The UC Davis Department of Philosophy is home to a group of nationally prominent faculty members whose students benefit from their robust scholarship activities and their dedication to teaching subject matter that ponders the questions of human existence, logic, and ethics. Philosophy contributes to the liberal education of its students. The department emphasizes an analytic approach to philosophical questions, thereby training students to understand and evaluate arguments and to think and write precisely and clearly. Recurring questions about the nature of value, the good life, right conduct, knowledge, truth, language, mind and reality are central to philosophical study. These skills are of immense value in a variety of careers.

Philosophy Majors and Minors

Philosophy Major and Minor Options

The Philosophy department offers 3 majors and 2 minors:

1. Philosophy AB (General Emphasis)
2. Philosophy AB (Pre-Law Emphasis)
3. Philosophy AB (Pre-Med Emphasis)
4. Philosophy General Minor
5. Philosophy Logic Minor

How to Declare the Philosophy Major

The requirements to declare the Philosophy major are the same for each degree type.

1. There are no specific courses required to declare the philosophy major. However, we recommend you take at least 1 lower division philosophy course to assess your interest in the subject.
2. Create a degree worksheet in OASIS for your intended PHI degree type. Input all courses you have completed towards the major and courses you are scheduled for. You do not need to input courses you plan to take.
3. Submit a Change of Major form in OASIS under the Forms & Petitions tab. 

Major Requirements for Philosophy

Philosophy AB (General Emphasis)

Provides students with a broad view of the field of philosophy. Most flexible option for coursework selection.

• Major Worksheet PDF
• University Catalog
• OASIS Degree Worksheet

Philosophy AB (Pre-Law Emphasis)

Best for students who plan to go to law school and take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Trains students in critical analysis of texts, analytical thinking skills, verbal communication, and persuasive writing.

• Major Worksheet PDF
• University Catalog
• OASIS Degree Worksheet 

Philosophy AB (Pre-Med Emphasis)

Works well as an additional major for students pursuing a traditional STEM major for pre-med requirements. Focuses on bioethics and ethical issues in patient care.

• Major Worksheet PDF
• University Catalog
• OASIS Degree Worksheet

Minor Requirements for Philosophy

Philosophy General Minor

• Minor Worksheet PDF
• University Catalog
• OASIS Degree Worksheet

Philosophy Logic Minor

• Minor Worksheet PDF
• University Catalog
• OASIS Degree Worksheet

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the difference between the Major Worksheets, University Catalog, and OASIS Degree Worksheets?

• We recommend you use all 3 tools in conjunction with each other to plan your major requirements and courses.

  The Major Worksheets are a PDF layout of the major requirements and are publicly available.

  • Benefits: includes more course options to complete your major requirements called “substitutions”. These are internally approved courses from our faculty. Another benefit is that it includes course prerequisites.

  • Limitations: does not have course descriptions and does not have a way to track your major degree progress.

  The OASIS degree worksheets are interactive and are only available for current students. They are most often used to check major degree progress.

  • Benefits: you can plug in courses you have completed or are scheduled for. It pulls courses directly from your record. Includes substitution options.

  • Limitations: does not include course descriptions or course prerequisites.

  The University Catalog, which is a university wide tool which has information on majors, courses, and more. This tool is publicly available.

  • Benefits: includes course descriptions

    Limitations: only updated once a year, and the information may be out of date. Does not include substitutions. Does not have a way to track your major degree progress.

• How many classes can I overlap between Philosophy and my other major?

• There is no limit to overlapping lower division courses (001-099) between majors. 
  
  Students may only overlap 20% of upper-division units (001-199) between two majors. This is typically 8 units (2 courses), but could be more or less depending on which two majors you are pursuing. Typically, students double majoring Philosophy can only overlap 7.2 units (see below). Please consult with a major advisor. 
  
  How to Calculate Overlap Allowance Between 2 Majors

  • 1. Find the minimum # of upper division units for each major. You can find this information in the University Catalog.

  • 2. Identify the major that has the fewer minimum # of upper div units and multiply by 0.20.

  • 3. The result you get is the number of overlap units allowed.

  Example - Philosophy AB General and Psychology AB General Overlap

  The minimum number of upper division units for the Philosophy AB General major is 36.
  The minimum number of upper division units for the Psychology AB General major is 40.

  The Philosophy major has fewer minimum upper division units (36).

  36 multiplied by 0.20 = 7.2. Therefore, the student can overlap 7 units between the two majors, which could be one 4-unit class, or a both 4-unit and 3-unit class.
  
  Find the overlap policy on the College of Letters and Science website.

• How many classes can I overlap between my major and the Philosophy General or Philosophy Logic Minor?
• Students can only overlap 1 course (lower or upper division) between a major and a minor.
• Can I P/NP any of the classes I need for my Philosoiphy Major?
• We will accept P/NP grades for all philosophy major requirements. However, there are 3 other considerations for P/NP grading.
  
  1. All students under the College of Letters and Science are subject to a Limitation on Credits for Units Graded P.
  
  1/4 Pass/No Pass Unit Rule for College of Letters and Science Students
  Only 1/4 of your total UC Davis units can be taken as self-elected P/NP (meaning courses where you choose P/NP instead of a letter grade). This does not count courses that have P/NP grading only.
  
  1/3 Pass/No Pass Unit Rule for all UC Davis Students
  Only 1/3 of your total UC Davis units can be taken as self-elected P/NP and P/NP grading only courses.
  
  2. Some graduate programs may not accept P grades for prerequisite coursework or will view a P grade as the lowest possible equivalent (C-)
  
  3. If the course you want to P/NP is a prerequisite for another course, please check if that course requires a specific letter grade. 
  
  Also, read repeating courses with P/NP grades.
• How do I declare the Philosophy General or Philosophy Logic Minor?

• After you complete at least one upper division course toward the minor with a grade of C or above, submit a Minor Declaration Form in the Forms & Petitions tab in OASIS.