This area is in the School of Humanities and Global Studies within the College of Letters and Science .
Chris Diehm, Chair |
Environmental Ethics Program Coordinator |
Law and Justice Program Coordinator |
Religious Studies Program Coordinator |
philosophy Faculty and academic staff |
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C Diehm, C Horn, P Miller, D Warren, J Zinser |
REligious studies faculty and academic staff |
A Keefe, S Luft, R O’Leary, L Whitmore |
Mission: The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, housing the disciplines of philosophy and religious studies, trains you in the skills of critical thinking, ethical reasoning, written and oral communication, and empathetic engagement with diverse worldviews and religions. The training we offer equips you with the skills needed for a wide variety of professional careers and with the ability to adapt to the inevitable changes and challenges they will face after graduation.
Environmental Ethics is a branch of Philosophy that explores questions concerning the values, beliefs and attitudes that influence how people relate to the environment.
Law and Justice is an interdisciplinary program studying law in connection to human attitudes, behaviors, practices, and values. Majors and minors learn to analyze relationships between law and ethics, justice, freedom, power, rights, knowledge, truth, and justification-relationships that are not incidental to law, but critical and essential components of it. For students interested in law school or law-related careers.
Philosophy is the rigorous examination of issues that cannot be resolved through empirical observation or experiment, such as the status of ethical judgments, the existence of God, and what counts as good reason for belief.
Religious Studies is the cross-cultural and comparative examination of humanity’s diverse religious traditions.
Philosophy Honors Program
The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies offers an honors program for students majoring in philosophy, philosophy with a concentration in environmental ethics, or philosophy with a concentration in religious studies. To apply for admission:
Have at least 30 university credits.
Have 6 credits in philosophy or religious studies with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Contact the department chair or department honors adviser.
Requirements for philosophy honors are:
Complete all the requirements for the major with a GPA of at least 3.5 for courses in the major.
Complete a minimum of 6 honors credits in philosophy and/or religious studies courses with a grade of “A Honors.”
Complete one credit “Independent Study: Honors Project” in PHIL 399 or REL 399.
Test-out Policy for Philosophy
You may apply to test out of any course in philosophy or religious studies that meets one or more of the General Education Program (GEP) requirements. The department chair will make arrangements for the test. You will work with a designated faculty member who will confer with you regarding date, site, question format, etc. The faculty member will prepare a comprehensive written exam, grade it and inform you in writing of your grade within two weeks of taking the exam. If you receive a grade of B or higher, the corresponding GEP requirement will be waived.
The department assumes no responsibility for preparing you for test-out examinations. You may not apply to test out of a course in which you are currently enrolled. You may not attempt to test out of a course more than once.