Philosophy (B.A.)

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates from Messiah’s Philosophy program can:

  1. Describe the major contributions of leading figures in the history of philosophy.
  2. Explain the basic outlines of the contemporary professional discussion of enduring philosophic questions.
  3. Make clear and cogent written and oral arguments and be able to evaluate the arguments of others.
  4. Write clearly and persuasively in the genre of contemporary philosophy.
  5. Research and document research appropriate to philosophy.
  6. Identify and describe potential options and one's own suitability for particular employment, voluntary service, and/or graduate education in philosophy.
  7. Identify one’s own suitability for particular employment, voluntary service, and/or graduate education in Philosophy.
  8. Connect the Christian faith with philosophy. This includes the ability:
    1. to develop a coherent Christian worldview;
    2. to think fruitfully about the Christian faith using the tools of philosophy; and
    3. to think carefully about philosophical issues from a Christian perspective
  9. Respectfully engage alternatives to and within Christianity.
  10. Evaluate one’s own beliefs and those of others with respect, honesty and rigor.

Major Requirements

Complete the following for your major:

PHIL 220Introduction to Logic

3

PHIL 247Ancient and Medieval Philosophy

3

PHIL 253Modern Philosophy

3

PHIL 318Asian Philosophy

3

PHIL 341Epistemology and Metaphysics

3

PHIL 345Philosophy of Religion

3

PHIL 460Philosophy Seminar

3

Three credits from the following:

PHIL 101Problems in Philosophy

3

PHIL 102History of Philosophy

3

Three credits from the following:

PHIL 352Existentialism

3

PHIL 354Phenomenology

3

Three credits from the following:

PHIL 325Moral Problems

3

PHIL 382Ethics

3

Six credits of 300- or 400-level PHIL electives (6 credits) 3 credits may include INTE 391

QuEST Requirements

Experiential Learning requirement 0
QuEST requirements Credits
First Year Seminar 3
Oral Communication 3
Created and Called for Community (W) 3
Mathematical Sciences 3 or 4
Laboratory Science 3 or 4
Science, Technology & the World 3
Two of the following (six credits total):
   Social Science
   European History
   United States History
6
Literature 3
Philosophy and Religion (PHIL 101 or PHIL 102) met by major
Arts 3
First Semester of Language 3
Second Semester of Language 3
Third Semester of Language or Cross Cultural 3
Non-Western Studies (PHIL 318) met by major
Bible 3
Christian Beliefs 3
Wellness course 1
Ethics (PHIL 325 or PHIL 382), World Views (PHIL 345) or Pluralism met by major
QuEST requirements 46-48
Major requirements 36
Free Electives 41-39
Total credits 123