Home Page
Home Page

University of Montana Catalog 2025-2026

Philosophy B.A.

General Degree Requirements

To earn a baccalaureate degree, all students must complete successfully, in addition to any other requirements, the University of Montana General Education Requirements. Please refer to the General Education Requirements page for more information. 

Additional requirements for graduation can be found on the Degree/Certificate Requirements for Graduation page

Unless otherwise noted in individual program requirements, a minimum grade point average of 2.00 in all work attempted at the University of Montana-Missoula is required for graduation. Please see the Academic Policies and Procedures page for information on how your GPA is calculated.

Courses taken to satisfy the requirements of a major, minor, or certificate program must be completed with a grade of C- or better unless a higher grade is noted in the program requirements.

Bachelor of Arts - Philosophy

Course Requirements

Lower-Division Core
Complete all of the following courses:
PHL 210EMoral Philosophy3
PHL 233Intro to Logic: Deduction3
PHL 261YHistory of Ancient Philosophy3
PHL 262YHistory of Modern Philosophy3
Upper-Division Core I: History 1
Complete one of the following courses: 3
Wittgenstein
History of Moral and Political Philosophy
Iris Murdoch's Ethics
PHL 462
Plato
Aristotle
PHL 467
20th Century Continental Philosophy
Rousseau
Hegel
Kierkegaard
Thoreau
Nietzsche
Critical Theory
Upper-Division Core II: Value 1
Complete one of the following courses: 3
Environmental Philosophy
Environmental Aesthetics
Topics in Philosophy of Art
Philosophy and Literature
Philosophy and Animals
History of Moral and Political Philosophy
Contemporary Moral/Political Theory
Justice
Iris Murdoch's Ethics
Rousseau
Hegel
Kierkegaard
Thoreau
Nietzsche
Critical Theory
Upper-Division Core III: Metaphysics and Epistemology 1
Complete one of the following courses: 3
Wittgenstein
Epistemology
Science and the Environment
PHL 445
Philosophy and Animals
Electives
Complete three of the following courses. At least two of the three courses must be at the 300-level or higher (6 credits; 3 of these 6 credits must be in courses other than 398 or 498).9
Introduction to Philosophy
Introduction to Existentialism
Introduction to Ethics
Intro Ethics and Environment
Intro to Political Ethics
Special Topics
Hist & Philosophy of Science
Special Topics
Independent Study
The Art of Living
Historical Figures in Phil
Law and Morality
Applied Logic
Law and Discrimination
Philosophy & Biomedical Ethics
Ethics of Climate Change
Aesthetics and the Arts
Philosophy of Mind and Consciousness
Research
Special Topics
Independent Study
Seminar
Wittgenstein
Epistemology
Issues in the Anthropocene
Environmental Philosophy
Science and the Environment
Environmental Aesthetics
Topics in Philosophy of Art
Philosophy and Literature
PHL 445
History of Moral and Political Philosophy
Philosophy and Animals
Contemporary Moral/Political Theory
Justice
Iris Murdoch's Ethics
PHL 462
Plato
Aristotle
PHL 467
20th Century Continental Philosophy
Rousseau
Hegel
Thoreau
Nietzsche
Critical Theory
Undergraduate Research
Special Topics
Independent Study
Seminar
Internship
Advanced Writing Course
Complete the following course:
PHL 400Advanced Writing in Philosophy1
Upper-Division Seminar Requirement
Of the upper-division requirements (upper-division core and upper-division electives), 9 of the required 18 credits must be at the 400-level, excluding PHL 498.
Total Hours31
1

Special Topics courses taught at the 300- or 400-level (PHL 391 and PHL 491) may count as upper-division area courses provided that they have a suitable content. Consult the department advisor for additional information.

Four Year Plan

Plan of Study Grid
Freshman
AutumnHours
PHL 101L Introduction to Philosophy 3
WRIT 101 College Writing I 4
Foreign Language 101 4
PHL 261Y History of Ancient Philosophy 3
General Education Requirement 6
 Hours20
Spring
PHL 210E Moral Philosophy 3
PHL 262Y History of Modern Philosophy 3
General Education Requirement 6
Elective 3
Foreign Language 102 4
 Hours19
Sophomore
Autumn
PHL 233 Intro to Logic: Deduction 3
300-level PHL elective 3
General Education Requirement 6
Elective 3
 Hours15
Spring
PHL 210E Moral Philosophy (if didn't take last spring) 3
300-level PHL elective 3
General Education Requirement 6
Elective 3
 Hours15
Junior
Autumn
PHL 403
or PHL 449
or PHL 462
or PHL 465
or PHL 466
or PHL 467
or PHL 468
or PHL 469
or PHL 470
or PHL 472
Wittgenstein (Upper Division Core - History) 1
or History of Moral and Political Philosophy
or
or Plato
or Aristotle
or
or 20th Century Continental Philosophy
or Rousseau
or Hegel
or Thoreau
3
Upper Division Philosophy Course 3
Upper Division Elective 3
Elective 6
 Hours15
Spring
PHL 422
Environmental Philosophy (Upper Division Core - Value Theory) 1
or Topics in Philosophy of Art
or Philosophy and Literature
or History of Moral and Political Philosophy
or Contemporary Moral/Political Theory
or Justice
or Rousseau
or Hegel
or Thoreau
3
Upper Division Philosophy Course 3
Upper Division Elective 3
Elective 6
 Hours15
Senior
Autumn
PHL 403
or PHL 407
or PHL 423
or PHL 445
or PHL 448
Wittgenstein (Upper Division Core - Metaphysics and Epistemology) 1
or Epistemology
or Science and the Environment
or
or Philosophy and Animals
3
Upper Division Philosophy Course 3
Upper Division Elective 6
Elective 3
 Hours15
Spring
PHL 400 Advanced Writing in Philosophy 1
Upper Division Philosophy (400 level) 3
Upper Division Elective 6
Elective 3
 Hours13
 Total Hours127

Last updated Autumn 2024

1

Special Topics courses taught at the 300- or 400-level (PHL 391 and PHL 491) may count as upper-division area courses provided that they have a suitable content. Consult the department advisor for additional information.