Philosophy Majors & Programs
The philosophy program at Stan State prepares you to think carefully and rigorously about the most fundamental questions concerning human existence, knowledge, value and justice. In our program, you’ll learn to read and analyze philosophical texts closely, and to write and communicate with conceptual precision and clarity. In our small seminar-style courses, you’ll explore theories from historical and global traditions while examining your own basic assumptions about who we are, what we value and what we know. The intellectual habits you’ll develop in philosophy will help you grow into an adaptable, critical and creative thinker. These are the human skills that matter most in a rapidly changing world.
We offer a philosophy major and minor, an ethics minor and a liberal studies concentration in applied philosophy. All our programs are designed to offer flexibility. Students majoring in philosophy take a wide variety of electives, meaning you can pursue interests in other areas and stack what you learn in philosophy with skills and knowledge from other fields. Our minors allow you to choose courses on topics that speak to your interests. Philosophy also makes a great double major.
Program Learning Outcomes:
- Improve logical thinking and argumentation;
- Improve critical ability to read and interpret primary texts, and to analyze and write effectively about philosophical problems; and,
- Cultivate knowledge of the history of philosophy.
Please Note: When viewing the academic catalog, please ensure you select the appropriate catalog year from the drop-down menu at the top of the site.
Degrees & Minors
Discover your passion and explore our major, minor and concentrations below to chart your own unique path.
The B.A. in Philosophy offers a strong foundation in the history of philosophy, global traditions, and contemporary philosophical issues. Students develop in-demand transferable skills like conceptual and textual analysis, clarity and precision in communication, independent and creative thinking, and constructing and evaluating arguments. A degree in philosophy prepares students for careers in law, business, government, public policy, education and beyond, as well as for graduate and professional school.
It’s easy to fit a philosophy major into your degree plan. With several courses also meeting General Education and University Requirements, adding philosophy as a second major requires fewer additional courses than you may think.
Studying philosophy complements any major. It adds methods for deep humanistic inquiry to a science major, engagement with intellectual history and probing questions of human nature and values to a social science major, immersion in ethical theory and critical analysis to a preprofessional major such as business or healthcare and rigorous conceptual analysis and interpretive methods to a major in another humanities.
For help figuring out how to fit a double major with philosophy into your degree plan, email the Interim Department Chair, Dr. Inese Radzins at iradzins@csustan.edu.
The philosophy minor provides a flexible program of study for students who, while majoring in a different discipline, are interested in an extended engagement with philosophy, whether to provide a foundation for intellectual pursuits, develop useful skills or for enriching personal interests.
Students are encouraged to tailor the minor to emphasize philosophical issues relevant to their interests, personal or professional goals with guidance from philosophy faculty.
The Ethics Minor provides students with opportunities to examine ethical questions and problems arising in professional and public life.
This minor is an excellent complement to preprofessional majors in business and health care, education and psychology majors, and for any student that wants to think more deeply and rigorously about ethical problems. Courses in the minor will provide students with foundational skills in critical thinking, essential background in ethical theory and the analytic skills to engage meaningfully with contemporary and important ethical issues.
Students pursuing a Liberal Studies degree can choose a concentration in Philosophy. This program is designed for students who want to develop the knowledge, skills and background to bring philosophical thinking and questioning to life in their elementary school classrooms.
Updated: June 10, 2026