Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy
Information about the Philosophy major
Degree Requirements:
General requirements:
Minimum of 120 credit hours to graduate.
Minimum of 2.0 Cumulative GPA to graduate.
Minimum of 30 credit hours to complete Philosophy major.
No more than 2 courses (6 credits) at the 100 level will be counted towards the major; at least 4 courses (12 credits) in philosophy must be upper-level courses (i.e., 300 or 400 levels).
Minimum Cumulative GPA of 2.0 for courses to count towards Philosophy major.
Minimum Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better in the courses in the major field that are credited toward the major; a grade of C- or higher must be achieved in PHI 475 Philosophy Capstone.
Majors in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences require a minimum of 15 institutional credits in the major.
For additional information, including requirements for students enrolled before 2024-2025, see the UMaine Undergraduate Catalog.
For any questions, please reach out to Derek Michaud, Chair, Department of Philosophy, The Maples 109, 581-3890, derek.a.michaud@maine.edu
Philosophical Skills (2 of the following courses):
PHI 201 — Practicing Philosophy , AND
PHI 103 — Methods of Reasoning , OR PHI 250 — Logic
History of Philosophy (3 courses):
At least one course must be an upper-level course – from the following list.
PHI 210 — Classical Greek and Roman Philosophy
PHI 214 — Continental Philosophy
PHI 221 — Classical Chinese Philosophy
PHI 287 — Classical Indian Philosophy
PHI 310 — Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy
PHI 312 — History of Modern Philosophy
PHI 315 — 19th Century Philosophy
PHI 317 — Phenomenology
PHI 404 — Pragmatism, Democracy, and Education
Philosophy Capstone (PHI 475):
Requirement may be waived if a relevant thesis is pursued via HON 498 and 499. Department approval is required. Contact the chair of the department of philosophy prior ro pursuing this route to discuss this process and secure permission.
Four Year Plan of Study
First Year
One philosophy elective without prerequisites at the 100 or 200 level.
PHI 201 — Practicing Philosophy (Philosophy Skills Requirement)
Second Year
Two courses that meet the department’s History of Philosophy requirement.
One additional course that meets the department’s Philosophy Skills requirement
Third Year
One course that meets the department’s History of Philosophy requirement.
Two upper-level philosophy electives.
Fourth Year
One upper-level philosophy elective.
PHI 475: Philosophy Capstone (or an approved Honors Thesis project)
List of Philosophy courses
For a complete listing of philosophy courses, see the UMaine catalog.