Navigating the Path to a Philosophy Major at UCLA: A Comprehensive Guide to Course Requirements

The Department of Philosophy at UCLA offers students the opportunity to engage with profound ideas, hone their critical thinking skills, and explore fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, and values. This article provides a detailed overview of the course requirements for a philosophy major at UCLA, drawing upon the most current information available while acknowledging that curricular requirements are subject to change.

Introduction: Embracing the examined life

As Socrates famously stated, "the unexamined life is not worth living." Philosophy, as a discipline, encourages reflection, questioning, and the challenging of established beliefs. At UCLA, the Philosophy Department strives to cultivate these skills, helping students to become more critical, creative, and open-minded thinkers. The study of philosophy prepares students for a wide range of careers by teaching them to analyze complex ideas, write clearly and effectively, construct persuasive arguments, and develop problem-solving skills. These abilities are valuable in diverse fields such as law, medicine, management consulting, and many others.

Declaring the Philosophy Major

Students can declare the major upon completion of four preparatory courses with a GPA of 2.0 or higher. Students must also hold a 2.0 GPA or higher overall.

Preparatory Courses for the Major

Before diving into the upper-division coursework, prospective philosophy majors must complete a set of preparatory courses. These courses provide a foundation in the core areas of philosophical inquiry. The specific courses required may be subject to change, so consulting the UCLA General Catalog is essential.

Core Requirements for the Major

The philosophy major at UCLA requires students to complete a specific number of upper-division courses, distributed across different areas of philosophy. These areas typically include:

Logic: A foundation in formal logic is crucial for developing rigorous argumentation skills. Students often take courses such as Philosophy 31 and 132, and may be required to pass a departmental examination in logic.
History of Philosophy: Engaging with the history of philosophical thought is essential for understanding the evolution of ideas and the ongoing debates within the field. Coursework typically covers both ancient and modern philosophy.
Ethics and Value Theory: This area explores moral principles, ethical frameworks, and questions of value. Students examine different ethical theories and their applications to contemporary issues.
Metaphysics and Epistemology: Metaphysics deals with fundamental questions about reality, existence, and being. Epistemology concerns the nature of knowledge, justification, and belief. These two areas are often studied together, as they are closely intertwined.

Electives and Specializations

In addition to the core requirements, philosophy majors have the opportunity to choose elective courses that align with their specific interests. These electives allow students to delve deeper into particular areas of philosophy or to explore interdisciplinary connections.

Contract Courses

Contract courses (Philosophy 199) can be applied toward the elective portion of the major only (not the group component).

Law and Philosophy Specialization

Students interested in the intersection of law and philosophy can pursue a specialization in this area. This specialization requires completing four law courses (of at least two semester units each) with a grade of B or better in each qualifying course. Students should consult with the Director of the Law and Philosophy program for a list of approved courses.

Transfer Students: Navigating the Pathway

Transfer students play a vital role in the UCLA philosophy community. To ensure a smooth transition, it's crucial for transfer students to understand how their previous coursework aligns with UCLA's requirements.

Utilizing ASSIST

ASSIST is a valuable online tool that helps students determine which courses at California community colleges will satisfy specific requirements at UC campuses. By using ASSIST, transfer students can proactively plan their coursework to ensure that they are well-prepared for the philosophy major at UCLA.

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UC Transfer Pathway

The UC Transfer Pathway provides a clear roadmap for students who plan to transfer to a UC campus to study philosophy. This pathway outlines the specific coursework that students should complete at their community college to be competitive for admission and to ensure that they have a solid foundation in philosophy.

Articulation and Petitioning

All courses articulated on assist.org will be honored. Courses not articulated on assist.org may be petitioned for credit for the philosophy major or minor. Petitions are evaluated on the basis of course content, engagement with original texts, and level of rigor. Do not un-enroll yourself until you have heard back whether the course(s) has/have been approved or denied. If you would like to petition a transfer course in philosophy for GE credit, contact your main counseling unit (College Academic Counseling, AAP, Honors, or Athletics).

Advising and Support

The Department of Philosophy at UCLA is committed to providing students with the support they need to succeed. A comprehensive advising program is in place to guide students through their academic journey.

Departmental Advising Program

The purpose of the departmental advising program is three-fold: (1) to ensure that students are aware of all the relevant requirements, opportunities, safeguards, perils, and prospects; (2) to assist students in making normal progress toward the degree through a regular sequence of steps; and (3) to provide intellectual guidance and advice in the area of the students’ interest. Advising for first-year students begins with an orientation meeting held during the first week of fall quarter.

New Student Orientation

New students are strongly encouraged to attend New Student Orientation, during which time they will have an opportunity to meet with a philosophy undergraduate advisor. Students who are unable to attend orientation must contact the New Student and Transition Programs office to receive an enrollment appointment for Fall.

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UCLA Summer Sessions

It is possible to complete some of these missing courses during UCLA Summer Session. UCLA Summer Sessions has a guide for incoming freshmen and transfer students that may be helpful to review.

Graduate Studies in Philosophy

For students who wish to pursue advanced study in philosophy, UCLA offers both M.A. and Ph.D. programs. These programs provide rigorous training in philosophical research and scholarship.

Master of Arts (M.A.) Degree

For the M.A. degree, students must complete, with grades of B or better, at least nine upper division or graduate courses (36 units), excluding Philosophy 199, of which five courses (20 units) must be in the Philosophy 200 series, numbered between 200A and 290. The total course requirement must include Philosophy 200A-200B-200C and one designated course in logic or similar technical subject. Students should consult the Manual for Graduate Students in Philosophy for the list of designated courses. Courses in the 500 series may not be applied toward the course requirements for the M.A. Students working toward the M.A. degree must pass the master’s comprehensive examination, which consists of three different examinations. One of the three examinations is scheduled after each of the three first-year seminars. The comprehensive examination is passed or failed as a whole; this does not necessarily require passing of all three parts. In case of failure, the examination may be repeated by permission of the department. Full-time students with no deficiencies upon admission to graduate status in the department should be able to complete the M.A.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Degree

The Ph.D. program in philosophy at UCLA is designed to prepare students for careers in teaching and research. The program is highly selective, and admission is based on a variety of factors, including academic record, letters of recommendation, and a writing sample.

Required Course Work

Logic: Students must pass a departmental examination in logic, at the level of Philosophy 31 and 132. They must also take one upper division or graduate course in logic or similar technical subject: either Philosophy 135 or other designated course in the philosophy department.
History of Philosophy: Two graduate courses in the history of philosophy (prior to the twentieth century), at least one of which must be a graduate seminar, plus enough graduate or undergraduate courses (taken here or elsewhere) to make up an equivalent of Philosophy 100A-100B-100C.
Ethics and Value Theory.
Metaphysics and Epistemology.
Special Area Requirement: One designated graduate course in one of two areas: metaphysics and epistemology or ethics.
Electives: Group classification of a course is generally given by its catalog listing, but final classification of a course is determined by the instructor on the basis of its content and the departmental guidelines.

Additional Course Work

In addition, a Ph.D. candidate will complete two courses which may be taken on an S/U basis, bringing the total courses taken to 16. These two additional courses may, with the approval of the graduate adviser, be taken in a field outside of Philosophy. Students who are interested in the Law and Philosophy specialization or in the concurrent degree program (below) should consult with and apply through the Director of the Law and Philosophy program.

Law and Philosophy Specialization (Ph.D.)

In order to specialize in Law and Philosophy, students must complete four law courses (of at least two semester units each) with a grade of B or better in each qualifying courses. Students should consult with the Director for a list of approved courses. For this concurrent degree program, three law courses from an approved list may be double-counted toward the elective course requirements for the Ph.D. degree.

Teaching Requirement

A teaching requirement of three quarters of teaching assistant experience while enrolled in Philosophy 375 is required for the Ph.D.

Examinations and Dissertation

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. The department does not require a separate written examination to be passed by students as a condition of advancement to doctoral candidacy. It does, however, require each student to take all three parts of the master’s comprehensive examination by the end of the student’s first year (according to the description and schedule given above) to give the department evidence of proficiencies and deficiencies. This examination therefore serves as the doctoral written qualifying examination. In the second and third years, students must satisfy two special area requirements: one in metaphysics and epistemology and one in ethics. Students must take one specially designated graduate course in one of the two areas and write a paper prepared in accordance with a specific format called a “proposition” in the other area. The special course requirement in either metaphysics and epistemology or in ethics should be completed in the second year, and the proposition requirement covering the remaining area should be completed in the third year. In the fourth year, students begin a new series of individual studies courses (Philosophy 596) in consultation with the dissertation supervisor to develop a well-defined dissertation project. A doctoral committee is chosen and the University Oral Qualifying Examination is scheduled. The primary purpose of this examination is to determine whether the student is able to complete the dissertation successfully. The scope of the examination varies according to the definiteness of the dissertation topic and the extent of the student’s preliminary investigations.

Time to Completion

Not required for all students in the program. Full-time students with no deficiencies upon admission to graduate status in the department should be able to complete the requirements for the Ph.D. degree in 18 academic quarters. First year: Students complete Philosophy 200A-200B-200C and six other courses, with a view toward satisfying the course distribution requirements. Second year: Students complete five of the remaining required courses in such a manner as to satisfy the course distribution requirements. Third year: Students write a proposition. A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for academic disqualification from graduate study.

Academic Disqualification

A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department.

Additional Resources and Considerations

UCLA General Catalog: The UCLA General Catalog is the definitive source for the most up-to-date information on course requirements, faculty listings, and academic policies. It is published annually in PDF and HTML formats. However, all courses, course descriptions, instructor designations, curricular degree requirements, and fees described herein are subject to change or deletion without notice. Consult this Catalog for the most current, officially approved courses and curricula.
Instructor Information: If a course’s instructor is listed as “Staff,” this usually means that the instructor will be a visiting lecturer, and he or she is not in the UCLA system yet. To find out who the instructor will be, check the PDF version of the schedule.
Cross-Listed Courses: A class beginning with an “M” (such as Phil M103A, Phil M102) indicates that the class is cross-listed; i.e., it may be being offered in another department under a different name.
Enrolling in Full Courses: If you are interested in enrolling in a course that is already full, you may try messaging the instructor and/or TA of the course.
Pass/No Pass Policy: The Philosophy Department allowed courses taken on a Pass/No Pass basis during the Spring 2020 through Fall 2022 quarters to count toward the Philosophy major and the minor.

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