Philosophy - B.A.

Program Overview

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Kent State University's Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy explores life's fundamental questions, fostering critical thinking and intellectual growth. By examining diverse philosophical perspectives, students develop a comprehensive understanding of the nature of reality, knowledge, and morality. The program prepares graduates for a wide range of careers requiring analytical, argumentative, and communication skills.

Program Outline

Enroll now and discover your own philosophical perspective. The Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy gives students the opportunity to consider some of life's biggest questions, such as:

• What is the nature of reality?
• What kind of life should I live?
Philosophy students read, discuss and analyze texts from a plurality of traditional philosophical areas of study in both Western and non-Western philosophies, written by diverse philosophers. They become familiar with contemporary and historical schools of thought and learn about the application of philosophy to other disciplines and professions. The Philosophy major provides intensive training in argumentative writing, careful reading as well as critical and creative thinking, while broadening students' intellectual, cultural and personal horizons. The flexibility of the major's curriculum allows students to combine it with other majors or minors depending on their career interests. In this way, students can tailor their educational experience to provide excellent preparation for a wide range of careers, including law, business, medicine, technology, public relations, government, journalism, education, writing, editing, communications and social work.

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Outline:

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Major Requirements:

• PHIL 11001 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY (DIVG) (KHUM) 3
• PHIL 21001 INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS (DIVG) (KHUM) 3
• PHIL 21002 INTRODUCTION TO FORMAL LOGIC (KMCR) 3 or PHIL 41038 INTERMEDIATE LOGIC
• PHIL 31011 ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY (min C grade) 3
• PHIL 31012 EARLY MODERN PHILOSOPHY (min C grade) 3
• PHIL 31013 LATE MODERN PHILOSOPHY (min C grade) 3
• PHIL 31091 PHILOSOPHERS IN DEPTH (WIC) 3
• Philosophy (PHIL) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) 3
• Philosophy (PHIL) Upper-Division Electives (40000 level) 9
• Philosophical Pluralism Elective, choose from the following (min C grade required): 3
• PHIL 31002 MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY (WIC)
• PHIL 31040 FEMINIST PHILOSOPHY (DIVD)
• PHIL 31070 AFRICAN AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN PHILOSOPHIES (DIVD)
• PHIL 31075 PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE (DIVG)

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Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA):

• UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
• Foreign Language (see Foreign Language College Requirement below) 14-16
• Kent Core Composition 6
• Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning 3
• Kent Core Fine Arts 3
• Kent Core Social Sciences (must be from two disciplines) 6
• Kent Core Basic Sciences (must include one laboratory) 6-7
• Kent Core Additional 6
• General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours) 39

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Graduation Requirements:

• Minimum Major GPA 2.000
• Minimum Overall GPA 2.000
• To fulfill the domestic diversity requirement, students must take one diversity course that is a not a Philosophy (PHIL) course.
• Minimum C grade in all three courses of the history sequence
• Minimum C grade in one upper-division, designated diversity course

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete 14-16 credit hours of foreign language. To complete the requirement, students need the equivalent of Elementary I and II in any language, plus one of the following options:

• Intermediate I and II of the same language
• Elementary I and II of a second language
• Any combination of two courses from the following list:
• Intermediate I of the same language
• ARAB 21401
• ASL 19401
• CHIN 25421
• MCLS 10001
• MCLS 20001
• MCLS 20091
• MCLS 21417
• MCLS 21420
• MCLS 22217
• MCLS 28403
• MCLS 28404

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Roadmap:

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

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Plan of Study Grid:

• Semester One:
• PHIL 11001 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY (DIVG) (KHUM) 3
• UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
• Kent Core Requirement 3
• Kent Core Requirement 3
• General Elective 3
• Credit Hours 13
• Semester Two:
• PHIL 21001 INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS (DIVG) (KHUM) 3
• Kent Core Requirement 3
• Kent Core Requirement 3
• Kent Core Requirement 3
• General Elective 3
• Credit Hours 15
• Semester Three:
• PHIL 21002 or PHIL 41038 INTRODUCTION TO FORMAL LOGIC (KMCR) or INTERMEDIATE LOGIC 3
• Foreign Language 4
• Kent Core Requirement 3
• Kent Core Requirement 3
• Kent Core Requirement 3
• Credit Hours 16
• Semester Four:
• PHIL 31091 PHILOSOPHERS IN DEPTH (WIC) 3
• Foreign Language 4
• Kent Core Requirement 3
• Kent Core Requirement 3
• General Elective 3
• Credit Hours 16
• Semester Five:
• PHIL 31011 ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY 3
• Foreign Language 3
• General Electives 9
• Credit Hours 15
• Semester Six:
• PHIL 31012 EARLY MODERN PHILOSOPHY 3
• Philosophical Pluralism Elective 3
• Philosophy (PHIL) Upper-Division Elective 3
• Foreign Language 3
• General Elective 3
• Credit Hours 15
• Semester Seven:
• PHIL 31013 LATE MODERN PHILOSOPHY 3
• Philosophy (PHIL) Upper-Division Electives (40000 level) 6
• General Electives 6
• Credit Hours 15
• Semester Eight:
• Philosophy (PHIL) Upper-Division Elective (40000 level) 3
• General Electives 12
• Credit Hours 15
• Minimum Total Credit Hours: 120

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University Requirements:

All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation. NOTE: University requirements may be fulfilled in this program by specific course requirements.

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Bachelor's Requirements:

• Flashes 101 (UC 10001) 1 credit hour
• Course is not required for students with 30+ transfer credits (excluding College Credit Plus) or age 21+ at time of admission.
• Diversity Domestic/Global (DIVD/DIVG) 2 courses
• Students must successfully complete one domestic and one global course, of which one must be from the Kent Core.
• Experiential Learning Requirement (ELR) varies
• Students must successfully complete one course or approved experience.
• Kent Core (see table below) 36-37 credit hours
• Writing-Intensive Course (WIC) 1 course
• Students must earn a minimum C grade in the course.
• Upper-Division Requirement 39 credit hours
• Students must successfully complete 39 upper-division (numbered 30000 to 49999) credit hours to graduate.
• Total Credit Hour Requirement 120 credit hours

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Kent Core Requirements:

• Kent Core Composition (KCMP) 6
• Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning (KMCR) 3
• Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (KHUM/KFA) (min one course each) 9
• Kent Core Social Sciences (KSS) (must be from two disciplines) 6
• Kent Core Basic Sciences (KBS/KLAB) (must include one laboratory) 6-7
• Kent Core Additional (KADL) 6
• Total Credit Hours: 36-37

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Careers:

The Philosophy major provides intensive training in argumentative writing, careful reading as well as critical and creative thinking, while broadening students' intellectual, cultural and personal horizons. The flexibility of the major's curriculum allows students to combine it with other majors or minors depending on their career interests. In this way, students can tailor their educational experience to provide excellent preparation for a wide range of careers, including law, business, medicine, technology, public relations, government, journalism, education, writing, editing, communications and social work.

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Other:

• The program is delivered in person on the Kent Campus.
• The program is offered by the Department of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences.
• David Pereplyotchik, Ph.D.

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Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries:

• Philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary
• 6.7% faster than the average
• 30,900 number of jobs
• $76,160 potential earnings
• Education teachers, postsecondary
• 4.8% about as fast as the average
• 77,300 number of jobs
• $65,440 potential earnings
• Lawyers
• 4.0% about as fast as the average
• 813,900 number of jobs
• $126,930 potential earnings
• Social workers, all other
• 5.1% faster than the average
• 62,500 number of jobs
• $64,210 potential earnings
• Public relations and fundraising managers
• 9.2% much faster than the average
• 88,000 number of jobs
• $118,430 potential earnings
• Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.