Any student with a declared philosophy major is eligible for the concentration in ethics.

Program Requirements

A minimum total of 120 credit hours is required for the BA in philosophy - concentration in ethics. In addition to meeting the requirements of the WSU General Education Program and the requirements of Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, students must meet the following requirements:

The major requires a minimum of 27 total credit hours of philosophy courses, at least 15 of which must be in courses numbered 300 or above. For the concentration in ethics, students must complete 12 credit hours of ethics courses, which must include at least one ethical theory course and at least one applied ethics course. Approved ethical theory and applied ethics courses are listed below.

Each philosophy major must meet with a departmental advisor at least once a semester to plan or review a program of study. These programs are designed in terms of the individual student’s interests and future plans. Up to 12 credit hours of philosophy courses taken before the decision to major in philosophy may count toward a major. Additional credit hours may be counted with the advisor’s consent.

Course Title Hours
General Education
Select courses to meet General Education requirements 134-35
College Requirements
Select courses to complete all LAS Competency Areas 136
Major Requirements 2
Select 15 credit hours of philosophy courses15
Select 12 credit hours of ethics courses, which must include at least one ethical theory course and at least one applied ethics course12
Ethical Theory Courses
PHIL 175
Introduction to Ethics
PHIL 341
Contemporary Ethics
PHIL 342
History of Ethics
PHIL 350
Ancient Chinese Philosophy
PHIL 360
Ethical Theory
PHIL 361
Metaethics
Applied Ethics Courses
PHIL 215
Introduction to Ethics of Big Data and AI
PHIL 306
Business Ethics
PHIL 327
Bioethics
PHIL 354
Ethics and Computers
PHIL 385
Engineering Ethics
PHIL 386
Biomedical Engineering Ethics
PHIL 530
Ethics of Space Exploration
PHIL 590AD
Environmental Ethics
Open Electives
Select enough electives to reach 120 credit hours22-23
Total Credit Hours120
1

Required major courses may also count towards General Education and/or LAS Competencies. Students will need to select additional electives to reach 120 credit hours required for graduation with assistance from an advisor.

2

At least 15 of the 27 major credit hours must be at 300-level or above.

The department chair or undergraduate coordinator may approve transfer courses or independent study, e.g. 699 Directed Readings, to count towards the concentration in ethics.

Students have several options for completing the applied learning requirement. See below.

Applied Learning

Students in the Bachelor of Arts in philosophy with a concentration in ethics program are required to complete an applied learning or research experience to graduate from the program. The requirement can be met by completing the following program course requirements:

Select one item from list A, or three items from list B.

A. Substantive Experiences (one item from this list)

  • Publish an article in an undergraduate philosophy journal.
  • Edit or referee submissions for an undergraduate philosophy journal.
  • Give a paper or serve as commentator for a paper at an undergraduate philosophy conference.
  • Give a poster presentation at an undergraduate philosophy conference.
  • Give a paper or poster presentation at URCAF.
  • Take a Directed Readings or Honors option which involves original research or scholarship.
  • Internship or co-op experience.
  • Serve as logic/critical reasoning tutor.
  • Serve as an officer in the Philosophy Society (PS), the Prelaw Student Association (PLSA) or the SGA.

B. Less Substantive Experiences3 (three items from this list)

  • Attend lecture of visiting speaker (in philosophy).
  • Attend philosophy seminar given by visiting speaker.
  • Attend on-campus session of the Kansas Appellate Court.
  • Attend on-campus presentation by law school.
  • Participate in visits to regional law schools organized by the PLSA.
  • Attend an undergraduate or professional philosophy conference.
  • Participate in activities of the PS or PLSA.
  • Participate in philosophical discussions on social media organized by the PS.
3

Attendance/participation is to be verified either through completed registration forms or signatures on sign-up sheets.