Bachelor of Arts Honors in Philosophy Degree Program Guide

If you would like to take your experience of Philosophy a step further and pursue your interests in a more focused way, think about enrolling in our Honors program! Though not required for most graduate programs, the skills acquired during your honors degree will certainly strengthen your application to graduate school. For example, you will be able to use the original research conducted for your honors thesis as the basis for your sample paper. You will also have worked closely with a faculty member, who will know you and your work and be in a position to write a more detailed letter of recommendation.

Philosophy, Plato tells us, begins in wonder. In the same way, our introductory courses invite you to join in discussing deep philosophical questions about the nature of knowledge and reality, what makes an individual or a society good, and the significance of human life itself. You will learn how to interpret philosophical arguments and write papers that explore fundamental questions from different perspectives.

Academic Requirements for Philosophy Honors students

General Requirements and Information
  • Honors in Philosophy requires a minimum of 48 units to a maximum of 60 units in Philosophy
  • Promotion from year to year requires a GPA of at least 3.0 with an average of at least 3.3 in all Philosophy courses in the Fall/Winter
  • Graduation with Honors in Philosophy requires a program average of at least 3.0 with an average of at least 3.3 in all Philosophy courses. Graduation with First Class Honors requires an average of at least 3.7 in all Philosophy courses in the two final years (last 60 units) and an average of 3.5 or better in all courses in the two final years (last 60 units)
Course Requirements
  • PHIL 498 - Honors Essay 
  • In addition to PHIL 498 above, at least 12 units at the 400 level in PHIL is required
  • 3 units from a Formal Reasoning course of your choice from:
    • PHIL 120 - Symbolic Logic I
    • PHIL 220 - Symbolic Logic II
    • PHIL 325 - Risk, Choice, and Rationality
  • 6 units from History of Philosophy courses of your choice from:
    • PHIL 202 - Indian Philosophy
    • PHIL 203 - Islamic Philosophy
    • PHIL 230 - Ancient Greek Philosophy
    • PHIL 233 - Trial and Execution of Socrates
    • PHIL 240 - Descartes to Hume
    • PHIL 333 - Aristotle
    • PHIL 336 - Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy
    • PHIL 343 - Kant to Nietzsche
  • 3 units from a Metaphysics/Mind/Epistemology course of your choice from:
    • PHIL 200 - Metaphysics
    • PHIL 205 - Philosophy of Mind
    • PHIL 215 - Epistemology
  • 3 units from an Ethics/Political Philosophy/Aesthetics course of your choice from:
    • PHIL 250 - Contemporary Ethical Issues
    • PHIL 270 - Political Philosophy
    • PHIL 280 - Philosophy of Art
    • PHIL 350 - Foundations of Ethics
Additional Notes
  • In no case can more than one reading course (i.e., 3 units) be applied toward satisfying Honors requirements
  • 400-level PHIL courses offered by St Joseph’s College may not be applied to the 400-level requirement for the Honors in Philosophy program

Academic Requirements for Philosophy Combined Honors students

General Requirements and Information
  • A Combined Honors degree in Philosophy and another discipline requires a minimum of 36 units (at the junior and senior levels) in Philosophy and a minimum of 36 units in the other discipline
  • Promotion from year to year requires a GPA of at least 3.0 with an average of at least 3.3 in all Philosophy courses in the Fall/Winter
  • Graduation with Honors in Philosophy requires a program average of at least 3.0 with an average of at least 3.3 in all Philosophy courses. Graduation with First Class Honors requires an average of at least 3.7 in all Philosophy courses in the two final years (last 60 units) and an average of 3.5 or better in all courses in the two final years (last 60 units)
Course Requirements
  • PHIL 498 - Honors Essay 
  • In addition to PHIL 498 above, a least 9 units at the 400 level in PHIL are required
  • A maximum of 9 units at the 100 level in Philosophy is permitted
  • 3 units from a Formal Reasoning course of your choice from:
    • PHIL 120 - Symbolic Logic I
    • PHIL 220 - Symbolic Logic II
    • PHIL 325 - Risk, Choice, and Rationality
  • 6 units from History of Philosophy courses of your choice from:
    • PHIL 230 - Ancient Greek Philosophy
    • PHIL 240 - Descartes to Hume
    • PHIL 333 - Aristotle
    • PHIL 336 - Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy
    • PHIL 343 - Kant to Nietzsche
  • 3 units from a Metaphysics/Mind/Epistemology course of your choice from:
    • PHIL 200 - Metaphysics
    • PHIL 205 - Philosophy of Mind
    • PHIL 215 - Epistemology
  • 3 units from an Ethics/Political Philosophy/Aesthetics course of your choice from:
    • PHIL 250 - Contemporary Ethical Issues
    • PHIL 270 - Political Philosophy
    • PHIL 280 - Philosophy of Art
    • PHIL 350 - Foundations of Ethics
Additional Notes
  • With the permission of the Honors Advisor, students pursuing Combined Honors in Philosophy and another discipline may write a combined honors essay (INT D 520) that is supervised jointly by faculty from both departments and whose subject integrates both disciplines. In these circumstances, students will complete INT D 520 in place of PHIL 498
  • In no case can more than one reading course (i.e., 3 units) be applied toward satisfying Honors requirements
  • 400-level PHIL courses offered by St Joseph’s College may not be applied to the 400-level requirement for the Honors in Philosophy program
  • In a Combined Honors program, students must meet the promotion and graduation standards of each discipline

The University of Alberta Calendar will always contain the most up-to-date degree requirements for your program, and your requirements are determined by the calendar year you were admitted in.

What kinds of courses can Philosophy Honors students take?

  • PHIL 101 - Introduction to Philosophy: Values and Society
  • PHIL 102 - Introduction to Philosophy: Knowledge and Reality
  • PHIL 200 - Metaphysics
  • PHIL 217 - Biology, Society, and Values
  • PHIL 219 - The Art of Living Well: Meaning and the Good Life
  • PHIL 230 - Ancient Greek Philosophy
  • PHIL 301 - Topics in Non-Western and Comparative Philosophy
  • PHIL 325 - Risk, Choice, and Rationality
  • PHIL 420 - Metalogic
  • PHIL 488 - Current Research in Philosophy
  • PHIL 498 - Honors Essay

What kinds of careers can you pursue with a Philosophy Honors degree?

There are many different fields and career paths that students can pursue with a Philosophy Honors degree. From law and public policy to technology and ethics, graduates are equipped with intercultural critical thinking, logical reasoning and research skills to name a few, that are assets in today’s job market. Although there is a list of career options below, it is important to understand that careers are not linear. Intentionally engaging in a variety of activities and following your curiosities will open new opportunities that you might not have expected. To learn more about how you can put your Arts degree to work, stop by the HUB Career Centre (8917 HUB Mall) for more information.

  • Journalist
  • Editor
  • Lawyer
  • Policy Analyst
  • Ethics Consultant
  • User Experience (UX) Researcher
  • Technology Consultant
  • Research Analyst
  • Intelligence Analyst
  • Market Research Specialist
  • Educator (Professor, Secondary or Primary)
  • Diplomat or Foreign Service Officer
  • Social Worker
  • Communications Strategist
  • Grant Writer
  • +More!

Interested in gaining work experience related to your career goals? If so, apply to Arts Work Experience to gain full-time, PAID, work experience before you graduate!

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