Philosophy: Bachelor of Arts Honours, Major, and Minor
Description
The philosophy major at Kwantlen Polytechnic University provides students a broad-based, general education in the principal areas of Western Philosophy as well as a number of distinctive learning opportunities. Philosophy majors will gain a solid foundation in the discipline by completing courses in Formal Logic, Epistemology, Metaphysics, Ethics, Ancient Philosophy, and History of Modern Philosophy. Throughout, learners will benefit from the expertise and the commitment to teaching excellence of our faculty, as well as from the small class sizes that characterize undergraduate study at Kwantlen. Third- and fourth-year students will have the option to take small seminar-sized courses in Special Topics in Philosophy; to pursue an Applied Ethics Stream by taking specially designed courses in Business, Environmental, and Biomedical Ethics; to participate in a Practicum course where research and work skills are enhanced; and to apply to a selective sequence of Honours courses with a focus on researching and writing a significant piece of undergraduate scholarship – a graduating thesis. In the end, philosophy majors at Kwantlen will experience a learning environment that is supportive and challenging, that prepares students for graduate work in philosophy, and that develops the critical reasoning, writing and problem-solving skills required for successful careers, effective citizenship and community leadership.
The Bachelor of Arts Minor in Philosophy provides students the opportunity to build a sturdy educational foundation in one of the core areas of the Humanities. The program, designed to acquaint participants with the major areas of philosophy, is also expressly set up to satisfy a variety of additional pedagogical and intellectual objectives, chief among these being the development of critical reasoning and writing skills, both in general and with regard to specialized research in the discipline, and the inculcation and honing of the capacity to think independently. At the 2000-level, three core courses in Philosophy are obligatory: Moral Theory (the study of the nature of right and wrong), Metaphysics (the study of the nature of reality), and Epistemology (the study of the nature and limits of knowledge). Students also elect a number of second year offerings intended to expose them to other areas of philosophical investigation. Completing the Minor requires successful participation in a minimum of five courses at the 3000 and/or 4000 level. The range and sequence ensures both depth and breadth of knowledge, and the mix of required courses and electives enables students to progress along lines that answer to their particular interests. Smaller in size than introductory and intermediate ones, courses at the upper levels provide an especially suitable environment of close supervision and lots of give-and-take, for the productive and enjoyable pursuit of philosophical knowledge.
Career Opportunities
A student’s first thought may be that a philosophy major is not practical. But, upon reflection, it must be admitted that many, perhaps most, majors do not directly prepare students for a job. Given this, in assessing the practicality of any major, it may be better for students to ask themselves two questions. First, does the content of my courses interest me, make me want to learn more, and motivate me to do well in my coursework? If you love philosophy,that is one good reason to major in it, for we tend to perform at our best when we enjoy what we are doing. Second, what transferable skills will you be learning? A second good reason to major in philosophy is that philosophy students develop critical thinking skills that are transferable to a wide range of careers and professions. Because philosophy is not just a matter of learning about philosophical views but learning how to do philosophy, philosophy students learn how to structure arguments, to write precisely and clearly, and to communicate their ideas in an orderly, persuasive, and unambiguous way. They also learn how to raise critical questions, and to formulate reasonable strategies for addressing complex problems. Many philosophical texts are quite challenging, and philosophy courses teach students how to read, comprehend, and summarize conceptually difficult material. In short, studying philosophy trains one to be a better, clearer thinker. Here is a list of just some of the things philosophy majors are good at:
- Summarizing complex information
- Evaluating opposing views
- Clear, focused writing
- Persuasive reasoning, both written and oral
- Logically organizing information
- Identifying and evaluating basic assumptions
- Offering and accepting criticism without personalizing it
- Tolerating uncertainty
- Developing creative, principled solutions to complex problems
- Determining the morally relevant features of situations, actions, and policies
Thus, perhaps more than any other discipline, a major in philosophy teaches students how to think well, and this is something all employers seek. Indeed, it is interesting to compare average salaries of philosophy graduates with other majors. Perhaps surprisingly (though perhaps not), a 2008 survey of incomes found that by mid-career, philosophy graduates earn, on average, more than any other humanities graduates.
Some students choose to pursue postgraduate studies after finishing their Bachelors degree, whether in philosophy, law, business, science or other areas. Students thinking about going on to postgraduate work should also know that philosophy majors consistently score the highest average among all majors on both the Verbal and Analytical Writing parts of the GRE, an entrance exam that universities frequently use to measure preparedness for postgraduate work. Moreover, for many years, philosophy students have consistently scored better than any other majors (except economics and mathematics) on entrance exams for business school and for law school.
If you enjoy studying philosophy, then you should seriously consider majoring in it, as you will enjoy learning for its own sake while developing the transferable skills needed for success in contemporary society.
Program Admission Requirements
In addition to Kwantlen’s General university admission requirements, including the undergraduate-level English Proficiency Requirement, the following program admission requirements apply:
Year One Admission:
- Grade of 'B' in English 12 (or equivalent)
- Grade of 'C' in either Principles of Math 11 (or equivalent) or Applications of Math 12 (or equivalent).
Year Three Admission:
- 60 credits with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 (including all 1100- and 2000-level major/minor program requirements).
- Grade of 'C' in all required 1000-and 2000-level courses, including the English writing requirement (ENGL 1100 and one of either ENGL 1202 or 1204, or equivalent).
- Two Quantitative courses.
- 12 credits of breadth courses
- Grade of 'C' in either Principles of Math 11 (or equivalent) or Applications of Math 12 (or equivalent).
- Second language at the Grade 11 level or 6 credits of post-secondary language courses in the same language. Note: Students need only achieve a passing grade to fulfill this requirement. Beginner's or Introductory Language 11 courses are ineligible to meet this requirement. Students who can demonstrate competency in a second language may request an assessment to have this requirement waived.
Honours Admission:
Students with a record of exceptional academic performance may apply to enter the Philosophy Major, or Philosophy Major Applied Ethics Stream, Honours Program. Applicants must meet the following requirements:
- at least 60 credits of university-level coursework with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
- at least 24 of the 60 credits must be university-level philosophy coursework with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.67.
The above are minimum requirements that do not guarantee entrance into the Honours Program. In exceptional situations, the department may consider applications from students who do not meet the minimum requirements, if mitigating circumstances exist. Such applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Qualifying Year
Students who do not qualify upon initial application to Kwantlen may be eligible for entry to the Qualifying Year. Students who possess at least a 'C' in English 12 (or equivalent) and a passing grade in Principles of Math 11 (or equivalent) or Applications of Math 12 will be able to apply for entry to the BA Qualifying Year. Students will be admitted to the BA program in the second year provided they have successfully completed appropriate qualifying courses. Other applicants who do not qualify are encouraged to consult an Educational Advisor for the appropriate qualifying courses that satisfy the application criteria.
Program Continuance Requirements
Current BA students must meet the following requirements to continue into their 3rd year of study. Registration access to third or fourth year courses is first awarded to students who have completed the following:- 60 credits with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 (including all 1100- and 2000-level major/minor program requirements).
- Grade of 'C' in all required 1000-and 2000-level courses, including the English writing requirement (ENGL 1100 and one of either ENGL 1202 or 1204, or equivalent).
- Two Quantitative courses.
- 12 credits of breadth courses
- Second language at the Grade 11 level or 6 credits of post-secondary language courses in the same language. Note: Students need only achieve a passing grade to fulfill this requirement. Beginner's or Introductory Language 11 courses are ineligible to meet this requirement. Students who can demonstrate competency in a second language may request an assessment to have this requirement waived.
Content
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree must complete all requirements in the Bachelor of Arts framework in addition to their major or minor program requirements.
Philosophy Honours
The following are the requirements for the Philosophy Honours program.
In addition to the requirements of the Major in Philosophy, or the Major in Philosophy Applied Ethics Stream, students enrolled in the Honours Program must successfully complete two honours courses. The purpose of these courses is to lead to the production of an undergraduate thesis – a major research accomplishment.
Students choosing the Honours degree, must take the following in lieu of 2 electives: |
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| PHIL 3900 | Honours Research and Thesis I | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 4900 | Honours Research and Thesis II | 3 credits | |
Philosophy Major
Requirements for the major in philosophy include the successful completion of a minimum of 48 credits in philosophy, of which at least 18 credits are at the 3rd year level, and at least 6 credits are at the 4th year level.
As part of the 48 credits in philosophy, majors must complete the following:
Logic Requirement - at least 3 credits: |
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| PHIL 1150 | Introduction to Formal Logic | 3 credits | |
History of Philosophy Requirement - at least 9 credits: |
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| PHIL 2106 | Ancient Greek Philosophy | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2107 | Modern Philosophy: Descartes to Kant | 3 credits | |
| 3 further credits at the 3rd year or higher in the History of Philosophy (see list of courses by area below) | |||
Metaphysics and Epistemology Requirement - at least 9 credits: |
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| PHIL 2210 | Epistemology | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2215 | Metaphysics | 3 credits | |
| 3 further credits at the 3rd year or higher in Metaphysics or Epistemology (see list of courses by area below) | |||
Ethics Requirement - at least 9 credits: |
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| PHIL 2110 | Moral Theory | 3 credits | |
| One of the following: | |||
| PHIL 3109 | Foundations in Ethics | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3119 | Contemporary Moral Theory | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 4110 | Topics in Ethics | 3 credits | |
| 3 further credits at the 3rd year or higher in Value Theory (see list of courses by area below) | |||
Applied Ethics Stream
Besides the requirements for the philosophy major, students must complete at least 9 additional credits in Applied Ethics from the following: |
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| PHIL 3118 | Ethics and Public Policy | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3510 | Confronting Moral Issues: Bio-medical Ethics | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3512 | Confronting Moral Issues: The Natural Environment | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3533 | Confronting Moral Issues: Business Ethics | 3 credits | |
Philosophy Minor
Students are required to complete a minimum of 30 PHIL credits to Minor in Philosophy. Students take at least 15 PHIL credits (5 courses) at the first or second year level which must include PHIL 2110, 2210 and PHIL 2215. Choose from the following list:
Students must complete at least 15 PHIL credits (5 courses) at the first or second year level which must include PHIL 2110, 2210 and PHIL 2215. Choose from the following list: |
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| 1000 Level | |||
| PHIL 1100 | Introduction to Philosophy | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 1101 | Analytical Approaches to Western Humanism | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 1106 | Introduction to Ancient and Medieval Philosophy | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 1110 | Confronting Moral Issues: Introduction to Ethics | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 1111 | Sustainability and Ethical Analysis | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 1112 | Environmental Philosophy | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 1145 | Critical Thinking | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 1150 | Introduction to Formal Logic | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 1155 | Introduction to Scientific Reasoning | 3 credits | |
| 2000 Level | |||
| PHIL 2106 | Ancient Greek Philosophy | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2107 | Modern Philosophy: Descartes to Kant | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2110 | Moral Theory | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2115 | Asian Philosophy | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2117 | Social and Political Philosophy | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2120 | Philosophy of Religion | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2150 | Philosophical Paradoxes, Puzzles and Enigmas | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2210 | Epistemology | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2215 | Metaphysics | 3 credits | |
Students must complete a minimum of 15 credits (5 courses) of 3000 and 4000 level PHIL courses. Any combination of courses from the list below will satisfy the Bachelor of Arts Minor in Philosophy program requirements. |
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| 3000 Level | |||
| PHIL 3033 | Business Ethics | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3040 | Philosophy of Art | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3100 | Great Philosophers of the 20th Century | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3101 | 20th Century Analytic Philosophy | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3105 | Life and Death | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3109 | Foundations of Ethics | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3110 | The Possibility of Knowledge | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3118 | Ethics and Public Policy | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3119 | Contemporary Moral Theory | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3120 | Free Will and Determinism | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3150 | Advanced Formal logic | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3220 | Empiricism | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3225 | Rationalism | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3320 | Personal Identity | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3425 | Language and Meaning | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3430 | Philosophy of Mind: Consciousness | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3533 | Confronting Moral Issues: The Natural Environment | 3 credits | |
| 4000 Level | |||
| PHIL 4040 | Topics in the Philosophy of Art | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 4110 | Topics in Ethics Theory | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 4117 | Topics in Social and Political Philosophy | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 4120 | Topics in the Philosophy of Religion | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 4210 | Topics in Epistemology | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 4215 | Topics in Metaphysics | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 4430 | Topics in Philosophy of Mind | 3 credits | |
Note: Certain pre-requisites must be met in order to gain admission to 3000 and 4000 level PHIL courses.
Other Information
Philosophy Courses by Area
A course appearing in boldface type signals that the course is required for the major. No single course can count for more than one area. Students may take the same 4th year Topics course twice for different credit if and only if the content differs significantly. Students who wish to take the same 4th year Topics course more than once must obtain the permission of the Chair of the Philosophy Department.
Logic |
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| PHIL 1145 | Critical Thinking | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 1150 | Introduction to Formal Logic | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 1155 | Introduction to Scientific Reasoning | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3150 | Advanced Formal Logic | 3 credits | |
History of Philosophy |
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| PHIL 1106 | Introduction to Ancient and Medieval Philosophy | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2106 | Ancient Greek Philosophy | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2107 | Modern Philosophy: Descartes to Kant | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2115 | Asian Philosophy | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2150 | Philosophical Paradoxes, Puzzles and Enigmas | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3100 | Great Philosophers of the Twentieth Century | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3101 | Twentieth Century Analytic Philosophy | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3220 | Empiricism | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3225 | Rationalism | 3 credits | |
Metaphysics and Epistemology |
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| PHIL 2120 | Philosophy of Religion | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2150 | Philosophical Paradoxes, Puzzles and Enigmas | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2210 | Epistemology | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2215 | Metaphysics | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3100 | Great Philosophers of the Twentieth Century | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3101 | Twentieth Century Analytic Philosophy | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3105 | Life and Death | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3110 | The Possibility of Knowledge | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3120 | Free Will and Determinism | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3220 | Empiricism | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3225 | Rationalism | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3320 | Personal Identity | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3425 | Language and Meaning | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3430 | Philosophy of Mind: Consciousness | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 4120 | Topics in the Philosophy of Religion | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 4210 | Topics in Epistemology | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 4215 | Topics in Metaphysics | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 4430 | Topics in Philosophy of Mind | 3 credits | |
Ethics and Value Theory |
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| PHIL 1110 | Confronting Moral Issues: Introduction to Ethics | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 1112 | Environmental Ethics | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2110 | Moral Theory | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 2117 | Social and Political Philosophy | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3010 | Health Care Ethics (not for majors) | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3033 | Business Ethics (not for majors) | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3040 | Philosophy of Art | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3105 | Life and Death | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3109 | Foundations in Ethics | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3118 | Ethics and Public Policy | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3119 | Contemporary Moral Theory | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3510 | Confronting Moral Issues: Bio-Medical Ethics | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3512 | Confronting Moral Issues: the Natural Environment | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3533 | Confronting Moral Issues in Business | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 4040 | Topics in the Philosophy of Art | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 4110 | Topics in Ethics | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 4117 | Topics in Social and Political Philosophy | 3 credits | |
Other |
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| PHIL 1100 | Introduction to Philosophy | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 1101 | Philosophy, Culture and Identity | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 1111 | Sustainability and Ethical Analysis | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3900 | Honours Research and Thesis I | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 4900 | Honours Research and Thesis Ii | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 4950 | Practicum | 3 credits | |
Sample Pathways for a Philosophy Major
Below is an illustration of how a student might go about completing the requirements for the philosophy major. Remember, this is just one of many possible paths that a student may take to complete the major.
48 Credits for the Philosophy Major (16 Courses)
Year 1, Fall
PHIL 1100 + 4 others (others refers to courses not required for the major)
Year 1, Spring
PHIL1150 + 4 others
Year 2, Fall
PHIL 2106; 2110; 2210 + 2 others
Year 2, Spring
PHIL 2107; 2215 + 3 others
Year 3, Fall
3rd year Metaphysics/Epistemology; 3rd year History of Philosophy + 3 others
Year 3, Spring
3rd year Value Theory; 3RD year any PHIL + 3 others
Year 4, Fall
3RD year any PHIL; 3RD year any PHIL; 4TH year any Topics in PHIL + 2 others
Year 4, Spring
3RD year any PHIL; 4TH year any Topics in PHIL + 3 others
Sample Pathway for the Major in Philosophy Applied Ethics Stream (3 more courses)
Same as the Philosophy Major but add one applied ethics course to year 3, Fall; year 3, Spring; and year 4, Spring.
Sample Pathway for the Philosophy Major with Honours (2 more courses)
Same as the Philosophy Major but add PHIL 3900 to year 3, Spring; and add PHIL 4900 to year 4, Fall.
Sample Pathway for the Honours Philosophy Major Applied Ethics Stream (5 more courses)
Same as the Philosophy Major but add an applied ethics course to year 2, Spring; applied ethics course to year 3, Fall; applied ethics course to year 3, Spring; PHIL 3900 to year 3, Spring, and PHIL 4900 to year 4, Fall.
Graduation
Upon successful completion of the honours program, students are eligible to receive a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Major in Philosophy.
Upon successful completion of the major program, students are eligible to receive a Bachelor of Arts, Major in Philosophy.
Upon successful completion of the minor program, students are eligible to receive a Minor in Philosophy as part of a Bachelor of Arts program.
