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 BA in philosophy requires a minimum of 30 credit hours of philosophy courses, at least 15 of which must be in courses numbered 300 or above. Some courses are required; some courses are selected from defined categories; and some are unrestricted.
The BA in philosophy with a concentration in pre-law requires a minimum of 33 credit hours of philosophy courses, including most of the required courses for the philosophy BA, plus PHIL 310 Classical Philosophy of Law, an upper-level course in ethics; and an upper-level course in social and political philosophy. (Courses taken to satisfy one category may not be used to also satisfy another category.)
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 | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| PHIL 125 | Introductory Logic | 3 |
| PHIL 175 | Introduction to Ethics | 3 |
| PHIL 395 | Philosophy Capstone | 3 |
| PHIL 310 | Classical Philosophy of Law | 3 |
| History of Philosophy | ||
| Select two courses from the following list | 6 | |
| Ancient Greek Philosophy | ||
| Ancient Chinese Philosophy | ||
| 19th- and 20th-Century Philosophy | ||
| Survey of Modern Philosophy | ||
| World Philosophy | ||
| Select one of the following courses | 3 | |
| Ancient Chinese Philosophy | ||
| Introduction to Japanese Philosophy | ||
| Contemporary Chinese Philosophy | ||
| Survey of Asian Philosophy | ||
| Ways of Being in the World: An Introduction to Indigenous Philosophies of Turtle Island | ||
| Latin American and LatinX Thought | ||
| Advanced Ethics Courses | ||
| Select one of the following courses | 3 | |
| Contemporary Ethics | ||
| Ethical Theory | ||
| Metaethics | ||
| Political and Social Philosophy Courses | ||
| Select one of the following courses | 3 | |
| Contemporary Philosophy of Law | ||
| Contemporary Philosophy of Law Honors | ||
| Political Philosophy | ||
| Latin American and LatinX Thought | ||
| Feminist Philosophies | ||
| Contemporary Chinese Philosophy | ||
| Philosophy of the Social Sciences | ||
| Philosophy Electives | ||
| Select two additional philosophy courses | 6 | |
| Open Electives | ||
| Select enough electives to reach 120 credit hours | 16-17 | |
| 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 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.