Philosophy Major and Minor Requirements
Philosophy has recently adopted new requirements for its major. This page outlines the requirements for students who entered St. Lawrence before Fall 2025, as well as the new requirements for students entering in Fall 2025 or later. If you matriculated before Fall 2025 and would like to opt-in to the new requirements, please discuss it with your advisor.
Requirements for Students Matriculating in or after Fall 2025
Major Requirements
You can find a handy checklist with all of these requirements here (Philosophy B.A. Checklist).
A major in philosophy consists of 9 courses, distributed as follows:
- Two courses from the Texts and Contexts category.
- One course from the Logic and Argumentation category
- One course from the Ethics and Values category.
- One course from the Power and Privilege category.
- One course from the Knowledge and Reality category.
- Two electives, no more than one of which can be at the 100 level.
- SYE: PHIL-400. Metaphilosophy or PHIL-498-499. Honors Thesis.
Minor Requirements
A minor consists of 5 courses, distributed as follows:
- One course from the Texts and Contexts category.
- One course from the Logic and Argumentation category or Knowledge and Reality category.
- One course from the Ethics and Values category.
- One course from the Power and Privilege category.
- One elective.
Course Categories
Ethics and Values
- PHIL-203: Ethical Theory
- PHIL-205: Justice
- PHIL-304: Architecture and Ecology
- PHIL-309: Feminist Learning Theories
- PHIL-310: Environmental Philosophy
- PHIL-334: Feminist Philosophy
- PHIL-354: Bioethics
- PHIL-4028: Economic Justice
Power and Privilege
- PHIL-225: Latin American Philosophy
- PHIL-232: Africana Philosophy
- PHIL-281: Incarceration Nation
- PHIL-327: Existentialist Philosophy
- PHIL-334: Feminist Philosophy
- PHIL-4016: Philosophy of Psychiatry
Texts and Contexts
- PHIL-201: Ancient Philosophy
- PHIL-208: Modern Philosophy
- PHIL-3025: Philosophy of American Democracy
Logic and Argumentation
- PHIL-202: Reasoning
- PHIL-302: Symbolic Logic
Knowledge and Reality
- PHIL-301: Philosophy of Science
- PHIL-312: Philosophy of Race
- PHIL-325: Philosophy of the Health and Human Sciences
- PHIL-350: Philosophy of Mind
- PHIL-359: Philosophy of Language
- PHIL-370: Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence
- PHIL-4014: Philosophy of Social Science
Requirements for Students Matriculating Before Fall 2025
A major in philosophy consists of 10 courses, distributed as follows:
- 201. Ancient Philosophy
- 202. Reasoning
- 203. Ethical Theory
- 208. Modern Philosophy
- 223. Asian Philosophy OR 232 Africana Philosophy
- 4 Electives (at least two must be at the 300 level and only one 100-level course may count for the major).
- SYE: PHIL-400. Metaphilosophy or PHIL-498-499. Honors Thesis.
Students are strongly encouraged to begin their philosophical studies with 100, 103 or 120, since a 100-level course is often a prerequisite for core courses. The core courses do not have to be taken in any particular sequence, but we strongly recommend that students take 201 and 208 in sequence in their sophomore year.
Minor Requirements
A minor in philosophy consists of five to nine courses that must include:
- 202. Reasoning
- 203. Ethical Theory
- 201. Ancient Philosophy and/or 208. Modern Philosophy
- 223. Asian Philosophy and/or 232. Africana Philosophy
- Only one 100-level course counts toward the minor.
Honors in Philosophy
To receive honors in philosophy, a student must satisfy the requirements for the major. In addition, he or she must have a 3.5 grade point average in the department and complete a departmentally approved honors project (PHIL 498/499) as his or her SYE.