Phone: 703-993-1290
Web: philosophy.gmu.edu
Professors: Bergoffen, Rothbart
Associate professors: Cherubin, De Nys, Eckenwiler, Froman, Holman, Kinnaman (chair), Light, Paden, S. M. Skousgaard
Assistant professor: Leighton
Adjunct professors: Bayer, D. Gregory, Oberoi, Sojka, Yost
This department offers all course work designated PHIL in the Course Descriptions chapter of this catalog.
BA-PHIL
The degree program in philosophy covers the major issues and areas in philosophy and serves the needs of students who wish to pursue graduate studies in philosophy or emphasize philosophy while acquiring a broad liberal arts education. Students can use this major as preparation for such professions as law or government service, or complement other interests by taking a double major in philosophy and a related field of study.
In addition to university-wide general education requirements and requirements for a BA degree in CHSS, students pursuing this degree must complete at least 33 credits in philosophy earning a minimum grade of 2.00 in each course. At least 21 credits must be at the 300 level or above, including at least 6 credits at the 400 level or above. The credits must be distributed among area requirements as indicated below. No course may be used to fulfill more than one such requirement.
When the subject matter is appropriate and with the undergraduate coordinator’s approval, PHIL 391, 392, 421, 425, or 426 may be used to fulfill the analytic tradition, continental tradition, or ethics and social and political philosophy requirements. The following philosophy courses fulfill the general education synthesis requirement: PHIL 309, 343, 377, and 378. Students may choose a concentration in philosophy and law, see below.
The concentration in philosophy and law offers philosophy majors the opportunity to focus their study of philosophy in a way that prepares them for the study of the law. In addition to satisfying the university-wide general education requirements and the requirements for a BA degree in CHSS, students pursuing this concentration must also successfully complete 33 credits, with at least 6 credits at the 400 level or above, distributed as follows:
Other relevant courses may be applied to the concentration with advance written permission of the department.
The university requires all students to complete at least one course designated “writing intensive” in their majors at the 300 level or above. All senior seminars in philosophy are writing intensive. Philosophy majors should consult the undergraduate coordinator for other courses that can be taken to fulfill this requirement.
Qualified students may pursue advanced work leading to graduation with honors. An undergraduate student wishing to pursue departmental honors in philosophy must apply for that option. To apply for the honors option, a student must be a philosophy major in his or her last semester as a junior (the semester in which the student will complete his or her 90th credit) and must have a GPA in the major of 3.50 or higher. The application must include a transcript, one letter of recommendation from a member of the philosophy faculty, and one writing sample (a paper from one of the student’s PHIL courses). A committee of departmental faculty will determine whether to accept a student for honors course work in philosophy. A student may begin honors option course work only after the completion of 90 credits.
A student will only receive departmental honors if he or she has taken 6 credits of honors course work and has satisfactorily completed all honors requirements for those courses. A student who fails to complete all assignments or who completes them in an unsatisfactory way may receive credit for the course (if earned) but not departmental honors. To receive honors in philosophy, students must complete 6 credits of honors course work in either PHIL 422, 425, or 471. To graduate with honors in philosophy, students must complete these courses with a minimum GPA of 3.50. Work submitted toward the fulfillment of the honors option requirements will be reviewed by the instructor of each course for which the work was assigned.
PHIL 425, Independent Study in Philosophy, may be used toward the honors option only if all of the following conditions are fulfilled: the student submits a proposal for his or her independent study course to the department and the department approves the proposal before registering for the course; the student and faculty member meet weekly; the student submits written work as specified by the faculty member each week; the student submits a final research paper; the assignments for this course are in accordance with the standards and guidelines for honors course work set by the department.
Students can take a general minor or one organized around specific emphases, each one stressing a different aspect of philosophy. The emphasis in the history of philosophy is particularly useful to students in the humanities, especially those who wish to pursue graduate study. Students majoring in the human and natural sciences would benefit from the emphasis in reality, knowledge, and science; while those who hope to pursue a career in law or politics would be well-advised to complete the emphasis in social and political philosophy.
Students pursuing this minor must complete 18 credits in philosophy with a minimum grade of 2.00 in each course. No course may be used to fulfill more than one requirement. The credits are distributed as follows:
When the subject matter is appropriate and with the undergraduate coordinator’s approval, PHIL 391, 392, 421, or 425 may be used to fulfill the emphasis requirements.
In accordance with university policy, at least 8 credits must be applied only to the minor and may not be used to fulfill requirements of the student’s major, concentration, or another minor.
The minor in philosophy and law offers students a course of study that emphasizes the philosophical analysis of legal issues. It acquaints students with the rich tradition of philosophical argument dealing with the justification of law, its relation to moral theory, the justifications for punishment, and the concepts of justice, rights, liberty, and legal responsibility. In addition, an education in philosophy in general, and these courses in particular, stress intellectual skills that are important in the study of law.
Students pursuing this minor must complete 18 credits distributed as follows:
In accordance with university policy, at least 8 credits must be applied only to the minor and may not be used to fulfill requirements of the student’s major, concentration, or another minor.
The department also coordinates the interdisciplinary minor in political philosophy. See the Interdisciplinary Minors section in this chapter for a description.
MA-PHIL
The department offers a master’s degree with concentrations in either traditional and contemporary philosophy or professional and applied ethics. The degree is designed for students who intend to go on to pursue a doctorate in philosophy and those who seek the master’s as a terminal degree, either in pursuit of their intellectual interests or to further their professional expertise. Both concentrations provide grounding in the history of philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, contemporary continental thought, contemporary analytic philosophy, and philosophy of science. The department also offers a graduate certificate in professional ethics for those master’s students interested in combining the study of ethics in a variety of career settings.
In addition to fulfilling university admission requirements for graduate study, applicants must submit three letters of recommendation, a statement of student goals in pursuing the degree, and a writing sample. GRE exams are not required. They are recommended, especially for those students planning to pursue a PhD in philosophy.
Students pursuing this degree must successfully complete 30 credits, which may include a project or thesis. Students need to identify an advisor on entering the program and meet regularly with that advisor during their course of study. With their advisor’s approval, students may apply up to 9 credits from other departments toward the degree. The credits are distributed as follows:
Students pursuing this concentration must successfully complete 30 credits distributed as follows:
Students pursuing this concentration must complete 30 credits distributed as follows:
CERG-PETH
Students must be admitted to graduate study or approved for graduate course enrollment in nondegree status. Students who initially enroll in the certificate program as nondegree students must apply for admission to the graduate program no later than the second semester of study. The certificate may be pursued concurrently with any other graduate program in the university.
Students pursuing this certificate must successfully complete 15 graduate credits distributed as follows. In consultation with an advisor, students should select their courses to create a coherent program of study.