The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies offers a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Philosophy, and a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Philosophy, plus three concentrations. These different programs all cover basic core areas of philosophy that are essential to any good philosophy major, but they also allow students to pursue and showcase different areas of emphasis.
The Differences Between the B.A. and the B.S. in Philosophy
The biggest differences between the B.A. in Philosophy and the B.S. in Philosophy arise from differences between the College of Humanities and Social Sciences' requirements for the B.A. and the B.S. These differences can be summarized as follows:
- For the B.A., the College requires more courses in the humanities and social sciences, including a 3-credit 201-level course in a foreign language.
- For the B.S., the College requires more courses in the natural sciences and mathematics, plus a 15-credit science or technology option.
The B.A. in Philosophy is, in general, best suited to:
- students with strong interests in a foreign language, history or literature;
- students who would like to transfer to a philosophy major from another major in the humanities or social sciences; and
- students who would like to combine a major in philosophy with another major in the humanities or social sciences.
The B.S. in Philosophy is, in general, best suited to:
- students with strong interests in mathematics, science, or technology;
- students who would like to transfer to a philosophy major from a major in mathematics, science or technology; and
- students who would like to combine a major in philosophy with another major in mathematics, science or technology.
The only difference between the departmental requirements for the B.A. in Philosophy without a concentration and the B.S. in Philosophy without a concentration is that one course in philosophy of science is required for the B.S. but not for the B.A.