1. Carolina Core (32-44 hours)

Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written — CMW (6 hours)

must be passed with a grade of C or higher​

• any CC-CMW courses

Analytical Reasoning and Problem Solving — ARP (6-7 hours) 

• PHIL 114 - Introduction to Formal Logic I  
• Any CC-ARP course 

Scientific Literacy — SCI (8 hours)

• Two 4-credit hour CC-SCI laboratory science courses

Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language — GFL (0-6 hours)

Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the minimal passing grade on the exit examination in the 122 course is required. Students can demonstrate this proficiency by successfully completing Phase II of the Proficiency Test or by successfully completing the 122 course, including the exit exam administered as part of that course. The foreign languages recommended for students majoring in philosophy are French, German, Greek, and Latin.

• CC-GFL courses

It is strongly recommended that students continuing the study of a foreign language begin college-level study of that language in their first semester and continue in that language until their particular foreign language requirement is completed.

​Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking — GHS (3 hours) 

• any CC-GHS course

Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences — GSS (3 hours) 

• any CC-GSS course

Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding —  AIU (3 hours)

• any CC-AIU course

Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component* — CMS (0-3 hours)

• any overlay or stand-alone CC-CMS course

Information Literacy* —  INF (0-3 hours)

• any overlay or stand-alone CC-INF course

Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility* — VSR (0-3 hours)

• any overlay or stand-alone CC-VSR course

*Carolina Core Stand Alone or Overlay Eligible Requirements — Overlay-approved courses offer students the option of meeting two Carolina Core components in a single course. A maximum of two overlays is allowed. The total Carolina Core credit hours must add up to a minimum of 31 hours. Some programs may have a higher number of minimum Carolina Core hours due to specified requirements.

2. College Requirements (15-18 hours)

Foreign Language (0-3 hours) 

• only if needed to meet 122-level proficiency

History (3 hours) 

The College of Arts and Sciences requires one U.S. History and one non-U.S. History course. Whichever is not fulfilled through the Carolina Core GHS requirement must be fulfilled through this college requirement. Accordingly, please select one of the following:

• One Carolina Core GHS-approved course primarily focused on U.S. History: HIST 111 , 112 , 214 , or another GHS-approved course determined by the College of Arts and Science to fit this geographic category.

OR

• One Carolina Core GHS-approved course primarily focused on non-U.S. History: HIST 101 , 102 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 108 , 109 , GERM 280 , FAMS 300 , or another GHS-approved course determined by the College of Arts and Sciences to fit this geographic category.

Social Science and Fine Arts or Humanities (12 hours)

• Courses Acceptable for Social Science and Fine Arts or Humanities Credit in Degree Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences  
  • Three hours of Social Science
  • Nine hours of Fine Arts or Humanities

3. Program Requirements (34-49 hours)

Cognate or Minor (12-18 hours)

Cognate

The cognate is intended to support the course work in the major. The cognate must consist of twelve (12) hours of courses at the advanced level, outside of but related to the major. The cognate may be taken in one or more departments or programs, depending on the interests of the student and the judgment of the advisor.

Courses offered by departments and programs that are acceptable for cognate credit are outlined in the section titled Courses Acceptable for Cognate Credit in Degree Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences .

For cognate course offerings in other colleges, consult the appropriate sections of this bulletin. Some major programs have specific cognate requirements.

It should be emphasized that the cognate is not a second set of elective courses to be chosen at random by the student. The cognate must be approved by the major advisor as being related to the major field of study. Students are urged to consult their major advisors for specific requirements in their major.

Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the cognate. For Bachelor of Arts degrees, all cognate courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher.

Minor

In place of the cognate a student in the College of Arts and Sciences may choose a minor consisting of at least 18 credit hours of prescribed courses. (Some minors in the sciences require a minimum of 16 hours.) The subject area of the minor may be related to the major. Students pursuing interdisciplinary minors who wish to use courses in their major department for minor credit must petition the College Committee on Scholastic Standards and Petitions for permission to do so.

The minor is intended to develop a coherent basic preparation in a second area of study. It differs from the cognate inasmuch as the courses must be concentrated in one area and must follow a structured sequence. Interdisciplinary minors can be designed with the approval of the assistant dean for academic affairs and advising.

Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the minor. No course may satisfy both major and minor requirements. All minor courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher. At least half of the courses in the minor must be completed in residence at the University.

A list of minor programs of study can be found at Programs A-Z .

Electives (16-37 hours)

No courses of a remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may apply as credit toward degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences. The College of Arts and Sciences allows the use of the Pass-Fail option on elective courses. Further clarification on inapplicable courses can be obtained from the College of Arts and Sciences.

Note: 13-34 hours of electives will be needed to reach hours to graduate and Program Requirements will range from 31-46 hours, if completing the B.A. with Distinction in Philosophy.

4. Major Requirements (24 hours)

A minimum grade of C is required in all major courses.

Major Courses (15 hours)

• PHIL 390 - Junior Seminar in Philosophy  
• PHIL 490 - Seminar in Philosophy  
• Select one course from each of the following groups:

Ancient Philosophy

• PHIL 301 - Ancient Philosophy  
• PHIL 302 - Greek and Roman Philosophy after Aristotle  
• PHIL 303 - History of Medieval Philosophy  
• PHIL 312 - Classical Origins of Western Medical Ethics  
• PHIL 313 - Between Magic and Method: Ancient Medicine ​  

Modern Philosophy

• PHIL 304 - Seventeenth and Eighteenth-Century Philosophy  
• PHIL 305 - Nineteenth- and 20th-Century Philosophy  
• PHIL 310 - American Philosophy  
• PHIL 311 - Existentialism ​ 

Field of Philosophy

• PHIL 310 - American Philosophy  
• PHIL 311 - Existentialism  
• PHIL 312 - Classical Origins of Western Medical Ethics  
• PHIL 313 - Between Magic and Method: Ancient Medicine  
• PHIL 320 - Ethics  
• PHIL 321 - Medical Ethics  
• PHIL 322 - Environmental Ethics  
• PHIL 323 - Ethics of Science and Technology  
• PHIL 324 - Business Ethics  
• PHIL 325 - Engineering Ethics  
• PHIL 330 - Social and Political Philosophy  
• PHIL 331 - Crime and Justice  
• PHIL 332 - Philosophy of Education  
• PHIL 333 - Contemporary Marxism and Society  
• PHIL 334 - Feminist Philosophy  
• PHIL 340 - Philosophy of Art  
• PHIL 341 - Philosophy and Film  
• PHIL 350 - Knowledge and Reality  
• PHIL 351 - Mind and Nature  
• PHIL 360 - History and Philosophy of Science  
• PHIL 370 - Special Topics in Philosophy  
• PHIL 390 - Junior Seminar in Philosophy  

Major Electives (9 hours)

• Two courses in Philosophy at the 500-level
• One course in Philosophy numbered 201 or above

Notes: Students majoring in philosophy are encouraged to take PHIL 390 during the junior year, or before the final 30 hours of study.

If PHIL 390 is used to satisfy both the Junior Seminar in Philosophy and Field of Philosophy requirements, then the student must take an additional course numbered 201 or above in order to reach the required 24 hours for the major.

B.A. with Distinction (27 hours)

The Departmental Undergraduate Research Track is available to students majoring in philosophy who wish to participate in significant research activities in collaboration with, or under the supervision of, a faculty mentor.

In addition to the General Major Requirements, students must complete the following:

• PHIL 495 - Senior Thesis  
• A minimum GPA of 3.50 in the major
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.30
• A public presentation of the Senior Thesis in one of the following venues:
  • Annual Meeting of the South Carolina Society for Philosophy (or another appropriate meeting)
  • A regular or special session of the Philosophy Department Colloquium Series
  • USC Discovery Day
  • Submission to an undergraduate or a professional journal
• A written sponsorship agreement with the supervising faculty member will be placed on file in the Department of Philosophy office.