Undergraduate Programs

• Grades and minimum grade point average — You must have a grade of C- or better in all courses that you use to satisfy the requirements of the major or minor. A grade of C- or better is also required for English 110, your second writing course, and the CAS breadth requirements. Grades below C- may be used as free electives, and to meet the math and foreign languages requirements for the degree. To graduate, you must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0, as well as a cumulative major GPA of 2.0 in classes that count toward your major.
• Credits and cross-listed courses — There is a limit of 45 hours on the number of credits in philosophy that can be counted toward the total 124 hours needed to graduate. Any philosophy courses cross-listed in other departments, and taken under their numbers, will be included in this limit. For example, if you have already taken 45 hours of philosophy courses and enroll in a cross-listed women and gender studies course, it will not count toward your total 124 hours. Running over 45 hours will extend the number of hours needed to graduate.
• Senior seminar — Majors must take the senior seminar, PHIL 465, which is listed as a second writing course. Remember that second writing courses count as such only if you have completed 60 credits before taking them. So, if you take PHIL 465 before you have completed 60 credits, it will not fulfill your second writing requirement, but will fulfill your senior seminar requirement.
• University breadth requirements — Note that many philosophy courses may be used to meet CAS and university breadth requirements as well counting toward the major or minor. (However the CAS groups, A-D, require work in at least two different departments.)
• Discovery Learning Experience courses — The Department of Philosophy currently does not have any special DLE courses. Options to satisfy the university DLE requirement include: study abroad, teaching assistantship, internship, independent study (Phil 366), or a DLE course in another department. (Discuss these options with your advisor.)
• Pass/fail courses — Pass/fail courses may only be used as free electives and will not count toward the major or minor. You are limited to one P/F course per semester, and 24 credits toward the degree.
• Repeated courses — Repeated courses count only once toward your degree.
• Course substitutions — Substitutions for the major requirements require the approval of the department chair. Exceptions to other requirements require the approval of the Dean, and require substantial justification.

We prepare students for careers or advanced degrees in philosophy. Students who successfully complete our programs will:

• Develop a good understanding of the central topics (ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, logic) of philosophy and the history of philosophical inquiry into those topics.
• Understand the methods of philosophical inquiry: (1) How philosophical analyses and theories are developed, defended, and criticized; and (2) How to recognize and evaluate the logical structure of reasoning in philosophical and other work.
• Interpret, analyze, and evaluate philosophical texts; identify, analyze, and evaluate the philosophical content in other kinds of writing.
• Engage honestly and respectfully with opposing views, inviting and anticipating challenges to one’s own views, and responding constructively to those challenges.
• Understand how to apply philosophical methods and theories to issues arising in society (such as law, politics, medicine, the environment, etc.).
• Write clear, analytical, and persuasive essays using original, philosophical argumentation.

MINOR REQUIREMENTS – 15 credits

A minor in philosophy requires a minimum of 15 credits, consisting of PHIL 105 or 205; PHIL 300, 301 or 303; an additional 300-level PHIL course; and two PHIL electives.​​

See UD Catalog for Requirements

The interdisciplinary minor in religious studies requires a minimum of 15 credits. In addition to philosophy courses, students take courses from at least three different departments or disciplines. Reflecting the "interdisciplinary" nature of the minor, student are exposed to a variety of methodological approaches to the study of religion as a cultural phenomenon.​​ For more information, contact Alan Fox, the department's religious studies advisor, at afox@udel.edu.

The interdisciplinary minor in medical humanities explores how different kinds of humanistic inquiries inform and are informed by the science and practice of medicine. For more information, contact Mark Greene, the department's medical humanities advisor, at mkgreene@udel.edu.

The interdisciplinary minor in science, technology and philosophy requires a minimum of 15 credits. Student take philosophy courses on ethics, logic, scientific reasoning, decision theory, science and religion, religion and psychology, medical ethics, and environmental ethics. Students also take cognitive science courses on animal minds; philosophy and biology; and race, gender and science. A course on ethics and impacts of engineering is also available.

Submit a short piece defending a view on any ethical issue. The winner receives $750.

• Entries should be a maximum of 1,200 words.
• Email entries in PDF format to jpust@udel.edu.
• DO NOT include identifying information in the PDF file.
• Entries will be judged by Department of Philosophy faculty looking for the BEST ARGUMENT in defense of the most INTERESTING MORAL or POLITICAL VIEW.
• Winners will receive a prize only after (a) submitting a written statement that they have not utilized large language models (LLMs) of any kind in the writing of the paper; and (b) providing a satisfactory short oral defense of the paper to faculty judges.

The contest is financially supported by the Class of 1955 Ethics Endowment Fund. ​

For more information, email Deborah Biddle at dbiddle@udel.edu.