Department of Philosophy

Minor in Philosophy

For a minor in philosophy, a student must complete six courses in philosophy: two general education courses and four additional courses. At least two of these six courses must be at the 200-level or above.

Major in Philosophy

Students who elect to take philosophy as a major must fulfill the following requirements:

1. At least 33 credits of philosophy altogether, of which at least 30 must be at the 100-level or above, and a minimum of 21 must be at the 200-level or above;
2. The four-credit History of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy course (PHIL 384) and the four-credit History of Modern Philosophy course (PHIL 385);
3. At least one four-credit Text Seminar preferably by the end of their junior year;
4. At least one course in logic by the end of their junior year that covers the predicate calculus, including difficult translations using relations and multiple quantifiers, and also formal proofs using such sentences. 

A major who takes a bridge course as one of his or her general education courses can satisfy the requirements for the major in as few as ten courses; a major who takes two First Philosophy courses as his or her general education courses will require eleven courses to satisfy those requirements.

Bioethics Concentration

Philosophy majors can earn a Bioethics Concentration by completing (in addition to the major requirements): (a) Ethical Theory (PHIL 232) and (b) three bioethics courses such that (i) at least one of which must be an upper-level philosophy course, (ii) no more than two of which may be offered outside the department and count toward the concentration, and (iii) no more than one of which may be offered outside the department and count toward the major.

Minor in Philosophy and Bioethics

This minor requires six courses. A minimum of four must be taught by the Department of Philosophy; up to two can be approved courses taught in other departments. Philosophy courses that count toward the minor include the philosophy courses taken to satisfy the General Education Requirements; Ethical Theory (PHIL 232); any philosophy course that intersects significantly with bioethical issues and up to one course in the philosophy of science. Philosophy of science courses, as well as those taught outside the Philosophy Department, must be approved by the Bioethics Minor Coordinator (Matt Burstein). Finally, at least two of the philosophy courses taken for the minor must be at the 200-level or above.

For more information, please contact Matt Burstein or visit the Kennedy Institute of Ethics website.

Advising for Majors

When declaring a major in philosophy, students are required to meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, who is the academic advisor for all philosophy majors. Students are also encouraged to pick a philosophy faculty member of their choosing as their mentor. Majors will have all course selections approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Special circumstances--such as difficulties resulting from studying abroad, from double majoring, or from late declaring--should be brought to the attention of the Undergraduate Director.

Honors in Philosophy

In order to receive honors in philosophy, majors must complete the honors program. “Honors in Philosophy” is intended to recognize a level of achievement that extends beyond competent completion of the requirements for the major. It offers students the opportunity to pursue, in the form of a written thesis, philosophical interests of their own in greater depth than what is normally possible within the context of a course, and to work closely with a faculty member. To qualify for the program, a major must have, at the end of his or her junior year, a 3.5 GPA in philosophy courses. Moreover, he or she must have taken at least six philosophy courses at Georgetown, of which at least three are at the 200 level or above (transfer students and students participating in study abroad may petition the Director of Undergraduate Studies for exceptions to this requirement).

Once admitted to the program, a student spends an entire year writing an honors thesis. Typically during the fall semester, he or she takes a one credit pass/fail research tutorial (PHIL 304) with his or her supervisor, during which he or she writes a ten-page detailed thesis proposal. At the end of the semester the proposal is submitted to the Undergraduate Committee. If the Undergraduate Committee approves the proposal, the student proceeds to take a three credit tutorial in the spring (PHIL 305) for a letter grade, during which he or she writes an honors thesis with mid semester revisions. The thesis, 30 to 40 pages long including an abstract and bibliography, must be defended at the end of the semester before a committee of three professors appointed by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. If this defense is successful, the student will receive honors in philosophy. Students may pass the one-credit tutorial even if their proposal does not pass; they may pass the three-credit tutorial even though their defense is unsuccessful. Interested students can contact the Undergraduate Director for further information.

Evaluation of Honors Thesis Proposals

The Undergraduate Committee will look for a thesis proposal that accomplishes the aims indicated below, secures the thesis supervisor’s recommendation, and shows sufficient evidence that the thesis will be successfully completed during the following semester. The thesis proposal should be ten pages plus a one or two page bibliography and include a 100-word abstract. It is important to note that it is not a paper, but is a project description. In writing the thesis proposal, the student should:

1. Clearly articulate at the outset the aim in the thesis project; that is, offer a direct statement of the thesis of the project. The project should go beyond a simple characterization of conflicting positions; it should articulate a philosophical claim that the student will defend.
2. Explain the philosophical significance of the problem being taken on, and why the project promises to be a contribution to the topic.
3. Briefly situate the student’s position with respect to the relevant literature.
4. Summarize/outline the basic structure of the argument that the project will advance.
5. Strive for conceptual clarity; i.e., define key terms, use examples to illuminate and illustrate central concepts so that anyone with a background in philosophy can understand the argument.
6. Remember that the audience is philosophically sophisticated but not necessarily composed of specialists in the topic area.

Important Deadlines for Honors

December 6, 2013
Last day to turn in honors thesis and honors thesis proposals to the Undergraduate Director.

December 13, 2013
Last day by which to defend honors thesis.
Date and time of defense set by mutual agreement of student, advisor, and Undergraduate Director.

March 28, 2014
Deadline for completing first draft of honors thesis.

May 1, 2014
Last day to turn in honors thesis and honors thesis proposals to the Undergraduate Director.

May 7, 2014
Last day by which to defend honors thesis.
Date and time of defense set by mutual agreement of student, advisor, and Undergraduate Director.

Interdisciplinary Study