The Major
Note: The philosophy major requirements have been changed for Fall 2026 onwards. What follows are the new requirements. If you declared your major in philosophy prior to Fall ’26, you have the option of using the new rules or the old rules. If you intend to use the old rules, make sure to talk to the DUP in philosophy prior to graduation so we can ensure that you meet the requirements.
Before You Declare Philosophy
If you are interested in majoring, it is a good idea to take a 1000 or 2000-level course as early as possible to get a feeling for philosophy as an academic discipline. If you are thinking about declaring a major you are encouraged to speak to the undergraduate advisor – currently Ross Cameron – who can answer questions not answered here.
Prerequisite for Major
Students must have passed at least one philosophy course (a course with the PHIL mnemonic) with a grade of C or better before declaring the philosophy major. The only exception to this policy shall be the following: if a student is currently enrolled in a philosophy course the DUP, in consultation with the instructor of said course, may allow a student to declare the major.
Declaring a Major
To declare a major in philosophy, first please read these instructions. Then simply fill out the relevant form at this link: https://college.as.virginia.edu/forms.
When you are declared you will be assigned an advisor within the Philosophy Department. You should meet with your advisor during preregistration week of each semester to plan your schedule for the coming semester.
Requirements
To fulfill the philosophy major, students must:
- Complete 30 credits of philosophy at 2000 level or above.
Note: For single majors, all of the classes counting toward the 30 credits must have a PHIL code. For double majors, at least 24 credits must have a PHIL code, but students can with the approval of the directors of the undergraduate programs for both majors share up to 6 credits between the majors, and so can if they wish count up to 6 credits from their other major toward the 30 credits for their philosophy major. Permission will only be given for this if there is genuine and significant philosophical content to the classes that are to be shared.
Note: Up to six credits of philosophy classes from another institution can be used toward the 30 credits of philosophy for the major, with the director of the undergraduate program in philosophy’s approval. Transfer classes cannot be used to meet any of the core areas: for each of the six core areas below, you must take one of those classes at UVA to meet that requirement. - Complete at least one class from each of the following six core areas:
(A) Logic:
PHIL1410: Forms of Reasoning
PHIL2420: Introduction to Symbolic Logic
PHIL3400: Introduction to Non-Classical Logic
PHIL4410: Mathematics, Computability, and Philosophy
Note: Most philosophy majors will satisfy this requirement by taking PHIL2420. While PHIL1410 meets the Logic requirement, it will not count toward the 30 credits of 2000+ philosophy credits needed for the major. PHIL3400 and PHIL4410 are advanced logic classes mainly intended for students who have already taken PHIL2420, although in certain cases, and with the instructor’s permission, students with a sufficient background in mathematics or computer science may be allowed to enroll in those classes without first taking PHIL2420.
(B) Theoretical Philosophy
PHIL3310: Metaphysics
PHIL3320: Epistemology
PHIL3330: Philosophy of Mind
PHIL3350: Philosophy of Science
PHIL3630: Philosophy of Language
(C) Moral Philosophy
PHIL3710: Ethics
PHIL3720: Contemporary Ethics
PHIL3730: Ancient Ethical Theory
PHIL3740: Controversies in Applied Ethics
(D) Social & Political Philosophy
PHIL3640: Political Philosophy
PHIL3645: Justice, Law and Morality
PHIL3660: Philosophy of Economics
PHIL3800: Feminist Philosophy
PHIL3810: Sex, Sexuality, and Gender
PHIL3830: Philosophy of Mental Health
PHIL3850: Heterodoxy
(E) History of Philosophy: Pre 1600
PHIL3110: Plato
PHIL3120: Aristotle
PHIL3130: Hellenistic Philosophy
PHIL3140: History of Medieval Philosophy
(F) History of Philosophy: Post 1600
PHIL3150: 17th Century Philosophy
PHIL3160: 18th Century Philosophy
PHIL3170: Kant
PHIL3180 Nietzsche
PHIL3185: Hegel
Advising
Here are some sources for advice on philosophy classes and the philosophy program:
Mark Jeter, Administrative Coordinator
Mark can answer your day-to-day questions about the logistics of the classes and the program, and the requirements for the major or minor. He should be your first port of call for questions concerning your requirements for graduation
Ross Cameron, the Director of the Undergraduate Program:
Ross has overall responsibility for the undergraduate program, so can help you with academic questions or concerns you have concerning the program as a whole. If you want to use transfer credits toward the philosophy major, those need to be approved by Ross. If you have concerns about meeting the graduation requirements, Ross can help you with those. When you want to declare the major or minor, Ross is the person to contact.
Your major advisor
If you have declared a major or double major in philosophy you will have been assigned a major advisor. They are your first port of call for questions about course selection. When you have an advising hold, they are the one to contact to lift it, and they may want to meet with you or correspond with you about your plans for the next semester.
You will keep your major advisor from the time you declare the major until you graduate. If your advisor is on academic leave, they will remain your advisor during that time, but they may be less able to reply to any questions you have quickly: in that case, you can go to Mark Jeter with any questions, or to remove an advising hold, or to Ross Cameron if you have any questions or concerns about the undergraduate program.
Summer School
The Philosophy Department ordinarily offers three or four courses each summer. Because these summer courses are usually at the 1000-level, students should not expect to take summer courses to work towards completion of the requirements for the philosophy major.
Double Majors
A number of philosophy majors are double majors, and we encourage students who are interested in doing this to try it. Students who double-major must meet the same core requirements as single majors (listed above), however they are allowed to share 6 credits with their first major. No more than two courses can be counted simultaneously for two non-interdisciplinary majors; an interdisciplinary major may share up to three courses with another major. Departmental approval for double counting courses is required from both departments.
Academic Standards
Normally, courses being applied to the major must be completed with a grade of C or higher. Students who incur a C- in a Philosophy course are placed on probation as majors for the following semester. Further, students whose cumulative GPA in major courses falls below 2.0 will also be placed on probation for the following semester. Absent significant improvement in their academic performance, these students may be discontinued as a major in Philosophy.
Seminars for Majors
The seminars for majors are small seminars in which a specific philosophical problem is studied intensively. Recent seminars have been on the problem of universals, utilitarianism, skepticism, perception and selected topics in Plato and Aristotle. The majors participating in this Seminar help choose the seminar topic and are expected to present at least one seminar paper during the semester. These seminars can be extremely rewarding, offering the student an opportunity to investigate and grapple with a philosophical problem in the context of a group of equally interested inquirers.
Independent Study and the Senior Thesis
Majors who wish to do independent work with a specific instructor should either speak to the instructor or their major advisor. If the instructor agrees, the student should register for either PHIL 4993 or 4995. Both of these are 3 credit courses and count towards the major. A Senior Thesis is not required for the major. However, students who plan to go on in philosophy are strongly encouraged to consider a project of this kind. Ideally a student should begin research on the thesis topic in the sixth or seventh semester. This initial preparation should be done under the supervision of a faculty member as a 3 credit Independent Study. The actual writing of the thesis should be done during the following semester as another 3 credit course (PHIL 4999 Senior Thesis).