Philosophy-Humanities
Through interdisciplinary study, students develop an awareness and understanding of the major events and ideas that have shaped the civilization in which they live.
Philosophy-Humanities Major
People have always had questions about the world in which they live. Whether these questions are about truth, beauty, and goodness, or about whether life has any meaning, people find questions to ask. Over the centuries, many minds have addressed these questions. By means of dialogue, intuition, logic, and critical thought, philosophers have created pathways to wisdom and an understanding of the human condition.
North Dakota State University offers students a Philosophy curriculum that may be approached either as a Philosophy-Humanities major or minor.
The Philosophy-Humanities major consists of 30 semester credits. Of these, 21 credits must be taken from the required courses. Nine elective credits, which can be independent studies, complete the major. Each degree has additional university and College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences requirements that must be fulfilled. For example, a B.A. requires two years or the equivalent of a foreign language, while the B.S. requires a minor in another field. Please check the university and college pages addressing additional requirements that must be fulfilled.
Philosophy-Humanities Minor
The Philosophy-Humanities minor consists of 21 semester credits: the major required courses plus six elective credits from the elective philosophy courses, including independent studies.
Major Requirements
Major: Philosophy/Humanities
Degree Type: B.A. or B.S.
Required Degree Credits to Graduate: 122
General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degree
- A dynamic list of approved general education courses offered by term is available on the NDSU General Education Requirements website.
- General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable. Students should carefully review the major, minor, and program emphases requirements for minimum grade restrictions, if applicable.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Experience (F) | 1 | |
| Skills For Academic Success (Also offered with the following prefixes: ABEN, AGRI, BUSN, HD&E, ME, NURS, PHRM) | ||
| Communication (C) | 12 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| College Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
Upper Division Writing † | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning (R) † | 3 | |
| Science and Technology (S) † | 10 | |
| Humanities and Fine Arts (A) † | 6 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) † | 6 | |
| Wellness (W) † | 2 | |
| Cultural Diversity (D) *† | ||
| Global Perspectives (G) *† | ||
| Total Credits | 40 | |
| * | May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category. |
| † | May be satisfied with courses required in the major. Review major requirements to determine if a specific upper division writing course is required. |
Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Degree Requirements
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree – The completion of a minor program of study, a second major, or a second degree is required.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree – Second year language proficiency at college level required.
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences College Requirements
An additional 9 credits are required by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences for all Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degree programs of study, except the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, the Bachelor of Music degree, Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree, and the Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AH&SS College Requirements | ||
Courses used to satisfy any general education requirement cannot be used to also count toward the AH&SS College Requirements. A minimum of three credits is required in each of the 3 following areas for a total of 9 credits. Choose only those courses with the prefixes listed for each area. A course with the WGS prefix can only be used in one area. | ||
| Area One: Humanities | 3 | |
ARB, ENGL, FREN, GERM, HIST, HUM, PHIL, RELS, SPAN, or WGS | ||
| Area Two: Social Sciences | 3 | |
ANTH, CJ, COMM, EMGT, POLS, SOC, or WGS | ||
| Area Three: Fine Arts | 3 | |
ARCH, ART, ENVD, LA, MUSC, or THEA | ||
| Total Credits | 9 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Philosophy/Humanities Major Requirements | ||
| PHIL 101 | Introduction to Philosophy (May satisfy general education category A) | 3 |
| PHIL 210 | Ethics | 3 |
| or PHIL 215 | Contemporary Moral Issues | |
| PHIL 257 | Traditional Logic (May satisfy general education category R) | 3 |
| PHIL 321 | Ancient Philosophy | 3 |
| or PHIL 322 | Medieval Philosophy | |
| PHIL 323 | Modern Philosophy | 3 |
| or PHIL 324 | Contemporary Philosophy | |
| PHIL 451 | Epistemology (May satisfy general education category C) | 3 |
| Capstone Experience: Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Metaphysics (May satisfy general education category C) | ||
| Philosophy & Literature | ||
| Individual Study | ||
| Philosophy Major Electives | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Minor Requirements
Philosophy-Humanities Minor
Minor Requirements
Required Credits: 21
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Minor Courses | ||
| PHIL 101 | Introduction to Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 210 | Ethics | 3 |
| or PHIL 215 | Contemporary Moral Issues | |
| PHIL 257 | Traditional Logic | 3 |
| PHIL 450 | Metaphysics | 3 |
| or PHIL 451 | Epistemology | |
| PHIL 486 | Philosophy & Literature | 3 |
| or PHIL 494 | Individual Study | |
| Philosophy Electives | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 21 | |
| * | May take as an elective if not taken as a required course. |
Minor Requirements and Notes
- A minimum of 8 credits must be taken at NDSU.
