Academics

The School of Athens, frescoes by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael.

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Studying Philosophy
Philosophy Major
Philosophy Minor
Departmental Honors

Studying Philosophy

Considering a major in philosophy? Majoring or minoring in philosophy is a great way to develop your problem-solving, communication, and analytical skills, all of which are crucial to success in any career. In addition, the work you do towards your philosophy degree is incredibly helpful if you're planning to continue your studies in grad school, law school, or medical school. That being said, the best reason to major in philosophy is because you enjoy it. So, if you really liked the philosophy courses you've already taken, consider taking more and majoring or minoring in philosophy.

Philosophy Major

The Philosophy major consists of at least 33 credits. Students majoring in Philosophy can choose one of two concentrations:

Fulfill ALL of the following requirements:

Complete ALL of the following Courses:

PHILO 10600 - Philosophy, Politics, and Society

Complete ALL of the following Courses:

PHILO 21200 - Classical Greek Philosophy: Plato and Aristotle
PHILO 31800 - Revolutions in Modern Philosophy

Complete ALL of the following Courses:

PHILO 24600 - Political Philosophy

Complete at least 1 of the following Courses:

PHILO 24400 - Moral Philosophy
PHILO 24800 - International Ethics
PHILO 25000 - Problems of Ethics and Society
PHILO 25500 - Environmental Philosophy

Complete at least 1 of the following Courses:

PHILO 31900 - Marxist and Critical Theory
PHILO 38000 - Major Figures in Philosophy
PHILO 39300 - Philosophical Systems

Complete at least 1 of the following Courses:

PHILO 34600 - Contemporary Theories of Justice
PHILO 34800 - Philosophy of Human Rights
PHILO 39400 - Philosophical Problems

Earn at least 12 credits

4 courses on 20000-, 30000-, or 40000-level (but including PHILO 17000, and excluding course), including 2 on 30000- or 40000-level; 2 may be approved non-philosophy courses; 1 recommended on logic (e.g.,PHILO 17000 or a suitable substitute such as 20095 Reason and Argument), and 1 recommended on philosophy of gender or race (e.g.,PHILO 22600 or PHILO 23000)

Nondepartmental courses to satisfy elective requirement

AFPRL 40100 - Pan-Africanism
AFPRL 40200 - African American Political Thought
HIST 33100 - European Culture in the 16th, 17th and 18th Centuries (W)
HIST 332000 - Modern Culture from the 18th to the 20th Centuries
POLSC 20100 - Ancient to Early Modern Political Thought (W)
POLSC 20200 - Modern Political Thought (1600-1900) (W)
POLSC 20300 - Political Thought Since 1900 (W)
POLSC 20400 - Contemporary Issues in Political Theory
POLSC 20900 - Women and Gender in Western Political Thought (W)
POLSC 30100 - American Political Thought (W)
POLSC 30300 - Democracy and Emergency (W)
POLSC 30400 - Contemporary Issues in Political Theory
POLSC 30500 - Democratic Theory (W)
POLSC 30700 - Theory of Revolution
POLSC 30900 - Feminist Political Theory (W)
POLSC 31100 - Utopian Theory (W)
POLSC 31600 - Political Theory of Human Rights (W)
PUPOL 40000 - Capstone Seminar
SOC 22100 - Classical Sociological Theory
SOC 22300 - Contemporary Sociological Theory (W)

Elective courses recommended for students with particular interests

Elective credits should be carefully chosen to focus students’ programs on their present interests and future needs. The following courses are recommended for students with particular interests.

Graduate study in philosophy

PHILO 27500 - Symbolic Logic
PHILO 24400 - Moral Philosophy (W)

Admission to Law School

PHILO 27500 - Symbolic Logic
PHILO 24400 - Moral Philosophy (W)

Careers in Public Administration

PHILO 25000 - Problems of Ethics and Society (W)

Careers in Foreign Service

PHILO 24800 - International Ethics (W)
POLSC 31600 - Political Theory of Human Rights (W)
An additional course relating philosophy to international relations

Careers in Social Welfare

PHILO 25000 - Problems of Ethics and Society (W)
SOC 22100 - Classical Sociological Theory
SOC 22300 - Contemporary Sociological Theory (W)

Philosophy Minor

Students interested in pursuing a philosophy minor can choose up four different minors:

The Political Theory Minor provides a concentration of study for students interested in political, social, and legal philosophy or thought, often related to public discourses, practices, and laws. It recognizes the interdisciplinary character of political theory, which operates at the intersection of the humanities and social sciences. It focuses on critical issues of ethics and power in history and the present, along with major authors in the traditions of political philosophy and thought.

The minor program consists of at least 15 credits taken from the courses listed below, or others as approved by the minor program advisor. Students must take at least 6 credits in philosophy and 6 credits in political science, including PHILO 10600 (or another 100-level PHILO course, with permission of the Advisor) and POLSC 20000. At least 3 credits must be taken at the 300-level, and one course must be taken from each of the three Minor categories (listed below). No more than six credits that count towards the student’s major may be used to fulfill this Minor.

Earn at least 15 credits

Complete ALL of the following Courses:

PHILO 10600 - Philosophy, Politics, and Society

POLSC 20000 - Interpreting Politics: An Introduction to Political Ideas

History of Political Philosophy and Thought

Complete at least 1 of the following Courses:

PHILO 38010 - Plato

PHILO 38011 - Aristotle

PHILO 38070 - Hegel

PHILO 38076 - Marx

PHILO 38086 - Foucault

POLSC 20100 - Ancient to Early Modern Political Thought

POLSC 20200 - Modern Political Thought (1600-1900)

POLSC 20300 - Political Thought Since 1900

POLSC 20900 - Women and Gender in Western Political Thought

POLSC 30100 - American Political Thought

Current Courses That Count Towards the Political Theory Minor

Minor courses are to be selected from the following list of regularly taught courses or special topics courses in Philosophy or Political Science that pertain to the Minor but are irregularly taught (those interested in the latter should check with the advisor to verify that they may count toward the minor).

In addition, one course, with significant theoretical content, offered in, e.g., Anthropology, Classics, Geography, History, Religion, or Sociology, may count toward the Minor, upon approval of the Political Theory Advisor.

Basic Concepts and Themes

Complete at least 1 of the following Courses:

PHILO 22600 - African-American Philosophy

PHILO 23000 - Feminist Philosophy

PHILO 24600 - Political Philosophy

PHILO 24800 - International Ethics

PHILO 25500 - Environmental Philosophy

PHILO 31900 - Marxist and Critical Theory

PHILO 34600 - Contemporary Theories of Justice

PHILO 34800 - Philosophy of Human Rights

PHILO 39400 - Philosophical Problems

POLSC 30200 - Critical Theory and Politics

POLSC 30500 - Democratic Theory

POLSC 30900 - Feminist Political Theory

POLSC 31600 - Political Theory of Human Rights

Theoretical Dimensions of Contemporary Controversies

Complete at least 1 of the following Courses:

PHILO 20080 - Ethics of War & Peace

PHILO 22600 - African-American Philosophy

PHILO 23000 - Feminist Philosophy

PHILO 25000 - Problems of Ethics and Society

PHILO 25200 - Problems of Law and Morality

PHILO 25500 - Environmental Philosophy

PHILO 34600 - Contemporary Theories of Justice

PHILO 34800 - Philosophy of Human Rights

PHILO 39400 - Philosophical Problems

POLSC 20400 - Contemporary Issues in Political Theory

POLSC 30300 - Democracy and Emergency

POLSC 30400 - Contemporary Issues in Political Theory

POLSC 30500 - Democratic Theory

POLSC 30900 - Feminist Political Theory

POLSC 31600 - Political Theory of Human Rights

Departmental Honors in Philosophy

To earn departmental honors in philosophy at Hunter College, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.50 in their major and complete an essay under faculty supervision, which offers the opportunity to deepen their understanding and showcase their analytical skills.