Minor in Philosophy

A minor in Philosophy consists of at least 30 units in Philosophy. 

To declare the minor, please email the Student Services Officer (ksahgal [at] stanford.edu (ksahgal[at]stanford[dot]edu)) or visit building 70, 71K for all declaration forms. Please check the Stanford Bulletin (ExploreDegrees) for the most up to date requirements.

Course Requirements (minimum 30 units):

Preparation

The 30 units must include one of:

a.  A history of philosophy course numbered 100 or above and for a minimum of 3 units

b.  One quarter of Philosophy Thinking Matters


and one course from any two of the following three areas:

Area 1: Philosophy of Science and Logic
  • Philosophy of Science:
    • PHIL 60 Introduction to Philosophy of Science (5 units)
    • PHIL 61 Philosophy and the Scientific Revolution (5 units)
    • or an intermediate philosophy of science courses numbered between PHIL 160 - 169

or

 

Area 2: Moral and Political Philosophy
  • PHIL 2 Introduction to Moral Philosophy (5 units)
  • or any intermediate course devoted to central topics in moral and political philosophy numbered between PHIL 170-172 or 174-176.
Area 3: Contemporary Theoretical Philosophy
  • any intermediate courses numbered between PHIL 180-189

Additional Requirements:
 

At least 10 units must be from courses numbered 100 or above.

Transfer units must be approved in writing by the Director of Undergraduate Studies at the time of declaring. The number of transfer units is generally limited to a maximum of 10.

No more than 6 units completed with grades of 'satisfactory' or 'credit' count towards the 30-unit requirement.

Any courses taken for a letter grade in fulfillment of the 30-unit requirement must be taken for a minimum of 3 units and completed with a  grade of 'C-' or higher.

Units for Tutorial, Directed Reading (PHIL 196 Tutorial, Senior Year, PHIL 197 Individual Work, Undergraduate, PHIL 198 The Dualist Undergraduate Journal), The Dualist (PHIL 198 The Dualist Undergraduate Journal), Honors Seminar (PHIL 199 Seminar for Prospective Honors Students), or affiliated courses may not be counted in the 30-unit requirement.

For more information on courses, see the Stanford Bulletin (ExploreCourses)

Students must declare their intention to minor in Philosophy in a meeting with the Director of Undergraduate Studies. This formal declaration must be made no later than the last day of the quarter two quarters before degree conferral. The Permission to Declare a Philosophy Minor (signed by the Director of Undergraduate Studies) lists courses taken and to be taken to fulfill minor requirements. This permission is on file in the department office. Before graduation, a student's record is checked to see that requirements have been fulfilled, and the results are reported to the University Registrar.