Oklahoma State University

1267

Philosophy Philosophy is both an intellectual activity and a subject of study. As an activity, philosophy seeks to analyze, evaluate, and often reformulate the ideas, principles and arguments by which experience is understood and explained and by which action is directed and justified. Philosophy explores every area of experience and behavior: e.g., aesthetic, political, religious, scientific and moral. The writings produced by great philosophers are worthy of study as models of thought and as artifacts of historical influence and cultural significance. Courses offered in philosophy fall into three general groups: broad introductory courses that cover a variety of topics, historical courses that study important thinkers, and special topic or field courses. Some offerings combine the latter two characteristics. Few undergraduate courses are intended primarily for majors. The BA program in philosophy has been approved for offering at OSU-Tulsa. Students may pursue work in philosophy as part of their general education, as a support to their major area of concentration, as a minor, as a major leading to a BA degree, as a second major, or in connection with a graduate program. In addition to the standard Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, which offers three tracks (see below), the Department also offers two specialty options, Pre-Ministry and Pre-Law. The Pre-Ministry option includes required courses in Religious Studies, and students are encouraged to take counseling courses as electives. The Pre-Law option is flexible and allows students to incorporate relevant courses from departments such as Political Science, Economics, Finance and Business Communications The standard Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy accommodates students of three sorts. The "general" track is designed for students who wish to explore philosophy as a general path to the refinement of their thinking, writing and speaking, and a deepening appreciation of the most fundamental and guiding ideas and values of civilization. It is a very flexible program, requiring two lower-division introductory courses, two upper-division historical survey courses and 19 hours of additional unspecified philosophy courses numbered 3000 or above. The "pre- professional" track is designed for students who wish to provide a philosophical foundation for their professional interests (such as law, medicine, business, public service). Though requirements are technically the same for these students as those on a general track, they are assigned a second adviser who helps to coordinate curricular and other activities for the best career preparation possible. The “graduate preparation" track is designed for students who are interested in pursuing graduate studies in philosophy. It requires an additional six hours of upper-division philosophy and mandates more specific courses than either of the other tracks. Students may shift from track to track at any time without prejudice. A minor or a second major in philosophy will complement any other area of study. A philosophy minor requires 18 hours of unspecified philosophy courses, 12 of which must be numbered 3000 or above. Undergraduate Programs • Philosophy, BA (p. 1271) • Philosophy: Pre-Law, BA (p. 1273) • Philosophy: Pre-Ministry, BA (p. 1275)

Graduate Programs The Department of Philosophy offers a Master of Arts degree in philosophy. Consult the "Master's Degree Programs" section of the "Graduate College" in the Catalog for general regulations and requirements relating to admission. The Master of Arts degree in philosophy offers a broad-based curriculum designed to serve the interests of two kinds of students: 1. Professional Emphasis: for students who wish to pursue their study of philosophy as a supplement to preparation in a wide variety of professions including business, law, government, the health professions, the ministry, or counseling. Students interested in the professional emphasis have the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of courses that support their career plans (biomedical ethics, business ethics, philosophy of law, philosophy of religion, and cognate courses in other disciplines). 2. PhD Emphasis: for students who wish to pursue their study of philosophy as a preparation for PhD studies in philosophy at another institution. Students interested in the PhD emphasis have the opportunity to enhance their understanding of the history of philosophy, logic, and metaphysics and epistemology. Students in both of these emphases are able to compete for teaching assistantships and may teach either Critical Thinking or Introductory Moral/Social Problems courses. Prerequisites for admission to the program are 24 semester credit hours (at least 18 at the upper-division level) in philosophy including courses in the history of ancient philosophy (PHIL 3113 Ancient Greek Philosophy (H) or equivalent), the history of 17th and 18th century philosophy (PHIL 3213 17th and 18th Century Philosophy (H) or equivalents) and a course in logic (PHIL 3003 Symbolic Logic (A) or equivalent). Students without these prerequisites, but otherwise admissible, may be granted "qualified" or "provisional" status until the prerequisites are satisfied. The Master of Arts degree in Philosophy may be earned through any of three options: 1. Thesis option (twenty-four credit hours of course work plus six credit hours of research in which a thesis is written); 2. Report option (thirty credit hours of course work plus two credit hours of research in which a report is written); 3. Creative Component option (thirty-two credit hours of coursework including a creative component). Students will prepare a plan of study under the guidance of their graduate adviser. Each student is supervised by a three-person advisory committee appointed for, and in consultation with, the student. A student may also, in accordance with the policies of the Graduate College, select a graduate minor in connection with the master's degree in philosophy, thus permitting a concentration of work in broad areas such as social thought or cognitive science. Students pursuing a master's or doctor's degree in another field may elect philosophy as a graduate minor. Selected courses and seminars in philosophy can broaden and complement work in such areas as economics, education, engineering, English, history, psychology and sociology.

• Ethics (ETHC), Minor (p. 1269) • Philosophy (PHIL), Minor (p. 1270)