Philosophy and Religion Minor

Requirements of the Minor

A Minor in Philosophy and Religion, offered through the Liberal Arts Division invites dedicated students to develop their analytical and research skills in the two scholarly fields of philosophy and religion.

Students may apply to enter the minor after successfully completing a course in either of the two disciplines. To fulfill the minor, students will take two required introductory courses in the respective fields (Introduction to World Religions and Topics in the History of Philosophy) plus three other Philosophy and/or Religion courses in any combination.

Students may withdraw from the minor – or be asked to withdraw – at any time without penalty. Completed courses will then be counted as Liberal Arts electives, or free electives.

Philosophy and religion plus the history of these fields provides an essential connection between the Fine Arts and the Liberal Arts. The minor also serves the students’ manifest interest n philosophy and religion. It can help students in several majors to develop skills important to their primary study. The actor, director, filmmaker, animator, graphic or industrial designer, and journalist who master the philosophy and religion disciplines will have a deeper and wider intellectual foundation for their artistic endeavors and therefore, will be more adaptable and competitive than many of their colleagues.

Program development:

Philosophy and religion are two foundational disciplines that stimulate students’ intellectual growth and the formation of a worldview that deepens their approach toward art and creative practices. In the past several years the Liberal Arts program has experienced a substantial surge in student interest in taking courses in these two areas. Presently, we offer about 15 courses in philosophy and religion per year (8 in the Fall and 7 in the Spring) with a total number of approximately 450 students taking those courses. The minor will serve a small percentage of this larger group.

The specific educational goals of the Philosophy and Religion Minor are these:

1.    to provide expanded knowledge of world intellectual history and culture;
2.    to provide insight into scholarly approaches and theories in the fields of philosophy and religion;
3.    to develop analytic and research skills across the disciplines;
4.    to help students recognize the relationships between arts and various philosophical and religious topics and movements.

Methods of Instruction and Assessment, including planned student and program outcomes:

Philosophy and Religion classes emphasize critical thinking and are usually taught with an extensive use of class discussions and debates. Other instruction methods include lectures, field visits, reading, writing projects, oral presentations, visual instruction, etc. in addition, each course discusses philosophical and/or religious work (and some critical essays) to serve as models, examples, inspiration, and general cultural knowledge.

Assessment will include the instructor’s evaluation of the quality of a student’s work, the student’s effort and application, and the progress the student has made over the semester. It will be made on the basis of the student’s intellectual insight, use of research materials available, and the class contribution.

There will be a faculty advisor who will monitor and ensure the students’ progress through the minor.

From the five courses in the Minor, two will be Liberal Arts electives and three will be free electives. A grade of B or better will be required in each of the five courses to remain in the Minor.

Philosophy and religion courses presently in the UArts Catalog:

In addition to philosophy and religion courses, we may also recommend certain period interpretation and literature courses to complement the minor: