Mar 29, 2024  
2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Philosophy - Major


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The philosophy major at Nazareth College is not simply about asking life’s big questions. It is rigorous and intensive training for the mind, requiring an unflinching spirit of inquiry and the highest order of intellectual discipline.

Our program focuses on the history of philosophy ranging from the Ancient Greeks to the 21st century feminists. Students will read a variety of authors and their works-from Plato to Emerson, Aquinas to Heidegger, and Kant to Nietzsche. The philosophy degree program is unique in that students have the opportunity to study abroad-Nazareth offers a wide variety of international study abroad programs in Germany, Hungary, and elsewhere. Program requirements include two core philosophy courses, plus coursework in Ancient-Medieval Philosophy, Modern-Contemporary Philosophy, and Applied Ethics. In addition, students choose five electives in keeping with their interests and goals, with the program culminating in a Philosophy seminar.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  1. Ascertain the essential and the non-essential qualities of things.
  2. Articulate major philosophical concepts on essays and exams.
  3. Provide written evidence of their appreciation for the historical context of philosophical problems and the historical development of those problems.
  4. Students will be able to articulate different conceptions of justice (e.g. distributive, retributive, and restorative) and be able to identify and describe the social, ethical, racial, environmental, and political dimensions of justice.
  5. Displaying knowledge of philosophical modes of inquiry, with an emphasis on the practice of speaking and writing dialectically.
  6. Discuss the works and ideas of philosophers for the historical period or intellectual discipline under study.
  7. Explain the concept of liberal learning or knowledge for its own sake.

Core Curriculum Requirements


All Nazareth students complete Core Curriculum coursework as part of their degree requirements. The Core provides a foundation in the liberal arts and sciences while guiding students to pose and explore their own intellectual questions. See Academic Policies and Procedures  for specific core curriculum requirements. 

Philosophy Core


All Philosophy Majors are to complete the Philosophy Core requirements below:

Philosophy Electives


Take 15 credits of 200, 300, or 400 level Philosophy courses from the list below. Courses cannot count as elective credit if taken to fulfill other major requirements.

Philosophy Senior Experience


Each Philosophy Major is required to take a Philosophy Seminar, and pass the Philosophy Comprehensive Examination.  The latter consists in writing a substantial philosophical essay (3500 words), the topic of which is selected with departmental advisement, and defending that essay publicly within the final semester of course work.

Take one of the following Philosophy Honors Seminars:

Philosophy Sample Program


Freshman Year


  • Perspectives - Enduring Questions (PEQ) Math and Science with Lab Credits: 7
  • Perspectives - Enduring Questions (PEQ) Credits: 6
  • Perspectives - Enduring Questions (PEQ) Philosophy Credits: 3
  • Foreign Language Credits: 6
  • Health and Wellness Credits: 0

As well as:

Sophomore Year


  • Perspectives - Enduring Questions (PEQ) Credits: 6
  • Electives  Credits: 3
  • Liberal Arts Electives  Credits: 9
  • Integrative Studies (IS) courses Credits: 6
  • Experiental Learning (EL) pathway Credits: 0

As well as:

Junior Year


  • Liberal Arts Electives Credits: 3
  • Integrative Studies (IS) Credits: 3
  • Core Milestone Experience (CME) Credits: 0
  • Electives Credits: 9
  • Philosophy Electives Credits: 6
  • Ancient-Medieval or Modern-Contemporary Course Credits: 3
  • Applied Ethics Course Credits: 3

Senior Year


  • Electives Credits: 18
  • Philosophy Electives Credits: 9
  • Ancient-Medieval or Modern-Contemporary Course Credits: 3

As well as one of the following Philosophy Honors Seminars:

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