About the Program

The Philosophy Major at Buffalo State provides students with the skills and competencies needed to succeed professionally, personally, and communally in the twenty-first century. The study of philosophy complements many different disciplines and will help you with any career path.

About the Government, Planning, and Philosophy Department
Cassety Hall 202
1300 Elmwood Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14222
Phone: (716) 878-6116
gpp.buffalostate.edu

Major Requirements
The major is 30 credits in total. Each of the skills listed above is a component of every Philosophy course the department offers, but different courses emphasize different skills. The specific requirements of the major are designed to ensure you have ample opportunity to develop all of them.

For each, you must successfully complete a course or set of courses that puts special emphasis on that skill. Since logical reasoning is at the core of everything we do, you are also required to successfully complete one of the logic courses.

Learning Outcomes

As a philosophy major, you’ll learn to:
-Communicate, comprehend, and summarize conceptually difficult material.
-Understand and clearly articulate “fundamental and powerful concepts” (e.g., truth, knowledge, justification, evidence, respect, justice, good, right, value, argument, reason, validity, soundness).
-Form, evaluate, justify, defend, and apply your own views on complicated, everyday issues in written and in oral form.
-Recognize the conceptions and perspectives of multiple intellectual traditions.
-Accept and productively apply critical feedback on your work.

Program Requirements

General Education 23 Requirements (33 credit hours)


Program Requirements
Philosophy Major Requirements (30 credit hours)

I. Critical Thinking and Logical Reasoning (3 credit hours)
Select one from the following:
PHI 103 INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC
PHI 107 INTRODUCTION TO MATHEMATICAL LOGIC

II. Communication and Comprehension (6 credit hours)

Select one from the following:
PHI 101 INTRO TO PHILOSOPHY
PHI 110 MEANING OF LIFE

AND

Select one from the following:
PHI 300 PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY
PHI 312 PHILOSOPHY OF MIND
PHI 336 PHILOSOPHY OF EMOTION

III. Problem Solving and Concept Clarity (6 credit hours)
PHI 102 INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS
AND
Select one from the following:
PHI 308 PHILOSOPHY OF LOVE AND SEX
PHI 361 RACE AND PROGRESS

IV. Analysis, Inquiry, and Application (6 credit hours)
Select one from the following:
PHI 111 ETHICS FOR SCIENTISTS
PHI 112 PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
PHI 113 ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
PHI 115 MINDS AND MACHINES

AND

Select one from the following:
PHI 301 JUSTICE: LIBERTY V EQUALITY
PHI 304 PHILOSOPHY OF LAW
PHI 314 RIGHTS AND RESPECT
PHI 333 PHILOSOPHY OF NATURAL SCIENCE

V. Appreciation of Diverse Perspectives (3 credit hours)
Select one from the following:
PHI 324 ZEN BUDDHISM
PHI 360 AFRICANA PHILOSOPHY

Customize your major with Electives (6 credit hours)
Select two additional courses from the following:
PHI 101 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY
PHI 103 INTRO TO LOGIC
PHI 107 INTRO TO MATHEMATICAL LOGIC
PHI 110 THE MEANING OF LIFE
PHI 111 ETHICS FOR SCIENTISTS
PHI 112 PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
PHI 113 ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
PHI 115 MINDS AND MACHINES
PHI 221 PHILOSOPHY AND YOGA
PHI 300 PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY
PHI 301 JUSTICE: LIBERTY VS. EQUALITY
PHI 304 PHILOSOPHY OF LAW
PHI 308 PHILOSOPHY OF LOVE AND SEX
PHI 312 PHILOSOPHY OF MIND
PHI 314 RIGHTS AND RESPECT
PHI 324 ZEN BUDDHISM
PHI 333 PHILOSOPHY OF NATURAL SCIENCE
PHI 336 PHILOSOPHY OF EMOTION
PHI 360 AFRICANA PHILOSOPHY
PHI 361 RACE AND PROGRESS
PHI 189 TOPIC COURSE (1-3)
PHI 295 SPECIAL PROJECT (1-3)
PHI 389 TOPIC COURSE
PHI 495 SPECIAL PROJECT (1-3)
PHI 498 HONORS RESEARCH
PHI 499 INDEPENDENT STUDY (3-12)

All College Electives (57 credit hours)

Total Credit Hours for your Bachelor of Arts degree: 120