Academic Catalog 2024-2025

Philosophy

College of Arts and Humanities
Philosophy Department

Program Description

The Philosophy Department offers a major and a minor in Philosophy and a minor in Religious Studies. The program provides a strong foundation in the history of Western thought and deals with a variety of ongoing philosophical and religious issues, tracing them from their origins in early Greek and other historical sources to current theories and disputes. The department offers a variety of courses in contemporary philosophy, including phenomenology and applied ethics. The department recognizes the importance of cultural diversity and through its course offerings addresses multicultural concerns.

Features

The faculty members of the Philosophy Department bring with them a deep interest in their subjects and together provide a wide spectrum of interests and expertise in the areas of both philosophy and religious studies. All of the faculty members hold their doctoral degrees from highly respected universities and are active in research and writing.

In scheduling classes, the department endeavors to provide sufficient course offerings to permit working students the opportunity to  complete the major in a timely manner. For full-time students, courses necessary to fulfill the major are offered within a four-semester period.

Academic Advisement

Students should consult an advisor as early as possible to plan the most suitable combination of courses in advance.

Assessment

Students in the Philosophy program are involved in ongoing assessment. As part of the requirements of core courses, journals are required in addition to other written assignments such as research papers. The PHI 490 Seminar functions as a capstone experience in which work generated from previous courses in philosophy is reviewed to assist in determining the overall progress of the student in the Philosophy program.

Preparation

High school students are encouraged to take four years of English and courses in the humanities and sciences.

Transfer students should contact their Advising Center or the CSU Dominguez Hills Philosophy Department to identify appropriate lower-division major/minor preparatory courses.

Graduation With Honors

An undergraduate student may be a candidate for graduation with Honors in Philosophy provided that he or she meets the following criteria:

  1. A minimum of 36 units in residence at CSU Dominguez Hills;
  2. A minimum grade point average of 3.5 in all courses used to satisfy the upper-division requirements in the major;
  3. Four upper-division courses, including PHI 490 Seminar, taken in the Philosophy Department.