Honors in Philosophy
The Honors in Philosophy program provides qualified undergraduate philosophy majors with an opportunity to do independent research with a faculty member on a topic of interest to the student and to present the results of that study to other students in a seminar format. The Program has two curricular components:
1. a year-long, two-semester directed studies course (PHIL 498H: Undergraduate Honors Thesis) in which the student learns about advanced research techniques and writes an undergraduate thesis under the close supervision of a faculty member, and
2. a seminar (PHIL 497H: Undergraduate Honors Seminar) in which honors students meet weekly to discuss work in progress and present a final thesis. The Seminar is designed each year with readings, discussions, and critiques of student work around the themes of the honors student theses projects that year.
To be eligible for the program, students must:
- A. have a 3.5 GPA in the philosophy major and a 3.0 GPA overall;
- B. successfully complete all lower-division courses for the major (PHIL 203, PHIL 204, and PHIL 270);
- C. successfully complete at least nine (9) units of upper-division philosophy courses (at least six [6] units at CSULB);
- D. obtain written agreement from a philosophy faculty member to serve as the Honors Thesis Advisor.
Students enroll in PHIL 498H (Undergraduate Honors Thesis) in Fall and Spring (3 units each semester), and in PHIL 497H (Undergraduate Honors Seminar) in Spring (3 units), for a total of 9 units in the program. Students who have been admitted to the honors program and have successfully completed these requirements, along with the regular requirements for the Major in Philosophy, will graduate with Honors in Philosophy.
