Dec 22, 2024

2022-2023 General Catalog

2022-2023 General Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: To search archives, MUST use search box to left. Current catalog: catalog.usu.edu.

Philosophy: Ethics Option - BA, BS

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department of Communication Studies and Philosophy

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For more information about Philosophy, please see the Languages, Philosophy and Communication Studies website.
Following is a sample four-year plan. Please note that this plan is only a general guideline and that student-specific plans may differ. Please make sure to consult regularly with your departmental advisor to confirm what courses will be available and to work out your plan of study.
Admitted students must meet with an academic advisor. Current students should also meet with an academic advisor and log on to Degree Works to check student-specific program progress.

Bachelor of Science Degree

Students desiring a (BS) Bachelor of Science degree must complete all major requirements as well as an additional 12 credits in science or social science, beyond University Studies Requirements, as approved by faculty advisor. An additional science or social science major or minor will also complete the BS requirement for Philosophy.

Bachelor of Arts Degree

Students desiring a (BA) Bachelor of Arts degree must complete all major requirements and the University language requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Minimum University Requirements
Total Credits	120	Grade Point Average (most majors require higher GPA)	2.00 GPA
Credits of C- or better	100	Credits of upper-division courses (#3000 or above)	40
Total USU Credits	30	Upper-division USU Credits	20
USU Credits within the Major	10	Credits in Minor (if required)	12
Credits in Major	see below	Credits in American Institutions	3
General Education Requirements	see link	University Studies Depth Requirements	see link
NOTES: The highest math requirement for this degree is Quantitative Literacy (QL) course of the student’s choice.

Admissions Requirements for this Program
New freshmen	Admitted to USU in Good Standing			Transfer students from other institutions or other programs at USU	2.50 GPA

First Year
_{Fall Semester}	_Credits	_{General Education Info and Notes:}	_{Spring Semester}	_Credits	_{General Education Info and Notes:}
ENGL 1010: Introduction to Writing: Academic Prose (CL1)	3		ENGL 2010: Intermediate Writing: Research Writing in a Persuasive Mode (CL2)	3
PHIL 1000: Introduction to Philosophy (BHU)	3		Breadth Requirement	3
Breadth Requirement	3		Breadth Requirement	3
Breadth Requirement	3		Breadth Requirement	3
BS Science Course or BA Foreign Language Course	3 or 4	* must take advisor-approved Science course if working towards BS degree * must take Foreign Language course if working towards BA degree	BS Science Course or BA Foreign Language Course	3 or 4	* must take advisor-approved Science course if working towards BS degree * must take Foreign Language course if working towards BA degree
*TOTAL CREDITS:*	*15-16*		*TOTAL CREDITS:*	*15-16*
Comments			Comments

Second Year
_{Fall Semester}	_Credits	_{General Education Info and Notes:}	_{Spring Semester}	_Credits	_{General Education Info and Notes:}
PHIL 1120: Social Ethics (BHU)	3		PHIL 1250: Practical Logic (BHU) or PHIL 2200: Deductive Logic (QI)	3 or 3
PHIL 3010: Survey of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy (CI)	3		PHIL 2400: Ethics (BHU)	3
Quantitative Literacy (QL) Course	3		PHIL 3020: Survey of Modern Philosophy (CI)	3
Depth Social Sciences (DSS) Course	3		Elective Course	3
BS Science Course or BA Foreign Language Course	3 or 4	* must take advisor-approved Science course if working towards BS degree * must take Foreign Language course if working towards BA degree	BS Science Course or BA Foreign Language Course	3 or 4	* must take advisor-approved Science course if working towards BS degree * must take Foreign Language course if working towards BA degree
*TOTAL CREDITS:*	15-16		*TOTAL CREDITS:*	15-16
Comments			Comments

Third Year
_{Fall Semester}	_Credits	_{General Education Info and Notes:}	_{Spring Semester}	_Credits	_{General Education Info and Notes:}
PHIL 2200: Deductive Logic (QI) or Quantitative Intensive (QI) Course	3 or 3		PHIL 4300: Epistemology (DHA) or PHIL 4400: Metaphysics or PHIL 4310: Philosophy of Science (DHA) or PHIL 4410: Philosophy of Mind (DHA)	3 or 3 or 3 or 3
PHIL 3500: Medical Ethics (DHA) or PHIL 3530: Environmental Ethics (DHA) or PHIL 3580: Ethics and Economic Life (DHA) or PHIL 4530: Ethics and Biotechnology (DSC)	3 or 3 or 3 or 3		Upper-Division Elective Course	3
Upper-Division Elective Course	3		Upper-Division Elective Course	3
Elective Course	3		Elective Course	3
Elective Course	3		Elective Course	3
*TOTAL CREDITS:*	15		*TOTAL CREDITS:*	15
Comments			Comments

Fourth Year
_{Fall Semester}	_Credits	_{General Education Info and Notes:}	_{Spring Semester}	_Credits	_{General Education Info and Notes:}
PHIL 4910: Readings and Research or PHIL Upper-Division Elective Course (This course cannot count more than twice toward major or minor.)	1-4 or 1-4		PHIL 4990: Philosophy Capstone Seminar or PHIL 4910: Readings and Research	3 or 1-4	Philosophy Senior Project Options
Upper-Division Elective Course	3		Upper-Division Elective Course	3
Depth Life and Physical Sciences (DSC) Course or ADVS 3200: Ethical Issues in Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (DSC)	3 or 3	(will also fill upper-division Philosophy Ethics or Elective requirement)	Upper-Division Elective Course	3
Elective Course	3		Elective Course	3
Elective Course	3		Elective Course	3
*TOTAL CREDITS:*	13-16		*TOTAL CREDITS:*	15
Comments			Comments

Students must complete the General Education Requirements .

Philosophy: Ethics Option Major Requirements (30 credits)

Total Credits: 30
Grade Point Average to declare Philosophy: Ethics Option Major: 2.5 Overall GPA
Grade Point Average to graduate with Philosophy: Ethics Option Major: 2.5 GPA within major coursework
Credits in Residence: At least half (50 percent) of the credits earned for this degree must be completed in upper-division USU courses offered by the Department of Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies. All other credits (including transfer and study abroad credits) must be approved by the Philosophy faculty in order to be counted toward these degrees.
Minimum Grade Requirement: All courses taken for the major require a minimum grade of C- or better. Up to 6 pass/fail credits in philosophy courses may be applied toward the Philosophy: Ethics Option major.

Meeting University Studies Requirements:

Several philosophy courses meet USU’s University Studies requirements:

• PHIL 1000 , PHIL 1120 , PHIL 1320 , or PHIL 2400 will fulfill the Breadth Humanities (BHU) requirement.

• PHIL 3010 or PHIL 3020 will fulfill the Communications Intensive (CI) requirement (two CIs must be taken).

• PHIL 2200 will fulfill the Quantitative Intensive (QI) requirement.

• PHIL 4530 will fulfill the Depth Life and Physical Sciences (DSC) requirement.

A student who takes PHIL 1000 , PHIL 2200 , PHIL 3010 , PHIL 3020 , PHIL 3820 , and PHIL 4530 has met the BHU, QI, CI, DHA, and DSC requirements.

Students must also be sure to meet the requirements for Communications Literacy (CL) , Quantitative Literacy (QL) , and for Breadth (BAI , BCA , BLS , BPS , and BSS ), as well as the Depth Social Sciences (DSS) requirement. Students should meet with an advisor for further details.

A. Required Courses (21 credits)

PHIL 1120 - Social Ethics (BHU) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 2400 - Ethics (BHU) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 1250 - Practical Logic (BHU) 3 credit(s) or
PHIL 2200 - Deductive Logic (QI) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 3010 - Survey of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy (CI) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 3020 - Survey of Modern Philosophy (CI) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 3500 - Medical Ethics (DHA) 3 credit(s) or
PHIL 3530 - Environmental Ethics (DHA) 3 credit(s) or
PHIL 3580 - Ethics and Economic Life (DHA) 3 credit(s) or
PHIL 4530 - Ethics and Biotechnology (DSC) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 4300 - Epistemology (DHA) 3 credit(s) or
PHIL 4310 - Philosophy of Science (DHA) 3 credit(s) or
PHIL 4400 - Metaphysics 3 credit(s) or
PHIL 4410 - Philosophy of Mind (DHA) 3 credit(s)

B. Elective Courses (9 credits)

Choose three other philosophy courses not already taken above, two of which must be at the upper-division level (3000 or higher):

PHIL 1000 - Introduction to Philosophy (BHU) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 1120 - Social Ethics (BHU) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 1250 - Practical Logic (BHU) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 1320 - The Good Life (BHU) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 1500 - The Examined College Life: Education and Its Ends (BHU) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 2200 - Deductive Logic (QI) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 2400 - Ethics (BHU) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 2600 - Introduction to Philosophy of Religions (BHU) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 2988 - Special Problems 1-3 credit(s)
PHIL 3010 - Survey of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy (CI) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 3020 - Survey of Modern Philosophy (CI) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 3500 - Medical Ethics (DHA) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 3520 - Business Ethics (DHA) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 3530 - Environmental Ethics (DHA) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 3580 - Ethics and Economic Life (DHA) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 3600 - Philosophy of Religion (DHA) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 3700 - Political Philosophy (DHA) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 3710 - Philosophies of East Asia 3 credit(s)
PHIL 3720 - Philosophical Theology 3 credit(s)
PHIL 3800 - Philosophy in Literature (DHA) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 3810 - Philosophy of Art (DHA) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 3820 - Theories of Sex and Gender (DHA) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 3990 - Philosophy and Pop Culture 3 credit(s)
PHIL 4250 - Tolkien and Lewis on Myth and Truth 3 credit(s)
PHIL 4300 - Epistemology (DHA) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 4310 - Philosophy of Science (DHA) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 4400 - Metaphysics 3 credit(s)
PHIL 4410 - Philosophy of Mind (DHA) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 4500 - Virtue Ethics (DHA) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 4530 - Ethics and Biotechnology (DSC) 3 credit(s)
PHIL 4600 - Philosophy of Law 3 credit(s)
PHIL 4900 - Special Topics 3 credit(s)
PHIL 4910 - Readings and Research 1-4 credit(s)
PHIL 4950 - Senior Thesis in Philosophy 3 credit(s)
PHIL 4990 - Philosophy Capstone Seminar 3 credit(s)

C. Philosophy Senior Thesis (Optional)

Philosophy majors are strongly encouraged, but not required, to write a thesis in their senior year. Writing a thesis develops skills of great value for graduate school or professional work. It also provides an excellent “capstone experience”, pulling together all the skills students have learned. For further details, students should meet with their faculty advisor. This option will be included in the ‘Elective Courses’ area of the major.

Additional Requirement

Language Requirement: To receive a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree, students must also complete the foreign language requirement. See Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirement below.

Science Requirement: To receive a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree, students must take 12 credits in math, science or social science beyond the University Studies Requirements, as approved by an advisor. Alternatively, an additional science or social science major or minor will also complete the BS requirement for Philosophy.

Bachelor of Arts Degree Language Requirement

A Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree signifies proficiency in one or more foreign languages. Specifically, the BA requirement may be completed in one of the following ways:

Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language by successful completion of one course at the 2020 level or higher (or its equivalent).
OR
Demonstration of proficiency in American Sign Language by successful completion of COMD 4920 and COMD 4780 , and by passing an exit interview.
OR
Demonstration of proficiency in two foreign languages by successful completion of the 1020 course level in one language and the 2010 course level in the second language (or its equivalent).
OR
Completion of an upper-division (3000-level or higher) foreign language grammar or literature course requiring the 2020 course level (or its equivalent) as a prerequisite. Conversation courses cannot be considered for satisfying this requirement.

For nonnative English-speaking students only, the following options are available:

Successful completion of the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI) program for international students.
OR
TOEFL, Michigan, or IELI placement scores high enough to meet the University admission criteria.

Related Programs

Philosophy Major BA/BS: 30 credits
Philosophy Minor: 18 credits