Philosophy (BA)
VIU International, Canada
First Year Course Fee
USD 13,572
Course Accredited By
NA
Do you enjoy uncovering, analyzing and critiquing the essential facts and questions that confront us as human beings? VIU’s Bachelor of Arts, Major in Philosophy program focuses on developing analytical and critical thinking skills while exploring historical and modern philosophical concepts.
A Philosophy degree helps students understand the significance of the growing body of facts available, and the wisdom to deal with them at the highest human level. In VIU’s Philosophy program, small class sizes allow for in-depth discussions, while students can apply their learning and gain work experience in a new internship program.
Bachelor of Philosophy graduates leave the program with clear writing, abstract reasoning, and problem-solving skills that ease them into a variety of careers and further academic study.
Philosophy is the critical and systematic study of the fundamental assumptions at play in the entire range of human activity. It concerns itself with explorations into the nature of reality, human knowledge, moral and scientific reasoning, art and society. The study of philosophy fosters the ability to think critically and innovatively, to communicate in a logical manner, to interpret and evaluate core concepts and theories in a number of disciplines and to articulate well-reasoned arguments. These competencies are vital to public discourse in a flourishing democracy and are particularly useful in such professions as law, medicine, business and public administration. Recent studies have demonstrated that students who have completed a program in philosophy score significantly higher than all other humanities and social sciences students on standardized tests for admission to graduate and professional study.
The program’s first-year courses are designed to introduce students to philosophy and to assist them in the development of analytical skills. Second-year courses apply these skills to historical and contemporary issues. Upper-division courses allow for some narrowing of focus, either in the direction of applied ethics and political philosophy or in the direction of traditional problems of epistemology and metaphysics. Students may include specified courses from political studies or liberal studies in their program of study.
Enrollment Cycles
- September 2023
- January 2024
- Students must complete all the Institutional B.A. Degree Requirements, including Degree English
Requirements for a Major
Lower-Level Course Requirements
- Students should take a minimum of six courses (18 credits) in lower-level** philosophy, which must include
All three core introductory courses:
- Rhetoric and Reasoning
- Intro to Philosophy: Knowledge and Reality
- Intro to Philosophy: Ethics
At least two historical philosophy courses (at least one of the two must be in history of modern philosophy: PHIL 200, 205, 210, or, as per "Alternatives," 358):
- Early Modern Theories of Knowledge and Reality
- Early Modern Social and Political Philosophy
- Nineteenth Century Social and Political Philosophy
- Ancient Philosophy I: The Pre-Socratics to Plato
- Ancient Philosophy II: Plato and Aristotle to the Roman Period
- Greco-Roman Philosophy
- Medieval Philosophy
At least one second year logic or reasoning course:
- Formal Logic
- Understanding Scientific Reasoning
Requirements for a Minor
- Students must complete all the Institutional B.A. Degree Requirements, including Degree English Requirements*, and the courses listed below. For the rotation of required courses, students should see theTentative Course Scheduling.
Lower-Level Course Requirements
Students should take a minimum of four courses (12 credits) in lower-level** philosophy, which must include:
- All three core introductory courses:
- Rhetoric and Reasoning
- Intro to Philosophy: Knowledge and Reality
- Intro to Philosophy: Ethics
- At least one second-year course
- Fees for One Year Amount Tuition (30 credits x $156.80 per credit) 4,704.00
- Student Activity fee (4% of tuition) 188.16
- Student Services fee (30 credits x $6.93 per credit) 207.90
- VIU Students' Union fee (8 months x $20.90 per month) 167.20
- Health and Dental Plan fee ($275.00 per year) 275.00
- Approximate cost for books and supplies for one year 1,500.00
- Total 7,042.26