History-Philosophy Major
The History-Philosophy major affords students the opportunity to develop an intensive program of study that brings history and philosophy together. Drawing on courses from both departments and guided by two advisors, one from each department, students in the major develop a program of inquiry that integrates historical and philosophical questions, problems, and concerns. History-Philosophy majors typically focus on a period (e.g., the Middle Ages, the 19th Century), an area (e.g., East Asia, the Mediterranean), or an issue (e.g., the environment, feminism). Admission to the major is by application and must be accomplished by the end of the first semester of the junior year.
Major Requirements
The major requires up to 15 units, distributed as follows:
Thematic Coursework (eight blocks):These courses must be pre-approved by two faculty advisors, one from each department, to ensure that a coherent field-of-inquiry is being addressed. 1. A minimum of three blocks in each department. 2. A minimum one 300-level course in each department. 3. One course may come from outside History or Philosophy. |
HY350/PH350 (one block):This course, co-taught at the 300-level by an Historian and a Philosopher, will focus on how the two disciplines think about a particular theme. It may be taken more than once, if taught on a different topic, and with approval from the student’s advisors may be used to satisfy the 300-level course requirements listed above under “Thematic Coursework.” |
Senior Thesis (two blocks):1. HY425 History–Philosophy Thesis; AND 2. PH425 History–Philosophy Thesis. The thesis is due by the last day of Block 6 in the senior year. The thesis will be co-supervised by two current tenured or tenure-track professors, one from each of the two departments. |
Foreign Language (up to four blocks):The language must be appropriate to the field of study and approved by the two advisors. Proficiency through the end of intermediate language instruction must be demonstrated, either through coursework or advanced placement (or some combination of the two). |