Undergraduate Advising Guide Thank you for expressing an interest in the Philosophy major or minor at FIU. This site is designed to tell you a little about the major and minor, and about the Department. If you have any questions, please feel free to speak with any of the faculty members, or contact the Philosophy Department Secretary at 305-348-2185. Table
of Contents (select links to move to indicated portion of this
Advising Guide): Philosophy encompasses a broad range of topics and methods of inquiry: Socratic questioning of the extent and nature of human knowledge, probing the rational basis of moral and political thought, confrontation with fundamental questions of value and meaning, analysis of basic concepts underlying theoretical and practical thought, reflection on the human existential situation, and exploring the structure of reasoning itself. The great philosophers are studied both for historical understanding and contemporary significance. Formal philosophical study in the Mediterranean region of Europe began at least as early as Plato's Academy. Students studied philosophy for diverse reasons: a few intended to make it a career; others used such study to illuminate the foundations of (or to expand the limits of) another field; and many pursued it out of intellectual fascination. Today individuals study philosophy for similar reasons. This study is an excellent preparation for advanced study in all of the humanities, in law, and in business. Moreover, the studying philosophy complements study of all majors in the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. Studying philosophy aids one in understanding one's overall conceptual scheme and in clarifying one's own views regarding morality, political and religious commitment, the character of reality, and the possibility of knowledge. The philosophy major emphasizes effective and critical reading, writing, and speaking; and the study of philosophy deals with the interpretation of texts, the balanced exposition and examination of issues, the construction and appraisal of arguments and explanations, and the criticism of doctrines and things commonly taken for granted.1 The skills and training which one receives as a philosophy major or minor are valuable in many careers. The major or minor serves as evidence to prospective employers or graduate schools that one is capable of creative and analytical thinking, and that one is proficient in research, reasoning, problem-solving, and verbal and written communication. Among the fields to which philosophy majors and minors have successfully transferred their philosophic backgrounds and skills are teaching at the pre-college level, educational administration, government, computer technology, law, medicine, business, journalism, publishing, management, and administration of non-profit organizations.2 One traditional conception of undergraduate education views it as general preparation for life. Those who champion this view contend that such an education is not primarily concerned with preparation for a particular profession via the acquisition of specific bits of information or particular practical behavioral competencies. While one may question whether this view correctly captures the nature of undergraduate education in general, it clearly applies to the undergraduate philosophy major. While
the study of philosophy does greatly enhance a number of very important
practical capacities, it is oriented not toward accomplishing these
ends but, rather, toward: 1. cultivating one's analytical, critical, integrative, and communication skills;
1. critical thinking: it is not clear that critical thinking can be taught, but it is clear that this propensity can be enhanced through practice. Philosophy courses, of course, thrive on critical thinking and the study of philosophy generally hones one's critical faculties and enables one to think more critically. A major in philosophy should develop the capacity for critical thinking in at least three respects. One is the practice it affords in criticism--that is, thinking of counter-examples to questionable generalizations, drawing out the consequences entailed by a claim that reduce it to absurdity, and discerning defects in analogies that might otherwise pass unnoticed. Another is responsiveness to concrete cases; imagination is needed to give discriminating and illuminating phenomenological descriptions of experience, to appreciate the thinking expressed in a text or theory, and then to discern its limitations. A third is interpretation and theorizing. It takes constructive imagination to frame accounts of matters relating to explanation, freedom, justice, justification, meaning, necessity, obligation, truth and valuation, and to relate positions in one area of inquiry to those in another.3
II. PRE-LAW AND THE PHILOSOPHY MAJOR: Philosophy majors develop many skills needed in law school and in legal careers: analysis of arguments, organizing reasoning, identifying fallacies, uncovering premises and presuppositions, and structuring complex thought. Argument and reasoning are fundamental in both philosophy and legal thought. Although formal deductive logic has an important role in legal contexts, legal practice and scholarship also demand continual attention to informal logic and to probability judgments. The study of philosophy hones one's deductive and inductive skills. In addition to developing these skills for legal thought, philosophy majors inquire into many topics of interest to pre-law students. Ethics, social and political philosophy, and philosophy of law are the philosophical areas most obviously related to law. Legal concepts and normative arguments in law intersect with moral and political concepts such as justice, social obligation, fairness, wrongfulness, and legitimate authority. Contract law intersects with the ethics of promising, criminal law intersects with philosophical concerns about responsibility and punishment, tort and property law intersect with philosophical reflection upon distributive and corrective justice. The relevance of philosophical reflection to American constitutional law is deep and pervasive--indeed, it is often argued that fundamental changes in conceptions of constitutional rights are justified by reasoning more akin to philosophical argument than to ordinary legal reasoning. And so contemporary legal scholarship reverberates with philosophical reflection, with many law schools including faculty with joint appointments in law and philosophy, and law journals frequently including articles by philosophers as well as philosophically informed lawyers. Less obviously related areas of philosophy also engage the attention of reflective legal scholars and practitioners. The philosophy of mind and metaphysics impact legal thought concerning intention, voluntariness, and free will as well as liability and personal identity. The theory of knowledge, with its sustained scrutiny of the difficulty of fully grasping the truth, spurs inquiry into knowledge claims both about the law and about empirical matters of relevance to law and lawmaking (such as the deterrent effect of various kinds of punishment). Philosophical reflection concerning the human existential condition challenges legal thought to see the lived reality of the people sometimes objectified within legal scholarship and practice. Pre-law philosophy students may choose any of the three tracks offered to philosophy majors. The Professional Track is especially recommended for those considering a combination of graduate work in philosophy and law, whether by directly entering one of the joint philosophy/law school programs offered at several universities, or by beginning in either philosophy alone or law school alone while contemplating an eventual combination. And within the Specialized Track there is an available pre-law focus that may be especially attractive to some, for it concentrates on philosophical reflection directly related to law. This specialized focus can also facilitate a dual major with another pre-law field. Philosophy
faculty advisors on both campuses will provide pre-law philosophy majors
with information about taking the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and
about registering with and using the Law School Data Assembly Service
(LSDAS). Advisors will also discuss the importance of recommendations
from faculty and the procedures for obtaining them. In addition
to facilitating application to law school, the philosophy faculty are
committed to helping pre-law philosophy majors during the process of
preparing academically for the rigors of law school itself, with its
heavy demands for reasoning, clarity, and systematic thought.
Philosophy Pre-Law Advisors: University
Park: Professor Kenneth Henley
(348-3346)
III. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PHILOSOPHY MAJOR: (Minor below) Philosophy majors may choose one of three tracks. The General Track is designed to serve students with a broad interest in philosophy. The Professional Track is designed for students considering philosophy as a professional discipline. It is especially appropriate for those considering graduate work in philosophy and those with an interest in a thorough and systematic study of the full range of philosophical thought. The Specialized Track is designed for students who are interested in philosophical reflection on a specific discipline or area such as law, religion, or psychology. It is especially appropriate for pre-law students and for DUAL MAJORS who are interested in the relationship between philosophy and their other major discipline. The SASS Audit for philosophy majors has the General Track as its "default" setting, and so majors who wish to declare a Professional Track or a Specialized Track major must meet with their Advisor who will inform the appropriate officials of the choice so that the SASS Audit can be adjusted. Students must declare the Specialized Track at least two semesters before graduation. During their lower division years, students are encouraged to take other courses in Philosophy according to their particular interests. Faculty members are available to advise students even before they have declared the major, and students are advised to take their major courses throughout their undergraduate education rather than trying to take them all in the final semesters. PHI 2011 (Philosophical Analysis) provides students with an excellent introduction to philosophy and serves to prepare students for their major courses. To qualify for formal admission to the Philosophy Department, FIU students must have met all the lower division requirements (including CLAST), completed 60 semester hours, and be otherwise acceptable to the Department. The following requirements apply to all three tracks: (i) any course taken to fulfill a requirement for the major may not be taken with the "pass/fail" option and must be passed with a grade of "C" or better; (ii) no more than six hours of Independent Study may be used to fulfill major requirements; (iii) at most one of PHI 2100 (Introduction to Logic), PHI 2103 (Critical Thinking), or their equivalents, may be used to fulfill major requirements, and at most six other hours of lower division philosophy courses may be counted toward the degree; (iv) in addition to fulfilling the requirements of the major, the College of Arts and Sciences has a number of requirements which are listed in the University's Catalog at the beginning of the Arts and Sciences.
1. The General Track: (33 Semester Hours Required) The General Track is designed to serve students with a broad interest in philosophy. One three-hour Logic course is required, selected from PHI 2100 or PHI 2103 (at the most one of these two courses may be used to fulfill major requirements), or PHI 4130, or PHI 4161. The remaining 30 hours may include any other philosophy courses (except that only one of PHI 2100 or 2103 may count toward the major). Students are strongly encouraged to discuss their course selections with their advisors. Common Requirements for All Tracks
2. The Professional Track: (33 Semester Hours Required) The Professional Track is designed for students considering philosophy as a professional discipline. It is especially appropriate for those considering graduate work in philosophy and those with an interest in a thorough and systematic study of the full range of philosophical thought. While a foreign language is not required for the major, students considering graduate school should seriously consider sufficient course work in German, French, Latin, or Greek so that they achieve fluency in the language. Receiving
a "C" or better in 33 semester hours of upper division philosophy courses
distributed as follows will fulfill the requirements for this
track: I. Logic and Probability (3 hours): PHI 4130 Symbolic Logic PHI 4161 Philosophy and Probability *PHI
2100 and PHI 2103 do not fulfill the Logic/Probability requirement for
this track, but one of these two may count toward the major under the
category "other Philosophy Courses". II. Epistemology/Metaphysics (6 hours): PHI 3300 Epistemology PHI 3320 Philosophy of Mind PHI 3400 Philosophy of Science PHI 3420 Philosophy of Social Science PHI
3454 Philosophy of Biology PHI
XXXX Language
and Paradox PHI 4220 Philosophy of Language PHP 4782 Phenomenology PHP 4786 Existentialism PHI 4836 Philosophy of Time PHI
4764 Religious Experience III. Value Theory (6 hours): PHI 2600 Introduction to Ethics PHI 3601 Ethics PHI 3800 Philosophy of Art PHI 3640 Environmental Ethics PHI 3638 Contemporary Ethical Issues PHI 4633 Biomedical Ethics PHM 3200 Social and Political Philosophy PHM 4123 Philosophy and Feminism PHM 4430 Philosophy of Law PHP 4510 Marxism PHM
4430 Topics in the Philosophy of Law PHI
XXXX Philosophy of Film IV. History of Philosophy (9 hours): PHH 3100 Ancient Philosophy PHH 3200 Medieval Philosophy PHH 3420 Early Modern Philosophy PHH 3440 Late Modern Philosophy PHH 4600 Twentieth Century Philosophy PHI 4930 A Major Philosopher PHH
3401 16th and 17th Century Philosophy
PHH 3402 British Empiricism V. Non-Western Philosophy (3 hours): PHH 3810 Philosophy of Buddhism PHH 3840 Chinese and Japanese Philosophy PHI 3073 African Philosophy PHH 3042 Latin American Philosophy PHI
3762 Eastern Philosophical and Religious Thought
VI. Other Philosophy Courses (3 hours): Any
Philosophy courses (PHI, PHH, PHM, and PHP prefixes) may be used to
fulfill this portion of the requirement provided that they have not
been used to fulfill one of the earlier distribution requirements.
VII. Philosophy Seminar (3 hours). Common Requirements for All Tracks
3. The Specialized Track: (33 Semester Hours Required) It is required that you speak with the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the department before choosing this track. The Specialized Track is designed for students who are interested in philosophical reflection on a specific discipline or area such as law, religion, or psychology. It is especially appropriate for pre-law students and for dual majors who are interested in the relationship between philosophy and their other major discipline. An approved Individualized Plan of Study will meet the requirements for this track. Such plans are designed by the Philosophy Advisor in consultation with the student so that they can be tailored to the student's specific interests and goals. Students pursuing the Specialized Track must secure prior written approval of their course selections from their Advisor. The
proposed course selections must present a clear, focused, and coherent
plan of study. Each such plan must include 33 semester hours,
and the courses taken in accord with the plan must be passed with a
grade of "C" or better. One three-hour Logic course is required,
selected from PHI 2100 or PHI 2103 (at most one of these two courses
may be used to fulfill major requirements), or PHI 4130, or PHI 4161.
With the prior written approval of the Philosophy advisor, up to nine
semester hours from other programs may be counted toward
the thirty three hour major (only six hours credited toward the major
requirements of another major program may be counted toward the 33 hour
philosophy major). Students must secure written approval of their
Individualized Study Plan for a Specialized Track from their
advisor at least two semesters before graduation. Examples
of Individualized Study Plans Fulfilling the Specialized Track: Example 1: Pre-Law and Social-Political Philosophy: At least seven Philosophy courses from the following: PHI 2600 Introduction to Ethics; PHI 3601 Ethics; PHI 3638 Contemporary Ethical Issues; PHI 3200 Social and Political Philosophy; PHM 4400 Philosophy of Law; PHM 4430 Topics in Philosophy of Law; PHP 4510 Marxism; PHM 4123 Philosophy and Feminism; PHI 3700 Philosophy of Religion; PHI 4222 Philosophy of Dialogue; or PHI 4633 Biomedical Ethics. One three hour Logic course selected from PHI 2100 or PHI 2103 (at most one of these two courses may be used to fulfill major requirements), or PHI 4130, or PHI 4161. Up to three courses from the following: ANT 3302 Male and Female: Sex Roles and Sexuality; ANT 4273 Law and Culture; CCJ 4252 Criminal Justice and the Constitution; CCJ 4280 Law and Criminal Justice; CPO 4057 Political Violence and Revolution; INR 3403 International Law; PAD 4040 Public Values, Ethics and Morality in Changing Environment; ISS 3330 Ethical Issues in Social Science Research; POS 3604 Constitutional Law: Limits; POS 3603 Constitutional Law: Powers; POS 3283 The Judicial Process; POT 3013 Ancient and Medieval Political Theory; POT 3054 Modern Political Theory I; POT 3055 Modern Political II; POT 3064 Contemporary Political Ideologies; PSY 4930 Women, Law and Social Psychology; PUP 4323 Women in Politics; REL 3170 Religion and Ethics; REL 3492 Nature and Human Values; SOP 4842 Legal Psychology; SYA 4010 Sociological Theories; or SYA 4011 Advanced Social Theory. Top of Specialized Track Section Common Requirements for All Tracks Example 2: Western Philosophy and Its Historical Context: PHH 3100 Ancient Philosophy and at least six of the following Philosophy courses: PHH 3200 Medieval Philosophy; PHH 3420 Early Modern Philosophy; PHH 3401(16&17 Century Philosophy), PHH 3602 (British Empiricism), PHH 3440 Late Modern Philosophy; PHH 3700 American Philosophy; PHH 4600 Twentieth Century Philosophy; PHP 4510 Marxism; PHP 4782 Phenomenology; or PHP 4786 Existentialism. One three-hour Logic course selected from PHI 2100 (which counts within this track as part of the 33 hour total), PHI 4130, or PHI 4161. Up to three courses from the following: (some of these are acceptable only if particular choices are made within the above Philosophy list): AMH 3332 American Intellectual History II; EUH 3122 Europe in the Later Middle Ages; EUH 3142 Renaissance and Reformation; EUH 3181 Medieval Culture; EUH 3205 Nineteenth-Century Europe; EUH 3611 European Culture & Intellectual History; EUH 4286 Topics in European History (the Philosophy advisor would need to approve the particular topic offered); EUH 4453 The French Revolution & Napoleon; EUH 4520 England in the 18th Century; EUH 4602 The Enlightenment; EUH 4660 Modern Europe, 1789-Present; HIS 3308 War and Society; HIS 4454 The History of Racial Theory in Europe and the United States. Top of Specialized Track Section Common Requirements for All Tracks Example 3: Philosophy and Religious Thought: PHI 3700 Philosophy of Religion, PHI 4764 Religious Experience, and at least five of the following Philosophy courses: PHH 3100 Ancient Philosophy; PHH 3200 Medieval Philosophy; PHH 3420 Early Modern Philosophy; PHI 3300 Epistemology; PHI 3500 Metaphysics; PHI 3601 Ethics; PHI 4161 Philosophy & Probability; PHI 3638 Contemporary Ethical Issues; PHI 3762 Eastern Philosophical and Religious Thought; PHI 4222 Philosophy of Dialogue; PHM 3040 Philosophical Anthropology: PHM 4050 Philosophy of Death; PHP 3840 Chinese and Japanese Philosophy; PHP 4782 Phenomenology; PHH 4600 Twentieth Century Philosophy; PHH 3810 Philosophy of Buddhism; or PHP 4786 Existentialism. One three-hour Logic course selected from PHI 2100 (which counts within this track as part of the 33 hour total), PHI 4130, or PHI 4161. Up to three courses from the following: ANT 3241 Myth, Ritual, and Mysticism; EUH 3121 Europe in the Earlier Middle Ages; EUH 3122 Europe in the Later Middle Ages; EUH 3142 Renaissance and Reformation; EUH 4602 The Enlightenment; PPE 3670 Psychology of Myth; or PPE 4104 Humanistic Psychology; REL 3160 Science and Religion; REL 3170 Ethics in World Religions; REL 3520 Saints, Witches and Cathedrals; REL 4340 Pathways to Buddha; REL 4370 African Religions; REL 4420 Contemporary Religious Thought; SYA 4010 Sociological Theories; SYO 4200 Sociology of Religion and Cults. Top of Specialized Track Section Common Requirements for All Tracks Example 4: Philosophy and Difference: At least seven Philosophy courses from the following: PHH 3042 Latin American Philosophy; PHI 3073 African Philosophy; PHM 4123 Philosophy and Feminism; PHH 3840 Indian Philosophy; PHI 3762 Eastern Philosophical & Religious Thought; PHP 3840 Chinese and Japanese Philosophy; PHI 4222 Philosophy of Dialogue; PHM 3040 Philosophical Anthropology; PHI 3600 Ethics; PHI 4630 Contemporary Ethical Issues; PHM 4020 Love and Sexuality; PHP 4510 Marxism; or PHP 4786 Existentialism. One three-hour Logic course selected from PHI 2100 or 2103 (Either of which counts within this track as part of the 33 hour total), or PHI 4130, or PHI 4161. Up to three courses from the following: AMH History of Women in the United States; ANT 3034 Anthropological Theories; ANT 3302 Anthropology of Gender; ANT 3304 Voices of Third World Women; ANT 3640 Language & Culture; ANT 4306 The Third World; ANT 4352 African Peoples & Cultures; LIN 4651 Gender and Language; LIT 3383 Women in Literature; POS 4605 Gender Justice; POT 4309 Sex, Power and Politics; PUP 4323 Women in Politics; REL 4340 Pathways to Buddha; REL 4345 Zen Buddhism; REL 4370 African Religions; REL 4481 Contemporary Latin American Religious Thought; REL 3145 Women and Religion; SOP 3742 Psychology of Women; SYA 4170 Comparative Sociology; SYD 4704 Seminar in Ethnicity; INR 4024 Ethnicity and Nationality: World Patterns and Problems; WST 4504 Feminist Theory. The University is particularly rich in courses that would be evidently and directly related to Philosophy & Difference, and there are other courses which could be added to this list with an advisor's approval. Top of Specialized Track Section Common Requirements for All Tracks Example 5: Philosophy and Psychology: PHI 3320 Philosophy of Mind and at least six of the following Philosophy Courses: PHI 4161 Philosophy & Probability; PHI 3300 Epistemology; PHI 3400 Philosophy of Science; PHI 3420 Philosophy of Social Science; PHI 3500 Metaphysics; PHI 4221 Philosophy of Language; PHI 4222 Philosophy of Dialogue; PHI 4321 Topics in the Philosophy of Mind; PHM 3040 Philosophical Anthropology; PHM 4020 Love and Sexuality; PHM 4050 Philosophy of Death; PHP 4782 Phenomenology; PHH 4600 20th Century Philosophy; or PHP 4786 Existentialism. One three-hour Logic course selected from PHI 2100 (which counts within this track as part of the 33 hour total), PHI 4130, or PHI 4161. Up to three courses from the following: DEP 3115 Development in Infancy: The Basis of Human Knowledge; DEP 4032 Life-Span Cognitive Development; DEP 4044 Psychology of Moral Development; DEP 4164 Children's Learning; DEP 4182 Socio-emotional Development; EAB 3002 Intro to the Experimental Analysis of Behavior; EXP 3304 Motivation and Emotion; EXP 4204 Sensation and Perception; EXP 4605 Cognitive Processes; EXP 4934 Current Experimental Theories; PPE 3502 Psychology of Consciousness; PPE 3003 Theories of Personality; PPE 3670 Psychology of Myth; PPE 4104 Humanistic Psychology; SOP 3004 Introductory Social Psychology; SOP 3015 Social & Personality Development; or SOP 4522 Social Motivation. Top of Specialized Track Section Common Requirements for All Tracks Example 6: Philosophy and the Arts: PHI 3800 Philosophy of Art and at least four of the following Philosophy Courses: PHI 4882 Philosophy in Literature; PHH 3100 Ancient Philosophy; PHH 3200 Medieval Philosophy; PHH 3420 Early Modern Philosophy; PHH 3440 Late Modern Philosophy; PHI 3601 Ethics; PHI 3638 Contemporary Ethical Issues; PHI 4222 Philosophy of Dialogue; PHI 4764 Religious Experience, PHM 4020 Love and Sexuality; PHM 4050 Philosophy of Death; PHP 4782 Phenomenology; or PHP 4786 Existentialism. One three-hour Logic course selected from PHI 2100 (which counts within this track as part of the 33 hour total), PHI 4130, or PHI 4161. Up to two Philosophy Independent Research three-hour courses concentrating on student's particular interests and unifying the Major. Up to three upper-division courses from the following (some of these are acceptable only if particular choices are made within the above Philosophy list and the Independent Research topics): Courses in Literature from either the English department or Modern Languages; Art History courses; upper-division courses in the visual arts; music and music history; or theater and dance. Top of Specialized Track Section Common Requirements for All Tracks IV. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PHILOSOPHY MINOR: A student majoring in another academic discipline can earn an academic minor in Philosophy by taking any 15 hours in philosophy (PHH, PHI, PHM, and PHP prefixes) only three hours may be earned in lower division (1000 and 2000 level) courses.
V.
A NOTE ABOUT INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PHILOSOPHY: Independent study courses are designed for students who wish to pursue topics and interests which are not covered by the normal course offerings. They are not a means for resolving scheduling conflicts, and are not intended to serve as a means for resolving conflicts between a student's studies and employment schedules. The only way to register for independent studies in philosophy is with a Permission Number, and these are given to students only with the permission of the professor who will be overseeing the independent study. Each faculty member will allow only a very limited number of independent studies during any semester, and students are advised to contact a faculty member well in advance of the normal registration period. Generally professors will not agree to supervise an independent study unless they have had at least one course with the student involved, and it is generally expected that a student who is requesting an independent study will have a well-conceptualized proposal for an independent study prior to discussing it with the supervising professor.
There are two different ways a student majoring in Philosophy may graduate with Honors: 1. Grade Point Average: Students with a cumulative FIU GPA of 3.9 or higher graduate Summa Cum Laude; students with a cumulative FIU GPA of 3.70-3.899 graduate Magna Cum Laude; and students with a cumulative FIU GPA of 3.5-3.699 graduate Cum Laude. 2. FIU Honors College: Philosophy majors who have been accepted into the Honors College may elect to take the required Honors Seminars in the Honors College, or they take some of these Seminars and write an Honors Thesis in the Philosophy Department during their Senior year. This Thesis option is open only to Honors Program students who are Philosophy majors who must apply for it during the Spring semester of their Junior year. To receive Honors via the Thesis option, students must enroll in one three-credit Honors Thesis Independent Study course in Philosophy in each of the Fall and Spring semesters of their Senior year, they must write a substantial Honors Thesis, and this Thesis must be approved by both their Thesis Advisor (who directs the independent studies) and the Departmental Chairperson. Eligible students may apply for the Thesis option by submitting a Honors Thesis Proposal to the Department Chairperson provided they have met the following minimal conditions: they must have a cumulative FIU GPA of at least 3.5, they must have completed (by the end of that semester) at least five upper division philosophy courses, they must have completed (by the end of that semester) at least one upper division philosophy course in the area in which they intend to write their Thesis, and they must have identified a faculty member who would be willing to supervise the Thesis and the two three-credit independent study courses which are associated with it. Students considering pursuing the Thesis option should read the recommendations regarding Independent Study in this Brochure.
VII. DECLARING A MAJOR OR MINOR IN PHILOSOPHY: Students may declare a Philosophy major when applying to the University or when the Office of Undergraduate Studies instructs them that it is appropriate for them to declare their major. Students who do not declare a major in Philosophy when applying to the University must complete a request for acceptance form and may need to complete a request for acceptance into upper division college/school form (if they were not already accepted into the College of Arts and Sciences). These forms are available in the Department and must be signed by a Philosophy advisor. To qualify for formal admission to the Philosophy Department, FIU students must have met all the lower division requirements (including CLAST), completed 60 semester hours, and be otherwise acceptable to the Department. Students who specify Philosophy as an intended major prior to attaining upper-division status must process a new major declaration once they attain upper-division status. The SASS audit for philosophy majors has the General Track as its "default" setting, and so majors who wish to declare a Professional Track or a Specialized Track major must meet with their Advisor who will inform the appropriate officials of the choice. Students must declare the Specialized Track at least two semesters before graduation. Students wishing to declare a second major or a minor in Philosophy must complete the request to add a second major/minor form and have it signed by their major advisor and their Philosophy advisor. A minimum of a 2.0 grade point average is required for acceptance into the Philosophy major or minor. This form is available in the Department.
VIII. EVALUATION OF TRANSFER CREDIT: While the University will generally accept transfer credit for courses with a grade of "D" or better, only courses with a "C" or better in philosophy may be applied to the 33 hours required for the major or 15 hours for the minor in philosophy. University rules allow a maximum of 60 hours of lower division transfer credit and 30 hours of upper division credit. The Philosophy Department allows a maximum of 15 of these hours to fulfill requirements for a major and 6 to fulfill requirements for a minor. At most one transferred course equivalent to PHI 2100 (Introduction to Logic) or PHI 2103 (Critical Thinking) may be used to fulfill major requirements for the major or minor. Transfer credit is also subject to the restrictions on the total number of lower divisions hours that may be used for the major (see page 5) or the minor (see page 11). Advisors may ask for copies of syllabi, catalogs, or written work for courses taken at other institutions to assist them in assessing whether transfer credit should be granted. The Commonly numbered PHH, PHI, PHM, and PHP courses (in the State University and Community College System) will automatically transfer (subject to the above limitations). Where a course taken at another institution is counted, the student's advisor will inform the SASS Office so that the student's SASS Audit may be corrected. Where a student has taken additional philosophy courses which can not be employed to reduce the total number of hours required for a major in philosophy, a faculty advisor may certify that a student has fulfilled one of the "area" requirements in virtue of prior work and allow the student to take additional courses in another area.
IX. GRADUATE SCHOOL IN PHILOSOPHY: Students who plan to do graduate work in philosophy should plan their undergraduate work carefully and should seek the advice of several faculty members in assessing their prospects and in selecting which schools to apply to. Since different schools specialize in various areas of philosophy, students should examine material posted on the Departmental bulletin boards. The Directory of American Philosophers and the American Philosophical Association's Guide to Graduate Programs in Philosophy (both available in the Department) list graduate programs in philosophy and include information regarding their specializations, faculty, and fellowship/assistantships. Philosophy graduate schools often ask applicants to submit a sample paper, and students are advised to revise a particularly good paper prior to the application deadlines so that they have one available for submission.
X. LAW SCHOOL AND GRADUATE STUDY IN OTHER DISCIPLINES: A majority of philosophy majors and minors pursue no further study in philosophy but instead use the analytical and integrative abilities that they have honed on Aristotle and Nietzsche in professional schools or in employment of various kinds.5 As indicated above, a survey of LSAT, GRE, and GMAT tests over a nineteen year period showed that philosophy majors performed substantially better than did students with other majors. Students interested in studying law or pursuing graduate work in other disciplines should plan their course work carefully and seek the advice of a number of faculty members. Since LSAT and GRE tests are given at specified times, students are advised to seek advice about graduate and professional schools during their Junior year. The Official Guide to U.S. Law Schools is available in the Department. It contains a wealth of information on various law schools. XI. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION: Faculty members are well aware of the importance of letters of recommendation. Students seeking such letters should ask the two or three faculty members who know their work best--generally faculty members will not write letters for students unless they have had them in several classes. Requests should be made several weeks prior to any deadlines for letters. While most faculty members will try to cooperate to the fullest extent possible, students should not just assume that they will agree to write a letter. Faculty members may not feel that they know the student's work well enough or they may not feel that they can honestly offer a sufficiently positive recommendation. If a faculty member declines, remember that it is better to have no letter of recommendation than to have a weak letter of recommendation. Where a faculty member does agree to write a letter of recommendation, the student should recognize that it takes time to respond to such requests and should provide in writing to the faculty member the information necessary to ensure a good letter (courses taken, student's background, student's other academic activities and interests, etc.). Faculty members may also request copies of papers and exams that the student wrote for their courses, so keep them in a safe place! It is a good idea to provide the faculty member with phone numbers so that they can contact you if they have any questions as they write the letters. Students should remember to fill out the forms completely before they are given to the faculty member. While students may ask for either "open" or "confidential" letters of recommendation, they should recognize that the "open" ones are generally dis-valued, and they should respect the confidentiality of the recommendation if they ask for such a letter.
The Director of Undergraduate Studies is the advisor for philosophy majors. It is a good idea to meet with the advisor in one's first semester as a Major to make certain that you understand the requirements and to ensure that your records are in order (that all transfer credit, test scores, and so forth are properly recorded). Advisors can help students decide upon courses, explain requirements, and generally assist students in having a fulfilling major or minor experience. Students should see advisors in their offices where they can examine the relevant files and make certain they can provide unhurried advice. Advice given between classes will be rushed and may be incomplete. XIII. GRADUATION APPLICATIONS: Students planning to graduate must submit an APPLICATION FOR GRADUATION form to the Office of Registration and Records. Students should see their advisor prior to the registration period before their final semester to ascertain that they will have met all the graduation requirements. There is nothing worse than discovering that a single requirement is unmet sometime during what one thought was one's last semester--it is then too late to register for whatever it was one should have taken, and one's graduation is delayed for at least a semester. CLAST must be satisfied and so recorded prior to the submission of the Application for Graduation. The deadline for submitting the Application is always very early in the semester. XIV. THE FIU PHILOSOPHY FACULTY: We have an twelve person philosophy faculty which provides our majors with a broad variety of course choices. We have an excellent major program, motivated and interesting majors, and a committed and capable faculty.
The philosophy faculty thanks the political science faculty for permission to borrow heavily from their Undergraduate Advising Guide. Notes: 1 Adapted from The Philosophy Major, prepared by the American Philosophical Association, 1993, p. 10. Back 2 Adapted from a letter which the American Philosophical Association sends to prospective graduate students in philosophy. Back 3 Adapted from The Philosophy Major, op. cit., p. 11. Back 4. This information is adapted from the Proceedings and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association v. 59 (1986), and v. 66 (1992). Back 5.
Adapted from "What Can You Do With A Philosophy Major?" Proceedings
and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association v. 60 (1986),
p. 730. Back |