Philosophy
| Degree: | Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) |
| Major: | Philosophy |
| Minor: | Philosophy |
| Department: | History and Philosophy Building 50, Room 228 850-474-2672 http://uwf.edu/philosophy |
| College: | Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities |
| CIP Code: | 38.0101 |
| Semester Hours Required For Degree: 120 | |
The B.A. degree in Philosophy is an ideal liberal arts major and provides students with foundations for a great number of careers in areas such as business, writing, teaching, public administration, law, environmental advocacy, the social and human services, and advanced studies in other humanities. The degree program helps students develop skills for problem-solving in everyday life and emphasizes comprehension, communication, interpretation, criticism, and evaluation.
Program Requirements
In addition to the University’s general requirements, students seeking the B.A. in Philosophy must meet the requirements listed below. Students must earn a grade of "C" or higher in all major courses.
Capstone Requirement
During their senior year of study (or during the junior year with the approval of the department Chair), and with the assistance of their advisor, each student will officially designate one of two options as their Capstone Experience: the Capstone Research Project or the Capstone Portfolio. The Research Project is recommended for those planning to attend graduate school in Philosophy, while the Portfolio is recommended for those not planning further formal study in Philosophy. At the beginning of that term, it is the student’s responsibility to submit to the Department Chairperson a “Capstone Experience Proposal” (signed by the Instructor of the Capstone Course, if applicable, and the student’s advisor). The design of the Capstone Research Project will give the student an opportunity to showcase academic accomplishments in a unified format through the production of a substantial research project. Exemplary projects will be submitted to showcase opportunities on and off campus. Students completing either Capstone project should fill out a Variable Credit Hour form and take one credit hour of PHI 4905 under the supervision of a faculty member as a Directed Study.
General Education
In addition to the General Education requirements, students must satisfy all additional University requirements, including the College-Level Communication and Computation, Multicultural, and Foreign Language requirements. With appropriate planning and coordination with an academic advisor, students may satisfy some of the general University requirements through the General Education curriculum. For a complete listing of general degree requirements, refer to the State University Requirements and Degree Requirements sections of this catalog.
General Education Curriculum:
Civic Literacy Requirement
The 2017 Florida Legislature amended Section 1007.25, Florida Statutes, to require students initially entering a State University System (SUS) and/or Florida College System (FCS) institution in 2018-2019 and thereafter to demonstrate competency in civic literacy by passing an assessment or taking AMH 2020 United States Since 1877 or POS 2041 American Politics.
The 2021 Legislature further amended Florida Statutes, requiring students to complete both a civic literacy course and an exam. In 2024, the Board of Governors made an additional revision, recognizing two new courses meeting the Civic Literacy requirement, AMH 2010 United States to 1877 and AMS 2010 Civil Discourse and the American Political Order. As a result, there are four cohorts of students currently matriculating at Florida public institutions that are subject to varying requirements.
As demonstrated in the table below, the exact civic literacy requirements are based on the academic term in which a student first enrolled in a Florida public institution.
| Students Included in Cohort | Civic Literacy Competency Requirement |
| Cohort 1: Students initially entering the SUS or FCS before fall 2018 | None |
| Cohort 2: Students initially entering the SUS or FCS in Academic Year 2018 through Academic Year 2020 | Complete a course or Assessment. |
| Cohort 3: Students initially entering the SUS or FCS in Academic Year 2021 through Academic Year 2023 | Course and Assessment. |
| Cohort 4: Students initially entering the SUS or FCS in fall 2024 and thereafter | Course and Assessment. |
Additionally, for Cohorts 3 and 4, approved accelerated mechanisms may meet the course and/or assessment requirement, and students who pass the Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FCLE) in high school are exempt from the postsecondary exam requirement.
There are multiple ways to satisfy this requirement. Students should work with their academic advisor to determine which option is best for their degree requirements/degree plan.
Additional information can be found on our Civic Literacy website, SUS regulation BOG 8.006, and Florida Statute s.1007.25(4,a-b).
Mathematics Pathway
Students are advised to complete the following courses to fulfill the mathematics pathway that aligns with the mathematics skills needed for success in their program and their career goals. Students should refer to their academic advisor for questions about the math pathway for their program. For information about this requirement, refer to the catalog page for Mathematics Pathways. These courses may also fulfill requirements for General Education and Common Prerequisites.
| Mathematical Thinking in Context | ||
| MGF 1130 | Mathematical Thinking | 3 |
| MGF 1131 | Mathematics in Context | 3 |
Common Prerequisites
State-mandated common prerequisites must be completed prior to graduation, but are not required for admission to the program. See the Common Prerequisite Manual for course substitutions from Florida colleges and universities.
There are no specified common prerequisites for this program. All Florida College System students are encouraged to complete the Associate's degree. Students should consult with an academic advisor in their major degree area at the intended transfer institution.
Lower Division Electives
| Students must complete sufficient 1000/2000 level electives to complete at least 60 semester hours (sh) in the lower division. Current UWF students may use elective courses at any level (1000-4000) to meet this elective requirement. | 24 | |
| Total Hours | 24 | |
Major
| PHH 3100 | Ancient Philosophy | 3 |
| PHH 3400 | Modern Philosophy | 3 |
| PHI 3130 | Modern Logic | 3 |
| or MHF 3202 | Set Theory and Mathematical Logic | |
| or COT 3100 | Discrete Structures | |
| or COT 4420 | Theory of Computation | |
| Metaphysics and Epistemology | 6 | |
Choose two of the following | ||
| Skepticism, Knowledge, and Truth | ||
| Metaphysics | ||
| Philosophy of Science | ||
| Philosophy of Biology | ||
| Philosophy of Mind | ||
| Philosophy of Religion | ||
| Value Theory | 6 | |
Choose two of the following | ||
| Ethics | ||
| Philosophy of Art | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Biomedical Ethics | ||
| Two Additional Courses at the 3000/4000 level ^ | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 27 | |
- ^
Upper level electives may include POT 4601 Modern Masters of Political Thought and POT 4013 Ancient Masters of Political Thought.
Upper Division Electives
| Students must complete sufficient 3000/4000 level electives to meet UWF’s requirement of 48 credit hours at the upper division. Completing the above-listed departmental requirements will provide the student with 27 credit hours at the upper division, leaving 21 more to complete the total 48 hour requirement. Those remaining 21 hours may be taken in Philosophy courses not already being used in the student's major degree program or in courses offered by other departments, but all such courses must be at the 3000/4000 level. | 21 | |
| Additional electives to reach 120 credits. | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
The upper-division courses (3000-4000 level) with the following prefixes will be used in calculating the major grade point average: PHH, PHI, PHM, and PHP.
Philosophy Minor
| To earn the minor in Philosophy, students must take 12 semester hours (sh) at the upper division. It is recommended that students include at least one history course and one course in methods and problems. Students in the Philosophy specialization may not earn this minor. | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 12 | |