Philosophy
North Dakota State University offers students a philosophy curriculum that may be approached either as a philosophy-humanities major or minor, or an interdisciplinary philosophy minor.
The Program
People have always had fundamental questions about the world in which they live. Among a wide variety of practical topics, they wondered about truth, knowledge, morality, goodness, or life’s meaning. By means of dialogue, logic, and critical and creative thought, philosophers have trailblazed pathways to wisdom and an understanding of the human condition, which not only helps our students live more fulfilled lives but makes them more competitive in their careers.
The Faculty
- Dennis Cooley
- Anthony Flood
- John Helgeland (Emeritus)
- Bradley Morris
- Adam Taylor
The Philosophy-Humanities Major
The philosophy-humanities major consists of 32-semester credits. Of these, the 21 credits are required. Eleven elective credits, which can be independent studies, complete the major.
Courses | Credits |
PHIL 101 Introduction to Philosophy | 3 |
PHIL 210 Ethics | 3 |
PHIL 257 Traditional Logic | 3 |
PHIL 321 Ancient Philosophy | 3 |
PHIL 323 Modern Philosophy | 3 |
PHIL 450 Metaphysics | 3 |
PHIL 451 Epistemology | 3 |
Electives | 11 |
TOTAL | 32 |
The Philosophy-Humanities Minor
The philosophy-humanities minor consists of 21-semester credits: 15 required and six elective credits from the elective philosophy courses, including independent studies.
Courses | Credits |
PHIL 101 Introduction to Philosophy | 3 |
PHIL 210 Ethics | 3 |
PHIL 257 Traditional Logic | 3 |
PHIL 450 Metaphysics | 3 |
PHIL 486 Philosophy and Literature | 3 |
Philosophy Electives | 6 |
Elective Philosophy Courses | Credits |
PHIL 111 Professional Responsibility and Ethics | 3 |
PHIL 215 Contemporary Moral Issues | 3 |
PHIL 216 Business Ethics | 3 |
PHIL 321 Ancient Philosophy | 3 |
PHIL 322 Medieval Philosophy | 3 |
PHIL 323 Modern Philosophy | 3 |
PHIL 324 Contemporary Philosophy | 3 |
PHIL 369 Philosophy of Religion | 3 |
PHIL 370 Social and Political Philosophy | 3 |
PHIL 450 Metaphysics | 3 |
PHIL 451 Epistemology | 3 |
PHIL 476 History of Philosophy: Modern Period | 3 |
PHIL 486 Philosophy and Literature | 3 |
PHIL 487 Aesthetics | 3 |
PHIL 494 Individual Study | 3 |
TOTAL | 21 |
Independent Study
Independent study along the lines of Oxford tutorials may be pursued by students wanting to read on a special philosophical topic (e.g., aesthetics) or read the work of a particular philosopher. To initiate an independent study, students must contact a philosophy faculty member.
Interdisciplinary Minor
The interdisciplinary minor consists of 21-semester credits. Of these, 15 credits must be taken from the core philosophy courses and 6 credits selected from the additional core, elective interdisciplinary or elective philosophy courses.
Courses | Credits |
Core | |
PHIL 101 Introduction to Philosophy | 3 |
PHIL 257 Traditional Logic | 3 |
PHIL 210 Introduction to Ethics | 3 |
PHIL 321 Ancient Philosophy | 3 |
PHIL 450 Metaphysics | 3 |
Elective Interdisciplinary Courses | 6 |
PHIL 215 Contemporary Moral Issues | |
PHIL 216 Business Ethics | |
RELS 315 Contemporary Religion | |
SOC 422 Development of Social Theory | |
SOC 424 Feminist Theory and Discourse | |
TOTAL | 21 |
Philosophy/Humanities Plan of Study
Please note this is a sample plan of study and not an official curriculum. Actual student schedules for each semester will vary depending on start year, education goals, applicable transfer credit, and course availability. Students are encouraged to work with their academic advisor on a regular basis to review degree progress and customize an individual plan of study.
First Year | |||
Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
ENGL 110 College Composition I | 4 | ENGL 120 College Composition II | 3 |
PHIL 101 Introduction to Philosophy | 3 | PHIL 210 or 215 Ethics or Contemporary Moral Issues | 3 |
PHIL 257 Traditional Logic | 3 | Gen Ed Quantitative Reasoning | 3 |
Gen Ed Science & Technology | 3 | Gen Ed Science & Technology | 3 |
Gen Ed Social & Behavioral Sciences | 3 | Gen Ed Social & Behavioral Sciences | 3 |
| 16 |
| 15 |
Second Year | |||
Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
COMM 110 Fundamentals of Public Speaking | 3 | PHIL 323 or 324 Modern Philosophy or | 3 |
PHIL 321 or 322 Ancient Philosophy or Medieval Philosophy | 3 | Gen Ed Wellness | 2 |
Gen Ed Humanities & Fine Arts | 3 | AHSS Social and Behavioral Science | 3 |
Gen Ed Science & Technology w/Lab | 4 | Gen Ed Humanities & Fine Arts | 3 |
Minor/Free Elective | 3 | Free Electives | 6 |
| 16 |
| 17 |
Third Year | |||
Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
PHIL 450 or 486 Metaphysics or Philosophy & Literature | 3 | PHIL 451 Epistemology | 3 |
AHSS Humanities Requirement | 3 | AHSS Fine Arts Requirement | 3 |
Minor or Foreign Language | 3 | Minor or Foreign Language | 3 |
Minor or Free Electives | 6 | Minor or Free Electives | 6 |
| 15 |
| 15 |
Fourth Year | |||
Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
PHIL/HUM Electives | 6 | PHIL/HUM Electives | 5 |
Minor or Foreign Language | 3 | Minor or Foreign Language | 3 |
Minor or Free Electives | 6 | Minor or Free Electives | 6 |
| 15 |
| 14 |
Total Credits: 123 | |||
View NDSU equivalencies of transfer courses at: www.ndsu.edu/transfer/equivalencies
Minard Hall
Room 422
Minard Hall is located on the south end of campus on Albrecht Boulevard (Campus Map)
Contact Information
Philosophy/Humanities
NDSU Dept 2340,
PO Box 6050
Fargo, ND 58108-6050
DEPT PHONE: (701) 231-8654
DEPT WEBSITE: www.ndsuhprs.org
or
Office of Admission
North Dakota State University
Ceres 114
Dept #5230, PO Box 6050
Fargo, ND 58108-6050
Tel: (701) 231-8643 / Fax: (701) 231-8802
Email: NDSU.Admission@ndsu.edu
Web: www.ndsu.edu/admission/
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