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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.
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 Credits40

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:

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: Humanities3
ARB, ENGL, FREN, GERM, HIST, HUM, PHIL, RELS, SPAN, or WGS
Area Two: Social Sciences3
ANTH, CJ, COMM, EMGT, POLS, SOC, or WGS
Area Three: Fine Arts3
ARCH, ART, ENVD, LA, MUSC, or THEA
Total Credits9

Major Requirements

Philosophy/Humanities Major Requirements
PHIL 101Introduction to Philosophy (May satisfy general education category A)3
PHIL 210Ethics3
or PHIL 215 Contemporary Moral Issues
PHIL 257Traditional Logic (May satisfy general education category R)3
PHIL 321Ancient Philosophy3
or PHIL 322 Medieval Philosophy
PHIL 323Modern Philosophy3
or PHIL 324 Contemporary Philosophy
PHIL 451Epistemology (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 Electives9
Total Credits30

Minor Requirements

Philosophy-Humanities Minor

Minor Requirements

Required Credits: 21

Required Minor Courses
PHIL 101Introduction to Philosophy3
PHIL 210Ethics3
or PHIL 215 Contemporary Moral Issues
PHIL 257Traditional Logic3
PHIL 450Metaphysics3
or PHIL 451 Epistemology
PHIL 486Philosophy & Literature3
or PHIL 494 Individual Study
Philosophy Electives6
Total Credits21
*

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.