100A, PHIL 100B, and PHIL 100C will satisfy the Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement.
Plus
Six courses numbered PHIL 100A or above, at least one in value theory and two in metaphysics and/or epistemology.
Note that the two courses counted toward fulfilling the history of philosophy requirement cannot be counted among these six additional courses.
Courses satisfying the value theory requirement:
Courses satisfying the metaphysics and epistemology requirement:
All upper-division courses must be completed at UC Santa Cruz unless a petition for an exception is approved by the undergraduate program director. A maximum of two course substitutions may be approved; any upper-division courses from other institutions must have earned a grade B or higher.
Senior Seminar
One advanced seminar numbered:
Elective
An 11th course which may be from any level.
Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement
Students of every major must satisfy that major's upper-division Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement. The DC requirement in philosophy is met by completing any two from the sequence:
Comprehensive Requirement
In the fourth year, students satisfy the comprehensive (exit) requirement by taking one course numbered 190. This advanced seminar meets the standards of the senior-year level of achievement in philosophy. Students who do superior work in an advanced seminar can be awarded a notation of Honors in the evaluation for that course.
Planners
The tables below are for informational purposes and do not reflect all university, general education, and credit requirements. See Undergraduate Graduation Requirements for more information.
Courses must be satisfied in the following sequence. Before being eligible to enroll in any course in the history sequence (PHIL 100A-PHIL 100B-PHIL 100C), a student must have completed two lower-division courses (one of these may be PHIL 8 or PHIL 9, but not both). Before being eligible to enroll in any philosophy course above PHIL 100C, students must have taken PHIL 9 and at least one of the required history of philosophy courses (i.e., either PHIL 100A, PHIL 100B, or PHIL 100C). In addition to the specific courses shown in these planners, a student must complete courses satisfying the general education requirements.
Four-Year Major Planner
PHIL 9 satisfies the MF general education requirement and PHIL 11 satisfies the TA general education requirement (Other lower-division courses may satisfy different GE requirements). Students must complete all other GE requirements.
Two-Year Transfer Major Planner
Before transferring, students should complete as many of their general education as possible and their lower-division introductory philosophy course.