BA in Philosophy - Concentration in Pre-Law
Any student with a declared philosophy major is eligible for the philosophy pre-law concentration.
Program Requirements
A minimum total of 120 credit hours is required for the BA in philosophy with a concentration in pre-law. 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 credit hours of philosophy courses, at least 15 of which must be in courses numbered 300 or above. For the pre-law concentration, students are required to take four courses, one from each category listed below, for a total of 12 pre-law credit hours.
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 1 | 34-35 | |
| College Requirements | ||
| Select courses to complete all LAS Competency Areas 1 | 36 | |
| Major Requirements 2 | ||
| Select 15 credit hours of philosophy courses | 15 | |
| Analytical Reasoning Courses | ||
| Select one of the following courses | 3 | |
| Critical Reasoning | ||
| Introductory Logic | ||
| Introductory Logic Honors | ||
| Ethics Courses | ||
| Select one of the following courses | 3 | |
| Contemporary Ethics | ||
| History of Ethics | ||
| Ethical Theory | ||
| Metaethics | ||
| Philosophy of Law Courses | ||
| Select one of the following courses | 3 | |
| Classical Philosophy of Law | ||
| Contemporary Philosophy of Law | ||
| Contemporary Philosophy of Law Honors | ||
| Political and Social Philosophy Courses | ||
| Select one of the following courses | 3 | |
| Political Philosophy | ||
| Latin American and LatinX Thought | ||
| Philosophy of Feminism | ||
| Contemporary Chinese Philosophy | ||
| Ethics of Space Exploration | ||
| Philosophy of the Social Sciences | ||
| Open Electives | ||
| Select enough electives to reach 120 credit hours | 22-23 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
- 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.
Applied Learning
Students in the Bachelor of Arts in philosophy 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.