Four-Year Degree Plan for Major in Philosophy
Note that this is a sample four-year plan. There are many other course sequences that will allow a student to graduate within four years with a philosophy major, so long as prerequisite courses are taken in the proper sequence. This sample plan does not guarantee course availability, and adjustments to students’ plans may be necessary if they are unable to take specific courses during specific semesters. Students who are placed into lower level FYW, MAT or other prerequisite courses will need to adjust their four-year plans accordingly. Similarly, students who bring in Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment or transfer credit for courses will need to adjust their four-year plans. A minimum of a 2.0 GPA both overall and in the major is required for graduation. In addition to major requirements, all components of the Baccalaureate Experience must be completed in order to successfully graduate.
The department encourages students who are majoring in Philosophy to consider pursuing a second major or a minor in another discipline.
The four-year plan below is just one of many pathways to complete the major. Although students are urged to take at least one 200 level PHL course before taking a 300 level PHL course, almost any PHL course offered at UT can provide a gateway into the study of philosophy.
Degree Requirements
First (Freshman) Year - Fall Semester
| Humanities / Fine Arts or Social Science (Bacc. Exp.) | 4 |
| MAT 155 | Finite Mathematics for Liberal Arts | 4 |
| or | |
| MAT 160 | College Algebra | 4 |
| FYW 101 | Writing and Inquiry | 4 |
| GTW 101 | Gateways | 1 |
| or | |
| HON 101 | Pathways to Honors 1 | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 13 |
First (Freshman) Year - Spring Semester
PHL 200 level
| Philosophy elective | 4 |
| Natural Science (Bacc. Exp.) | 3 |
| Humanities / Fine Arts or Social Science (Bacc. Exp.) | 4 |
| FYW 102 | Writing & Research | 4 |
| GTW 102 | Gateways II | 1 |
| or | |
| HON 102 | Pathways to Honors 2 | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Second (Sophomore) Year - Fall Semester
| PHL 215 | Ancient Philosophy: Plato and Aristotle | 4 |
| or | |
| PHL 203 | Contemporary Philosophy | 4 |
PHL
| 200 or 300 level Philosophy elective | 4 |
| Humanities / Fine Arts or Social Science (Bacc. Exp.) | 4 |
| Humanities / Fine Arts or Social Science (Bacc. Exp.) | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Second (Sophomore) Year - Spring Semester
| PHL 225 | Modern Philosophy: Descartes to Kant | 4 |
| or | |
| PHL 203 | Contemporary Philosophy | 4 |
| Natural Science (Bacc. Exp.) | 3 |
| Humanities / Fine Arts or Social Science (Bacc. Exp.) | 4 |
| Humanities / Fine Arts or Social Science (Bacc. Exp.) | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Third (Junior) Year - Fall Semester
| PHL 201 | Logic | 4 |
PHL 300 level
| Philosophy elective | 4 |
| General Elective | 4 |
| General Elective | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Third (Junior) Year - Spring Semester
PHL 300 level
| Philosophy elective | 4 |
| General Elective | 4 |
| General Elective | 4 |
| General Elective | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Fourth (Senior) Year - Fall Semester
PHL 300 level
| Philosophy elective | 4 |
| or | |
| PHL 450 | Independent Study | 4 |
| General Elective | 4 |
| General Elective | 4 |
| General Elective | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
PHL 450: permission of a full-time faculty member in Philosophy required to take PHL 450
Fourth (Senior) Year - Spring Semester
PHL 300 level
| Philosophy elective | 4 |
| or | |
| PHL 499 | Senior Thesis | 4 |
| General Elective | 4 |
| General Elective | 4 |
| General Elective | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
PHL 499: permission of a full-time faculty member in Philosophy is required in order to take PHL 499
Total Credit Hours: 125