Academic Programs
With a versatile degree in philosophy, you will be prepared to work in any field that values critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Oakland University’s philosophy program also provides solid training for advanced study in fields such as law, government, public administration, ministry and teaching. The benefits of studying philosophy can enhance a student’s quality of life in numerous ways:
- Critical reasoning as a shared practice helps to improve the human condition.
- A contemplative life rich in philosophical reflection is intrinsically valuable.
- The intellectual skills that philosophy majors acquire — analytic reasoning and writing — enable them to achieve among the highest levels of success in graduate education and career advancement. For example, philosophy majors outperform all other social science, humanities and vocational majors on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
- Philosophy majors rank second among all majors (with math majors ranking first) in their performance on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), according to the Journal of Economic Education.
- Philosophy majors leave college with intellectual skills that result in greater financial success at mid-career than most college graduates outside of the technical sciences like math and engineering.
- In terms of net earnings, subtracted from educational costs, philosophy majors get a return on investment equivalent to engineering or health majors.
Philosophy is one of the oldest yet often least understood of the liberal arts. The philosopher is interested in all aspects of human life, searching for the greatest possible clarity concerning the most fundamental questions. There is no one kind of philosophy; rather, there are many kinds, each with its own value. Philosophy has always served two functions. The first is speculative, the attempt to formulate illuminating generalizations about science, art, religion, nature, society and any other important topics.
The second is critical, the unsparing examination of its own generalizations and those of other fields to uncover unfounded assumptions, faulty thinking, hidden implications and inconsistencies. The study of philosophy is designed to encourage a spirit of curiosity, a sensitivity toward the uses of words, and a sense of objective assessment toward oneself as well as others. Competence in philosophy is solid training for advanced study and professional life in such fields as law, government, public administration, business administration, sales and marketing, technical writing, the ministry, and teaching.
If you are interested in the Philosophy Major, please reach out to the Philosophy Major Advisor, Dr. August Gorman ([email protected]).
The Philosophy major requirements are as follows:
Philosophy is one of the oldest yet often least understood of the liberal arts. The philosopher is interested in all aspects of human life, searching for the greatest possible clarity concerning the most fundamental questions. There is no one kind of philosophy; rather, there are many kinds, each with its own value. Philosophy has always served two functions. The first is speculative, the attempt to formulate illuminating generalizations about science, art, religion, nature, society and any other important topics.
The second is critical, the unsparing examination of its own generalizations and those of other fields to uncover unfounded assumptions, faulty thinking, hidden implications and inconsistencies. The study of philosophy is designed to encourage a spirit of curiosity, a sensitivity toward the uses of words, and a sense of objective assessment toward oneself as well as others. Competence in philosophy is solid training for advanced study and professional life in such fields as law, government, public administration, business administration, sales and marketing, technical writing, the ministry, and teaching.
If you are interested in the Philosophy Minor, please reach out to the Philosophy Minor Advisor, Dr. August Gorman ([email protected]).
The Philosophy minor requirements are as follows:
What is the bioethics minor?
This program teaches students moral principles and ethical issues that are relevant to clinical medicine and population health.
What can you do with a bioethics minor?
- Develop an ethically-informed professional identity for your future career in medicine, nursing, public health, social work, psychology or other human service fields
- Have an advantage in graduate program admissions and professional licensing exams, including medical school Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) and the USMLE (Step exams), both of which include ethics components
- Evaluate pressing ethical issues, including the right to health care, genetic screening and gene-editing, unilateral withdraw of life-sustaining interventions, and the allocation of scarce medical resources
- Identify how intersecting identities — race, class, gender, sexuality and disability — structure systems of power in clinical medicine and public health
- Integrate social justice thinking into your perspectives about population health
What’s required?
Core courses (12 credits)
- Intro to Ethics (PHL 1300) or Intro to Ethics in Health Professions (1320)
- Clinical Ethics (PHL 3500)
- Public Health Ethics (PHL 3520)
Electives (8 credits)
If you are interested in the Bioethics Minor, please reach out to the Bioethics Minor Advisor, Dr. August Gorman ([email protected]).
Requirements for the liberal arts minor in bioethics:
The liberal arts minor in bioethics requires 20 credits. This includes 12 credits of required core courses and 8 credits of elective courses. Credit toward the minor will be allowed only for courses completed with a grade of C or higher.
Core courses - 12 credits
- PHL 1320 – Introduction to Ethics in Health Professions (4) or PHL 1300 – Introduction to Ethics (4)
and
- PHL 3500 – Clinical Ethics (4)
- PHL 3520 – Public Health Ethics (4)
Electives - 8 credits, selected from:
- AN 3220 - Medical Anthropology (4)
- BIO 3000 - Biology and Society (4)
- BIO 4930 - Introduction to Human Subjects Research I (4)
- BIO 4970 - Scientific Inquiry and Communication (4)
- CHM 3000 - Chemistry, Society Health (4)
- COM 4402 - Health Communication (4)
- CNS 3030 - Mental Health Policy (4)
- CRJ 3300 / SOC 3230 - Alcohol, Drugs and Society (4)
- ENV 3550 - Public and Environmental Health (4)
- HS 3430 / SOC 3430 - Sociology of Health and Medicine (4)
- HS 4350 / WHP 4350 - Environmental Justice (4)
- HS 4500 - Ethics in Health Care (4)
- NRS 3051 - Global Health (4)
- NRS 3531 - Health Promotion in the Community (4)
- NRS 4012 - Nursing Leadership (2)
- NRS 4015 - Nursing Care of Communities & Families (5)
- NRS 4026 – Capstone (5)
- NRS 4551 - Nursing Care of Populations with Health Disparities (4)
- NTR 4500 - Professional Practice & Ethics in Nutrition (4)
- PHL 2100 - Fact, Value, and Knowledge (4)
- PHL 3120 - Philosophy of Law (4)
- PHL 3140 - Philosophy of Sexuality (4)
- PHL 3300 - Ethical Theory (4)
- PHL 3310 - Ethics, Language and Reality (4)
- PHL 3600 - Political Philosophy (4)
- PHL 3620 - Global Justice (4)
- PHL 3630 - Philosophy of Crime, Policing and Punishment (4)
- PHL 3710 - Philosophy of Biology (4)
- PHL 3910 – Ethics Bowl (4)
- PS 3340 - Public Policy and Health Care (4)
- PH 4650 - Social Determinants of Health (4)
- PH 4750 - Global Health and Social Issues (4)
- SOC 2220 - Sociology of Mental Illness (4)
- SOC 3110 - Human Sexuality (4)
- SW 3312 - Death and Dying (4)
- WHP 4850 - Population Health, Health Policy, and Healthcare Delivery (4)
- WHP 3250 / WGS 3890 - Issues in Women’s Health (4)
What is the cognitive science minor?
A minor in cognitive science prepares students for a range of technological, health or research focused careers. Minoring in cognitive science opens doors for more specialized work, including artificial intelligence, cognitive neuroscience, cognitive psychology, neuroscience, neuropsychiatry and the science of consciousness.
If you are interested in the Cognitive Science Minor, please reach out to the Cognitive Science Minor Advisor, Dr. Eric LaRock ([email protected]).
What's required?
To earn a minor in philosophy of cognitive science, students must complete a minimum of 20 credits in philosophy, including:
- PHL 3830 - Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence (4) or PHL 3720 - Topics in the Philosophy of Science (4)
- PHL 3110 - Freedom, Agency, and Responsibility (4) or PHL 3820 - Mental Causation (4)
- PHL 3800 - Philosophy of Mind (4) or PHL 3810 - Consciousness and Persons (4)
and
One course chosen from:
- PHL 3700 - Philosophy of Science (4)
- PHL 3710 - Philosophy of Biology (4)
- PHL 3410 - Theories of Knowledge (4)
and
One PHL elective course
Starting in Fall 2025, the Department of Philosophy will offer an Ethics in Criminal Justice Minor. If you are interested in this minor, please reach out to the Ethics in Criminal Justice Minor Advisor, Dr. Michael Doan at [email protected].
What can you do with an Ethics in Criminal Justice minor?
The Ethics in Criminal Justice Minor can prepare you for a career within or beyond the criminal justice system such as:
- Conflict mediation
- Criminal and community lawyering
- Counseling and social work
- Public health
- Law enforcement
- Harm reduction
- Corrections
- Restorative justice
Requirements for the liberal arts minor in Ethics in Criminal Justice:
The liberal arts minor in in Ethics in Criminal Justice requires 16 credits. This includes 12 credits of required core courses and a 4 credit elective course. Credit toward the minor will be allowed only for courses completed with a grade of C or higher.
Core courses – 12 credits (three courses)
- PHL 1330 – Introduction to Ethics in Criminal Justice
- PHL 3630 – Philosophy of Crime, Policing and Punishment
- Either PHL 3600 – Political Philosophy or PHL 3120 – Philosophy of Law
Elective – 4 credits (one course), selected from:
- PHL 3600 – Political Philosophy (if not taken as a core course)
- PHL 3120 – Philosophy of Law (if not taken as a core course)
- PHL 3110 – Freedom, Agency, and Responsibility
- PHL 3300 – Ethical Theory
- PHL 3520 – Public Health Ethics
- PHL 3610 – Philosophy of International Relations: Law, War and Peace
- PHL 3620 – Global Justice
- PHL 3910 – Ethics Bowl Preparation and Competition
It is strongly encouraged that students take both Political Philosophy and Philosophy of Law.
Department of Philosophy
146 Library Drive
Rochester, MI 48309-4479
(location map)
(248) 370-3390
fax: (248) 370-3157
Department of Philosophy
146 Library Drive
Rochester, MI 48309-4479
(location map)
(248) 370-3390
fax: (248) 370-3157