Philosophy Major & Minor Requirements

Jump to:  Philosophy Majors  |  Philosophy Minor

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.

  • Eligibility to declare a major in Philosophy (current students)
  • 1.  Save your progress toward the major on a Degree Worksheet in OASIS
    2. No courses are required in order to declare; however, if you have taken courses toward the major, you must have a combined 2.0 GPA in those courses.  
  • Declaring multiple majors
  • Current students, not in their first term, may apply for a double major using the Change of Major form in OASIS. You will be accountable for the philosophy eligibility requirements listed above, in addition to eligibility requirements for the other major you wish to declare. Students may not overlap more than 20% of upper division coursework between any two majors—20% is usually two courses, but not always. Low-unit majors, like philosophy and other humanities majors, may only allow for one course to overlap. Find the overlap policy on the College of Letters and Science website.
  • Eligibility requirements for prospective transfer students
  • Prospective transfer students should refer to requirements set by Admissions. 
  • Pass/No Pass Grade Policy
  • The Philosophy Department has no policies against taking major courses with a P/NP grading option. Students are free to elect a P/NP grading option for their major courses. However, students are still subject to the P/NP policy outlined in the College Unit Requirements set by the College of Letters and Science.

    The College Unit Requirements limit the total number of P graded units that can count towards graduation. 
    → Self-elected P graded units, switched from a letter grading option, cannot exceed one-fourth of your total units earned in residence at UC Davis
    → All P graded units, automatic and self-elected, cannot exceed one-third of your total units earned in residence at UC Davis 

    The Office of the University Registrar provides more information about repeating courses with P/NP grades. 

UC Davis degree requirements for a Bachelor of Arts include major requirements, general education, and other degree requirements, such as foreign language. Refer to the College of Letters and Science for more information about your non-major degree requirements.  

 

Major Requirements for Philosophy

 

General Emphasis
Pre-Law Emphasis
Pre-Medicine Emphasis

 Minor Requirements for Philosophy

Minors are optional at UC Davis and can be useful in helping students reach the required total of 180 units for graduation. The University will not allow students to overlap more than one upper division course between a major and a minor. Find the overlap policy on the College of Letters and Science website.

General Philosophy Minor
Philosophy Minor with a Logic Emphasis