Mar 28, 2024  
2017-2018 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2017-2018 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Philosophy Major, B.A. (Philosophy and Religious Studies Concentration)


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College of Arts and Sciences


Department of Philosophy and Humanities


Philosophy and Humanities Information


Box 70656
Phone: (423) 439-4425
Web Address: www.etsu.edu/cas/philosophy/

Philosophy is an attempt to reason clearly and critically about all areas of experience: science, religion, art, politics, and morality. Its purpose is to understand and evaluate our most basic beliefs and values, then to integrate them into a coherent view of ourselves and the world.

Philosophy is an appropriate preparation for vocations that require a broad liberal arts education and skills in clear, creative thinking. Such vocations include law, government service, writing, the ministry, medicine, and many types of positions in business. It is especially attractive when paired with another major that teaches technical or professional skills, for example, philosophy with mass communication.

A total of 120 credits is required for graduation. In addition to the General Education Requirements, philosophy majors must meet B.A. or B.S. degree requirements in the College of Arts and Sciences. The choice of B.A. or B.S. degree should be made in connection with a student’s second major, if there is one. Students whose second major is in the humanities should choose the B.A. degree, while students with a second major in the sciences should choose the B.S. degree. A student’s interest in pursuing studies in philosophy at the graduate level is also relevant to the choice of B.A. or B.S. degree. See below. A minor is required of all philosophy majors, except those pursuing a double major. Philosophy students should be aware that most upper-division philosophy courses, excluding those required for the major, are offered only once every other year.

For students interested in preparation for seminary or divinity school, professional graduate education in theology or ministry:
Many students major in philosophy with a religious studies concentration, or minor in religious studies as a way to prepare for seminary or divinity school. (The MDiv - Master of Divinity - is the standard professional degree for students preparing for a career requiring ordination to the ministry or rabbinate.) The American Association of Theological Schools advises students to major in any humanities or social science field. While previous study in the area of religious studies and philosophy is recommended, it is not required for admission to programs of professional study leading to the MDiv. RELI 3240 (“Hebrew Scriptures”) and RELI 3250 (“Greek Scriptures”) are relevant for students interested in the Christian and Jewish traditions. Students aiming to apply to university divinity schools, or whose interest in the study of religions is primarily academic (as opposed to vocational) are strongly advised to earn a B.A. degree with at least a minor in religious studies, including SOAA 3800 (“Religion, Society, and Culture”). It is also important to complete at least 6 hours in German, French, or in a classical language at the 3000 level.

Advising

Students with 0-59 earned credit hours:

Contact the Center for Advisement and Student Excellence (CASE) to schedule an appointment with your advisor. Visit the CASE website (http://www.etsu.edu/cas/case/) or call (423) 439-5602.

Students with 60 or more earned credit hours:

Religious Studies concentration:

Contact Dr. Keith Green [greenj@etsu.edu; (423) 439-4442] for advising.

Honors-in-Discipline Students:

Contact Dr. Jeff Gold [goldj@etsu.edu; (423) 439-5810] for advising.

Transfer Students

Transfer students majoring in philosophy and religious studies should contact the chair of the department for advising as soon as possible.This will ensure that the student’s previous work will be coordinated efficiently with ETSU requirements.

Transfer students seeking a Philosophy major must complete a minimum of nine hours in Philosophy at ETSU with at least a “C” average.
 

Graduate Study - The department offers some graduate work in philosophy. Further information on graduate programs is contained in the Graduate Catalog.

For general information about the department or courses, contact Dr. Leslie MacAvoy, Chair [macavoyl@etsu.edu; (423) 439-4425].

General Program Information


To earn a degree from ETSU, there are specific course requirements established by ETSU, by the East Tennessee State University Board of Trustees, by each college, and by each department. All students must meet the degree requirements at each of these levels outlined in the following list:

University-level Degree and Graduation Requirements


Total Credit Hours for Degree: 120


College of Arts and Sciences B.A. Degree Requirements


Students majoring in the College of Arts and Sciences must meet the following requirements for the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree. Some requirements must be taken in addition to the General Education Core, whereas others specify which courses from the General Education Core must be taken.

Foreign Languages Completion of a foreign language course numbered 2020 or above with a grade of C- or better * **
   
Mathematics Specified General Education Core: MATH 1530  or MATH 1910  
   
Non-U.S. History 3 credit hours

 

* International Students whose native language is not English, and whose admission to ETSU requires them to take a standardized test of English as a foreign language (e.g., TOEFL), may substitute scores that meet the admission requirements for the foreign language requirement.
** Consult the Literature and Language Department’s placement policy listed at www.etsu.edu/cas/litlang/documents/foreignlanguagerequirement.pdf and in the listing for Foreign Languages in this catalog.

 

General Education Requirements: 41 - 42 Credit Hours


Listed below are the categories and courses specified under East Tennessee State University Board of Trustees General Education Requirements. Note that certain courses are required for this degree, specific to this major. Thus, these courses will satisfy both a General Education requirement AND a requirement of this major. (Other majors may require different General Education courses.) Where specific courses are required for this major, only those courses are listed under the category. If there are no specific major requirements for a category, all course options appear.
 

Communication


9 credits, consisting of 6 credits of written composition and 3 credits of oral communication.

Written Composition


Complete both of the following: 

Oral Communication


Complete one of the following:

Humanities and Fine Arts


9 credits, consisting of 3 credits of literature, 3 credits of fine arts, and 3 credits of humanities electives.

Humanities Electives


Complete one of the following:

History


6 credits, consisting of both of the following:

Natural Sciences


8 credits, consisting of two of the following (some require labs which are listed directly after the lecture):

(Note: Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in the College of Arts and Sciences must select 8 credit hours in a SINGLE laboratory science. Please see listing in College of Arts and Sciences B.S. Degree Requirements for options.)

Mathematics


Students will enroll in the appropriate general education math course during their first calendar year of enrollment at ETSU. Students required to complete learning support in mathematics must enroll in a learning support-designated section (L01-L99) of MATH 1530  during their first 15 hours at ETSU (not including summer) unless they are also required to complete learning support in reading or writing. Students needing learning support in reading or writing in addition to learning support in math should enroll in MATH 1530-Lxx immediately upon completing their other learning support requirements. Additional information may be found on the University Advisement Center website www.etsu.edu/uac/learningsupport/

Complete one of the following:

Philosophy and Religious Studies Concentration: 33 Credit Hours


A minimum of 33 hours is required (at least 24 hours of which must be upper division), including the following:

Minor: 18 - 24 Credit Hours


Electives: 12-22 Credit Hours


B.A. Foreign Language Requirements


The Bachelor of Arts degree requires completion of at least one foreign language course with a number of 2020 or higher with a grade of at least C-. Students may need prerequisites that could include courses numbered 1010, 1020, and/or 2010 to prepare for success in 2020.

Graduation Requirements


Graduation in this major/concentration requires a minimum of 120 credits, including General Education requirements, CSCI 1100 , college degree requirements, major requirements, and minor requirements.

Passing the CSCI 1100 proficiency test produces no credit, but satisfies the graduation requirement (see http://www.etsu.edu/cbat/computing/uit/). If the total credits from these areas are less than 120 credits, students may use free electives to complete the requirement.

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