New York University College of Arts and Science 25 courses 128 total credits
Philosophy poses general questions about reality, knowledge, reasoning, language, and conduct. Some areas include metaphysics (What is the ultimate nature of reality? What really exists and what is mere appearance?), epistemology (What, if anything, can be known and how?), logic (What are the principles of correct reasoning?), and ethics (What is moral value? And what moral values should we adopt?). Other areas address questions concerning the nature of art, law, medicine, mind, politics, religion, and the sciences. Everyone tends to have or assume answers to these questions. The aim of the department is to enable students to identify, clarify, and assess these answers, both ancient and modern. Philosophy prepares students for a more reflective life, for advanced studies in the subject, and for professions that emphasize analytic thinking and argumentation, such as law, business, and programming. Students may apply to the director of undergraduate studies (DUS) for admission to the honors program. Honors in Philosophy will be awarded to majors who successfully complete the honors program with a GPA of 3.65 or higher both in philosophy and overall. The program requires eleven courses in philosophy (44 credits). These courses must (1) satisfy all requirements for the major and (2) include both PHIL-UA 201 Fall Honors Proseminar and PHIL-UA 202 Spring Honors Thesis Workshop. (One of these two courses may count as a major elective.) Students must be accepted into the honors program before taking PHIL-UA 201 Fall Honors Proseminar in the fall of senior year; PHIL-UA 202 Spring Honors Thesis Workshop is then taken in the spring of senior year. Alternate timelines or course substitutions are not possible.
| Major Electives Requirement | credits |
| Select two additional PHIL-UA courses, except introductory courses (which are numbered 1 through 8) | 8 credits |
General Education Requirements
First-Year Seminar
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EXPOS-UA 1 | Writing as Inquiry | 4 |
Major Requirements
Select one, and only one, of the following introductory courses:
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL-UA 1 | Central Problems in Philosophy | 4 |
| PHIL-UA 2 | Great Works in Philosophy | 4 |
| PHIL-UA 3 | Ethics and Society | 4 |
| PHIL-UA 4 | Life and Death | 4 |
| PHIL-UA 5 | Minds and Machines | 4 |
| PHIL-UA 6 | Global Ethics | 4 |
| PHIL-UA 7 | Consciousness | 4 |
| PHIL-UA 8 | Philosophical Approaches to Race and Racism | 4 |
| Total Major Requirements | 4 credits | |
Major Requirements
Select one of the following:
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL-UA 20 | Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy | 4 |
| PHIL-UA 22 | Plato | 4 |
| Total Major Requirements | 4 credits | |
Major Requirements
Early Modern European Requirement
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL-UA 21 | Early Modern European Philosophy | 4 |
Major Requirements
Select one of the following:
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL-UA 40 | Ethics | 4 |
| PHIL-UA 41 | The Nature of Values | 4 |
| PHIL-UA 45 | Political Philosophy | 4 |
| Total Major Requirements | 4 credits | |
Major Requirements
Select one of the following:
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL-UA 76 | Epistemology | 4 |
| PHIL-UA 78 | Metaphysics | 4 |
| PHIL-UA 90 | Philosophy of Science | 4 |
| Total Major Requirements | 4 credits | |
Major Requirements
Select one of the following:
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL-UA 80 | Philosophy of Mind | 4 |
| PHIL-UA 85 | Philosophy of Language | 4 |
| Total Major Requirements | 4 credits | |
Major Requirements
Select one of the following:
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL-UA 101 | Topics in The History of Philosophy | 4 |
| PHIL-UA 102 | Topics in Ethics & Pol Philosophy | 4 |
| PHIL-UA 103 | Topics in Metaphysics & Epistemology | 4 |
| PHIL-UA 104 | Topics in Language & Mind | 4 |
| Total Major Requirements | 4 credits | |
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