The Major and Minor in Philosophy at UC Davis

Major and Minor Adviser

Dr. G. J. Mattey

1237 Social Science and Humanities, 752-0609

gjmattey@ucdavis.edu

Peer Adviser

Laura Eddy

1242 Social Science and Humanities, 752-2179

lmeddy@ucdavis.edu

Philosophy Major Requirements

Philosophy Major Frequently Asked Questions

Philosophy Minor Requirements

Philosophy Minor Frequently Asked Questions

Major Requirements

Preparatory Subject Matter (16 units)

Philosophy 12, Introduction to Symbolic Logic (Fall 99)
Three courses (12 units) from the following:
- Philosophy 1, Introduction to Philosophy (Fall 00, Winter 01, Spring 01)
- Philosophy 14, Ethical and Social Problems in Contemporary Society (Winter 01) OR
  Philosophy 15, Bioethics (Spring 01) OR
  Philosophy 24, Introduction to Ethics and Political Philosophy
- Philosophy 21, History of Philosophy: Ancient (Fall 00)
- Philosophy 22, History of Philosophy: Seventeenth Century (Winter 01)
- Philosophy 23, History of Philosophy: Eighteenth Century
- Philosophy 30, Introduction to Philosophy of Science OR
  Philosophy 31, Appraising Scientific Reasoning (Fall 00) OR
  Philosophy 32, Understanding Scientific Change OR
  Philosophy 33, Science and Inquiry (Winter 01)
- Philosophy 101, Metaphysics (Fall 00)
- Philosophy 102, Theory of Knowledge (Fall 00)

Note: Courses 101 and 102 may be used to satisfy Preparatory Subject Matter requirements only if they are not used to satisfy Depth Subject Matter requirements.

Depth Subject Matter: Upper-division units in philosophy (36 units).

Frequently Asked Questions: Philosophy Major

1. Do my community college courses satisfy the UCD philosophy major requirements?

Some do and some do not. Do not assume that since your course has transferred and has the same name as a UCD course, it counts toward the Philosophy major. The courses you took must be evaluated by the philosophy major adviser. For a course to be equivalent to Philosophy 12, Introduction to Symbolic Logic, the community college course must have covered truth-tables and all the inference rules of sentential (propositional) logic. For history of philosophy (Philosophy 21, 22, 23), the key issue is whether the CC course used primary sources. See the Community College Articulation Guide to find UCD courses equivalent to your community college courses.

2. Can upper-division courses I took at another university be used to satisfy the UCD major requirements?

Yes, if the course is substantially similar to a UCD philosophy course. See the philosophy major adviser for approval.

3. Do I need to satisfy the Preparatory Subject Matter (lower-division courses) before I can take upper-division philosophy courses?

Courses may be taken in any order, but be sure to check for prerequisites. For most people, Philosophy 12 should be taken before any other logic course. Philosophy 21 should be taken before any course in ancient philosophy (160, 161, 162). Philosophy 22 should be taken before courses 168, 169, 170. Philosophy 23 should be taken before courses 151, 172, 174, 175

4. Do graduate courses count toward the major?

Yes. But see the instructor before signing up, to determine whether you are prepared for the course. Also, be aware that graduate courses do not count toward the L&S; unit requirements for upper-division courses. These are: 1) 64 units of upper-division overall, 2) 27 upper-division units, including 18 upper-division units in the major, completed on the Davis campus. These requirements are especially crucial for community college transfer students with 100+ transferred units. In general, it is best to petition to receive upper-division credit for the course.

5. Can I substitute courses from other departments or programs for philosophy units?

No. The unit requirement for the philosophy major is already quite low.

6. Do courses used to satisfy the GE requirements count toward the major?

Yes.

7. Can I take courses for the major pass/non-pass?

Yes, up to the limits set by the college of Letters and Science, i.e., one-fourth of your total units taken at UC Davis (except for courses such as 199 which are graded on a pass/non-pass basis only) and the limits set for the campus, i.e., one-third of your total units taken at UC Davis. If you are thinking about taking a course on this basis, please see the major adviser about how it will look on your transcript.

8. Do my Education Abroad Program courses count toward the major?

They may or may not, depending on how close they are to courses offered by the UC Davis philosophy department. You should consult with the major advisor to determine in advance of your leaving which EAP courses would be suitable for your major at UC Davis.

9. What happens if major requirements change while I am a student?

You have the right to complete the requirements listed in the General Catalog at the time you entered the University. If, however, you choose to complete the revised requirements instead, you may do so.

10. Other questions?

E-mail your suggestions to gjmattey@ucdavis.edu

Minor Requirements

Philosophy -- General

20 upper-division units in philosophy. At most, 4 units of lower-division work may be counted toward the 20 units provided that the student has taken two lower-division courses, at least one of which is drawn from courses 12, 21, 22, 23.

Philosophy -- Logic

Philosophy 12 or Mathematics 108: 4 units
Philosophy 112: 4 units
12 units selected from Philosophy 113, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135.
Total: 20 units.

Note that course 113 may be repeated when content is different.
Students wishing to pursue the logic minor should plan to begin taking courses in their second year, due to the limited number of offerings from the last group.

Philosophy Minor: Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I use lower-division units to satisfy the minor?

You can do so only by taking two lower-division philosophy courses, at least one of which is course 12, 21, 22 or 23.

2. Can courses I took at community college be used to satisfy the minor?

Yes, but only under certain conditions. All community college courses count as lower-division, and you need two lower-division courses to substitute for one upper-division course. (See answer to the previous question.) Any course that transfers can serve as one of the two. The other one must be one of the UCD courses 12, 21, 22, or 23, or an approved equivalent. See the Community College Articulation Guide to find UCD courses equivalent to your community college courses.

3. How and when should I file for the minor?

Forms are available only from your college office. They require signature of both the major adviser and the minor adviser. No substitutions are allowed for the courses you list for the minor; any deviation requires that a new form be submitted. Therefore, you should file only when you either have completed all the listed courses or are certain that you will. The last date for filing is the end of the second week of instruction in the quarter of graduation.

4. Do I need to satisfy the Preparatory Subject Matter (lower-division courses) before I can take upper-division philosophy courses?

5. Do graduate courses count toward the minor?

6. Can I substitute courses from other departments or programs for philosophy units?

No. The unit requirement for the philosophy minor is already quite low.

7. Do courses used to satisfy the GE requirements count toward the minor?

Yes.

8. Can I take courses for the minor pass/non-pass?

Yes, up to any limits set by your college. If you are thinking about taking a course on this basis, please see the minor adviser about how it will look on your transcript.

9. Other questions?

E-mail your suggestions to gjmattey@ucdavis.edu

UC Davis Philosophy Department