Dec 08, 2024  
Undergraduate Catalog 2022-2023 
    
Undergraduate Catalog 2022-2023 Archived Catalog


4-Year Plan

Philosophy, B.S.



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Philosophical training helps students to reason well, make thoughtful distinctions, and analyze difficult and abstract ideas. Philosophy prizes clear thinking, rational judgement, and careful arguments-all in the pursuit of truth. Unsurprisingly, philosophy provides excellent training for a wide variety of careers within business, law, and medicine. As technology continues to advance, and as artificial intelligence and automation transform the workplace of tomorrow, the technical skills of today may not be required tomorrow. But the ability to think well is never out of fashion.

Christian philosophy helps us understand and defend the faith and also offers us a Christian conception of human flourishing. When the Apostle Paul was in Athens, he spoke with Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. Christians today continue that conversation, for the sake of the Church and for the world. Many philosophers have become voices for the Church in their own right (e.g. Augustine and Aquinas) and faithful philosophical engagement with important ideas has the power to transform the Church and our world even today.

Philosophy resembles mathematics, in its rigor and clarity; history, in its sensitivity to people and ideas across cultures and ages; and literature, in its concern for articulate expression. Philosophy majors are thus well positioned to pursue careers immediately after graduation or graduate school in philosophy, theology, history, ministry, law, and medicine.

Student Learning Outcomes

The philosophy program at JBU teaches specific philosophical content both in the history of philosophy and contemporary analytical philosophy. Philosophy is taught in such a way that students learn to read carefully, think critically, write well, and speak clearly. Consequently, the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Philosophy has the following student learning outcomes for its classes:

  1. Know philosophy
  2. Read carefully
  3. Think critically
  4. Write well
  5. Speak clearly

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree with major in Philosophy

University Core Curriculum - 42 hours


Program requirements satisfy 6 of the 48 hours in the Core Curriculum.

  

Courses Specified by the Department - 9 hours


Required Major Core Courses - 18 hours


One of the following:


Electives in Philosophy/Religious Studies - 12 hours


Twelve hours from the following, 6 of which must be upper division courses:

If RPH 2483 is used to satisfy the Major Core requirement, it cannot be taken again as an elective for the major.

RPH 4483 may be taken again for elective credit if it is a different topic.

Minor field or electives as necessary to complete minimum total hours


Minimum total semester hours - 120


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