Philosophy Home

The Department of Philosophy provides the opportunity for a degree at the BA level. Students gain abstract reasoning skills that are valuable in today's high-tech, information-based economy. The program also prepares students for graduate studies and beyond.

Degrees We Offer
Career Outcomes

Learn more about each of our programs:

BA in Philosophy

Philosophy investigates many aspects of our thinking and experience. In classes such as ethics, logic, and aesthetics, philosophy examines procedures and standards, if there can be any, for proper behavior, thinking, and feeling. Metaphysics examines the nature of space and time and the conditions of experience. Epistemology looks at how we know what we think that we know and the limits of knowledge. Many areas of our experience have separate philosophical inquiries dedicated to furthering our ability to discuss and understand them: language, art, education, religion, science, love, gender, mind, history, politics, law, and mathematics. Many famous thinkers have offered advice on how to pursue inquiry or catalogued the results of their own efforts, and the department offers regular seminars in the work of a single thinker, such as Plato, Aristotle, Spinoza, Kant, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, among others.

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Minor in Philosophy

A minor in Philosophy offers a rich variety of traditional courses in Ancient Greek, medieval, modern, nineteenth and twentieth century philosophy, along with specific courses in philosophical areas such as logic, ethics, political and social philosophy, philosophy of mind, theory of knowledge, philosophy of language, philosophy of religion, philosophy of art, existentialism, phenomenology, metaphysics, as well as Eastern philosophy and religion. Many of these courses are chosen by non-majors as part of their liberal studies, general education requirements, or free electives.

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Minor in Ethics

A minor in Ethics offers provides students with the opportunity to take courses that study theory, empirical research and analysis. Minoring in Ethics will train students in ethical frameworks and methods to ensure successful execution of both future professional duties and personal decision-making. This minor complements a variety of majors, including nursing, public health, business, finance, pre-law, and majors across the humanities.

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Minor in Religious Studies

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All University philosophy graduates seeking entrance to graduate school have been accepted; more William Paterson philosophy majors have received full scholarships in PhD programs (with full graduate research and teaching assistantships) at major research universities than have students from any other institution in the New Jersey system. Philosophy majors have the highest overall mean score of all majors, nationwide, on the Graduate Record Exam, LawSchool Adm. Test and Graduate Management Adm. Test., which is one reason why many employers, including corporations, have of late been seeking out philosophy majors for successful careers in business, government, journalism, law, medicine, and the arts.

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Department of Philosophy