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**Review** Undergraduate Catalog 2025-2026

Philosophy B.A. – Ethics and Public Policy Concentration

Program Overview

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Location: McKee 318

Email: HSS@unco.edu

Website: www.unco.edu/hss/philosophy

Advising Information:

Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.

To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.

The program consists of three parts:

  1. Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Credits
  2. Required Major Credits
  3. University-Wide Credits

Program Description:

In a society that offers most of its students only technical training, those who wish to distinguish themselves in their chosen fields must pay special attention to questions of ethics and public policy. Many programs claim to teach students how to get where they are going. Applied philosophy teaches them to evaluate their goals—both those they set for themselves and those they set for their society. Applied philosophy is thus relevant to students' vocations in the traditional sense of the word: instead of being just the first in a series of training and retraining designed to keep them abreast of recent developments in the changing job market, it provides students with a firm foundation for further learning, whatever their callings might be.

Program Admission Requirements:

Academic Good Standing

Program Requirements:

  • Electives (Remaining Major Credits) may be chosen from courses with a PHIL prefix as well as courses in other disciplines. All electives must contribute to the student’s understanding of ethics or public policy and must be chosen in consultation with the major advisor.
  • In general, a required course may not be counted as an elective; however, if either PHIL 365 or PHIL 495 or both are taken more than once, one section may be counted towards the fulfillment of the basic requirement, and the others may be counted as electives.

Program Recommendations:

In addition, the Philosophy program recommends that majors take at least two years of a foreign language—preferably French or German.

Degree Requirements — 120 Credits

1. Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 Credits

To complete the degree in 120 credits as outlined, the program recommends the below LAC courses that also count toward the 30 required major credits.

Any additional coursework completed outside of the recommended list below may extend the length of the program of study.

Written Communication — 6 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

See Written Communication courses

Mathematics — 3 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

See Mathematics courses

Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies [MS], and International Studies [IS] — 15 credits

To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.

PHIL 150 is recommended to fulfill the Arts and Humanities requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.

See Arts & Humanities, History, and Social & Behavioral Sciences courses

Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

See Natural & Physical Sciences courses

See Liberal Arts Curriculum

2. Required Major — 30 credits

Take all of the following courses:

PHIL 150Moral IssuesLAA3

3

PHIL 231Ancient Greek Philosophy

3

PHIL 233Modern Western Philosophy

3

PHIL 350Ethical Theory

3

PHIL 355Social and Political Philosophy

3

PHIL 495Advanced Seminar

3

PHIL 495: Specific offerings to be chosen in consultation with the major advisor.

Take 1 of the following courses:

PHIL 311Environmental Ethics

3

PHIL 365Topics in Value Theory and Public Policy

3

PHIL 366Philosophy of Law

3

Remaining Major

Take 9 credits chosen in consultation with your faculty advisor. These may include additional subtitles of PHIL 365 or courses from other disciplines which engage with ethical & public policy issues.

3. University-Wide Credits — 59 credits*

Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for this degree at UNC; for this degree, that will typically be 59 credits.

*Note: Students who apply the recommended courses to both the liberal arts curriculum and the major requirements will have an increased number of university wide electives to apply to this degree. See your advisor for details.

Four Year Plan

This four year plan is a recommended schedule to complete this bachelor's degree in 4 years. Courses are subject to availability. Students must consult with their major advisor to receive information on any additional graduation requirements and course sequence guidance. 

Year 1 – 30 credits

Fall Semester

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Choose one of the following courses:

PHIL 100Introduction to PhilosophyLAA3

3

PHIL 126Introduction to Global PhilosophiesLAA3LAIS

3

PHIL 225Philosophical Figures

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

PHIL 150Moral IssuesLAA3

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Year 2 – 30 credits

Fall Semester

PHIL 350Ethical Theory

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

PHIL 355Social and Political Philosophy

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

4

University-Wide Elective

2

University-Wide Elective

3

Choose one of the following courses:

PHIL 311Environmental Ethics

3

PHIL 365Topics in Value Theory and Public Policy

3

PHIL 366Philosophy of Law

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Year 3 – 30 credits

Fall Semester

PHIL 231Ancient Greek Philosophy

3

Major Elective

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

PHIL 233Modern Western Philosophy

3

Major Elective

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Year 4 – 30 credits

Fall Semester

Major Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

PHIL 495Advanced Seminar

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Advising Notes –

  • The major requires 10 courses: 1 course in Logic and Methods, 2 courses in History and Traditions, 2 courses in Value Theory, 2 courses in Metaphysics and Epistemology, the Advanced Seminar, and 2 electives (which may come from any category).
  • PHIL 495 is a variable title course offered every spring and occasionally in the fall as well. It is typically taken in your final year but may be taken sooner if you are interested in the topic being offered in an earlier term. It may also be taken more than once, provided that it is taken under different titles. Each title after the first counts as an elective toward the degree. 
  • Students have the opportunity to tailor their degree to specific interests via non-scheduled sections of PHIL 422 or PHIL 492. Both of these courses contribute elective credits toward the major.
  • A year-long sequence in formal logic (PHIL 321/PHIL 322) is offered as a non-scheduled course every other year pending student interest.

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