The Philosophy Major and Minor

All courses are designed to contribute in various ways to the College’s Learning Goals and the Philosophy Department Learning Goals.

The Philosophy Major

A major in philosophy at Mount Holyoke provides students with a broad understanding of historical and contemporary philosophical thought. Majors graduate with the tools and enthusiasm needed to conduct philosophical inquiry, a good understanding of important philosophical themes, and strong skills in critical reasoning.

The major requires a minimum of 36 credits in philosophy, with at least 12 at the 300 level.  In addition, majors should take two courses in the history of philosophy, and at least one course in each of: ethics and value theory, theoretical philosophy, and logic.

Majors will be asked to fill out a form that specifies which courses they will use to satisfy these requirements. You can download the form here.

Any exceptions to the above requirements (e.g., by taking equivalent courses elsewhere) should be approved by the Chair of the Department.

The Philosophy Minor

Like the major, the minor provides an understanding of some of the structure and content of current philosophical thinking. It consists of 16 credits above the 100 level, at least 4 credits of which must be at the 300 level. Students are encouraged to design a course of study that includes both philosophical breadth and some upper-level work in an area of special interest.