Minor Requirements (18-24 hours)
Philosophy Minor
Philosophy is an excellent choice as a minor, since it pairs well with many academic disciplines. Students majoring in Economics, Political Science, English, and History will find a natural fit between their major course of study and philosophy classes that can fulfill requirements for a philosophy minor. But even students in the arts, the natural sciences, and computer science will find philosophy can enrich both their major course of study and general education.
A minor in philosophy consists of successful completion (C or better) of 18 hours in philosophy, including three different courses in three of the following areas:
(A list of Philosophy Courses sorted by these categories can be found here.)
Students considering a minor in philosophy can contact the department's Major/Minor advisor for more information (See the "Contact Us" section for contact information).
Religious Studies Minor
The Department of Philosophy is home to the SIUE religious studies minor. A student must have a declared major in addition to pursuing the religious studies minor, and philosophy is a natural choice.
Religion deserves rigorous attention and scholarship as it is one of the most significant facets of human experience and civilization building. Human history is inseparable from religious belief and practice, and it continues to be a major influence in self-expression, art and literature, politics, economics, ethics and civic engagement.
The religious studies minor is a multi-disciplinary and, hence, methodologically pluralistic program administered by the Department of Philosophy. A wide array of courses taught by faculty from diverse disciplines can be combined to earn a minor in religious studies, giving students multiple academic perspectives through which to gain a deeper understanding of this major human undertaking.
For more information, you may contact the Religious Studies minor advisor (see "Contact Us" section for contact information).
Pre-law Minor
Students are admitted to law school from a wide variety of academic disciplines, and no specific major is required for entrance into law school. The American Bar Association (ABA) recommends pursuing an area of study that interests you and that helps you develop a strong skill set in problem solving, critical reading, writing, oral communication, and research. Law schools judge applicants based upon their diversity of experiences, grade point average, and Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores. Philosophy is an excellent choice of major to prepare for law school; on average, philosophy majors tend to excel on the LSAT, and philosophy majors have a high law school admission rate.
Students aspiring to law school and majoring in Philosophy may wish to complete the pre-law minor. The philosophy major offers excellent preparation for law school, because it excels at teaching the skills that you will use in law school. Adding the pre-law minor to a philosophy degree can provide further coursework beneficial to developing those skills.
Students pursuing a BA in Philosophy with a Law Specialization may also wish to add the pre-law minor. Students completing the law specialization will have satisfied coursework in two of the five areas of the pre-law minor (PHIL 213 satisfies the critical thinking requirement; PHIL 343 satisfies the theory and application of law requirement), and will need to complete five additional courses outside of philosophy to satisfy pre-law minor degree requirements.
