The Philosophy Major at UF

1. Admission to the major

Students who want to major in philosophy are encouraged to apply for admission as soon as they have decided to do so. Classes are often filled very quickly, and majors are given special opportunities to register for the area distribution requirement courses. The method for applying for the major differs depending on your status, as described below.

Undergraduates in semesters 1–5 (using the Universal Tracking method) who want to change their major should go to the CLAS Advising Center to meet with an advisor. The advisor will review your academic record to see if you can start the major and be on track.

After reaching the upper division level, students who want to be admitted to the major must fill out a form available at the CLAS Advising Center and seek the approval of the Undergraduate Coordinator. To be approved, students should be in good academic standing, have completed at least two philosophy courses with a grade of B or better, and have a realistic plan for completing the major requirements in a timely fashion. Meeting these conditions is not a guarantee of admission, however; it is at the discretion of the Undergraduate Coordinator whether to support admission, and the CLAS office has the final say.

Students who apply to transfer to UF at the upper division and who want to transfer in as philosophy majors should, if they want to maximize their chances of admission, have already had two courses in philosophy with a grade of B or better. Such transfer decisions are made at the CLAS admissions office, and the Undergraduate Coordinator does not play a role.

2. Major requirements

The philosophy major requires a minimum of 33 hours of coursework in philosophy. These must include the following courses, which constitute the major’s area distribution requirements:

Area Distribution Requirements
PHH 3100	Ancient Greek Philosophy
PHH 3400	Modern Philosophy
PHI 3130	Symbolic Logic
PHI 3650	Moral Philosophy
Either PHI 3300 or PHI 3500	Theory of Knowledge or Metaphysics

The required subject courses are designed to ensure that students have a good grounding in the history of philosophy, which is essential for an adequate understanding of contemporary philosophy, a core competence in ethics and epistemology or metaphysics, the study of which play a foundational role in the study of many other subjects in philosophy, and, of course, a substantial facility with logic and argumentation, which is central in all of philosophy.

Beyond the area distribution requirements, there are some levels requirements. Of the 33 credit hours required for the major, at least 27 of them must be at the 3000-level or above, and at least 6 credit hours must be at the 4000-level or above, excluding PHI 4905, PHH 4911, PHI 4911, and PHI 4912. Courses at the 4000-level are intended to be advanced seminars for undergraduates, and registration is restricted to students who have already completed a 3000-level philosophy class (unless they get special instructor permission).

Finally, there are two other restrictions. No more than 15 hours in transfer credit can count toward the degree, and no more than three hours of individual work (PHI 4905 or PHI 3905) can count toward the required minimum.

See this page for notes on earlier catalog years.

3. Double majors

A number of students decide to pursue a double major combining philosophy with some other area. Applications should be picked up at the CLAS Advising Center , opens in a new window. An application for a double major needs the support of the Undergraduate Coordinators from both majors. Students who plan to double major need to plan ahead with some care to ensure they can complete the requirements for both majors within a reasonable amount of time, aiming not to go too far over the standard 120 credit hours required for a CLAS Bachelor’s degree. In many cases, this is quite feasible. In the past we have seen students combine philosophy with a variety of other majors, including, for example, economics, English, business administration, history, psychology and political science.

There are three variations on the theme of a double major. If your other major leads to a BA in CLAS, your option is a double major. If your other major leads to something other than a BA, there is the option of a combination degree. Students whose other major is outside CLAS can choose between a combination degree and a second major. With the combination degree option, you have to satisfy CLAS college requirements as well as those of your other college. With the second major option, you do not have to satisfy CLAS college requirements, just those for the philosophy major. This can be a useful option if you are, for instance, an engineering major.

Details of these options and the application process are available at Advising Center’s double-major/combination-degree page , opens in a new window. That page also describes the possibility of pursuing three majors.

4. Honors

To graduate cum laude (with honors), a student must achieve the honors threshold 3.5 upper-division GPA. This honors threshold GPA is calculated based on the grades a student earns after he or she has achieved “3LS” status, that is, beginning the semester after the student earns his or her 60th credit. (“Upper division” in this instance refers to the student’s status (3LS or 4LS) when taking any courses, not to the upper-division courses (3000- or 4000-level) the student has taken.) The honors threshold GPA is conveniently calculated toward the bottom of a student’s degree audit. Students who achieve the honors threshold GPA upon graduation will automatically graduate cum laude.

To graduate magna cum laude or summa cum laude (with high or highest honors), a student must, in addition to achieving the 3.5 honors threshold GPA, complete an honors thesis while taking PHI 4912. Evaluation of the honors thesis determines whether a student graduates magna or summa cum laude. Click here for more details on the Honors Thesis.

Philosophy