Requirements for Programmes in Philosophy

Note that, for Philosophy programs, the list of courses that fulfills each group is an open list. Other PHIL courses may be able to be used to fulfill each group. Topics courses, Major Philosophers, and Seminars (600-level) can often count for different groups, from year to year, depending on course content. Consult a Philosophy advisor if you want to count such courses towards specific groups in your program (they will need to document the course on an audit sheet for you, but note that courses cannot double-count).

This form shows an  overview_of_the_philosophy_program_requirements

(updated 03/30/2023).

For some information regarding Honours/Joint Honours Theses and Independent Research Courses, see the menu item in the sidebar.

Honours

60 credits in philosophy, to include:

• 210, or equivalent, and one of: 306, 310, 411, 415, 419, 421, 470
• 301
• 334, and one of: 230, 237, 240, 242, 349
• two of: 345, 350, 353, 354, 355, 452, 453, 454
• two of: 360, 361, 366, 367, 444, 445
• one of: 375, 474, 475
• 12 credits from 400 or higher level courses (not including the honours tutorial), at least 3 credits of which must be at the 500 or higher level*
• 6 credits of Honours tutorial with thesis (499D)
  See some general information on Honours Theses in the Department of Philosophy.

* The 500-level or higher course requirement for Honours and Joint Honours is intended to be fulfilled with a philosophy seminar course. Seminars are all now offered at the 600-level, in which undergraduate students can register with permission. You can register for a seminar using this 600-level course form. Students who have difficulty registering or are refused by the Faculty, should contact the info.philosophy [at] mcgill.ca (Undergraduate Program Coordinator).

* Students may count a maximum of 12 credits of 200-level courses (not including PHIL 210) towards the completion of a Philosophy program. Students may only count one of PHIL 200, 201, and 202 towards the completion of a Philosophy program. PHIL 200, 201, and 202 do not count for any groups. Students may use any of PHIL 200, 201, or 202 as an Arts elective(s), if they are not otherwise using it/them as counting towards a Philosophy programme.

Honours students must maintain a 3.0 CGPA and have a 3.0 GPA in Philosophy courses.  

Joint Honours

36 credits in philosophy, to include:

• 210, or equivalent, and one of: 306, 310, 411, 415, 419, 421, 470
• 301
• 334, and one of: 230, 237, 240, 242, 349
• two of: 345, 350, 353, 354, 355, 452, 453, 454; OR
• two of: 360, 361, 366, 367, 444, 445
• one of: 375, 474, 475
• 9 credits of 400 or higher level courses(not including the honours tutorial), at least 3 credits of which must be at the 500 or higher level*
• 3 credits of Honours tutorial with thesis, which can take either of two forms: a 6 credit interdisciplinary thesis, or a 3-credit thesis in Philosophy (PHIL 498).
  See some general information on Honours Theses in the Department of Philosophy.

* Clarification: the 500-level or higher course requirement for Honours and Joint Honours is intended to be fulfilled with a philosophy seminar course. Seminars are all now offered at the 600-level, in which undergraduate students can register with permission. You can register for a seminar using this 600-level course form. Students who have difficulty registering or are refused by the Faculty, should contact the info.philosophy [at] mcgill.ca (Undergraduate Program Coordinator).

* Students may count a maximum of 12 credits of 200-level courses (not including PHIL 210) towards the completion of a Philosophy program. Students may only count one of PHIL 200, 201, and 202 towards the completion of a Philosophy program. PHIL 200, 201, and 202 do not count for any groups. Students may use any of PHIL 200, 201, or 202 as an Arts elective(s), if they are not otherwise using it/them as counting towards a Philosophy programme.

Joint Honours students must maintain a 3.0 CGPA and have a 3.0 GPA in Philosophy courses.

Major Concentration

(36 credits)

Required Course (3 credits)

PHIL 210 Intro to Deductive Logic 1

Complementary Courses (33 credits)

33 credits, of which no more than 9 may be at the 200-level, and at least 9 must be at the 400 or higher level, distributed as follows:

6 credits, one course from each of Groups A and B:

Group A

• PHIL 306 Philosophy of Mind
• PHIL 310 Intermediate Logic
• PHIL 311 Philosophy of Mathematics
• PHIL 341 Philosophy of Science 1
• PHIL 411 Topics in Phil of Logic & Math
• PHIL 415 Philosophy of Language
• PHIL 419 Epistemology
• PHIL 421 Metaphysics
• PHIL 441 Philosophy of Science 2
• PHIL 470 Topics in Contem Analytic Phil

Group B

• PHIL 375 Existentialism
• PHIL 474 Phenomenology
• PHIL 475 Topics in Contem European Phil

6 credits, two courses from Group C OR two from Group D:

Group C

• PHIL 344 Medieval&Renaissance Pol Theo
• PHIL 345 Greek Political Theory
• PHIL 350 Hist & Phil of Ancient Sci
• PHIL 353 The Presocratic Philosophers
• PHIL 354 Plato
• PHIL 355 Aristotle
• PHIL 356 Early Medieval Philosophy
• PHIL 452 Later Greek Philosophy
• PHIL 453 Ancient Metaphys&Naturl Phil
• PHIL 454 Ancient Moral Theory

Group D

• PHIL 360 17th Century Philosophy
• PHIL 361 18th Century Philosophy
• PHIL 366 18th&Early 19th C German Phil
• PHIL 367 19th Century Philosophy
• PHIL 444 Early Modern Political Theory
• PHIL 445 19th Century Political Theory

6 credits, one course from each of Groups E and F:

Group E

• PHIL 230 Intro to Moral Philosophy 1
• PHIL 237 Contemporary Moral Issues
• PHIL 240 Political Philosophy 1
• PHIL 242 Intro to Feminist Theory

Group F

• PHIL 327 Philosophy of Race
• PHIL 334 Ethical Theory
• PHIL 336 Aesthetics
• PHIL 343 Biomedical Ethics
• PHIL 348 Philosophy of Law 1
• PHIL 349 Environmental Philosophy
• PHIL 427 Topics: Critical Phil of Race
• PHIL 434 Metaethics
• PHIL 436 Aesthetics 2
• PHIL 442 Topics in Feminist Theory

15 additional credits from the lists above or from other Philosophy courses.

* Students may count a maximum of 9 credits of 200-level courses towards the completion of a Philosophy program. Students may only count one of PHIL 200, 201, and 202 towards the completion of a Philosophy program. Students may use any of PHIL 200, 201, or 202 as an Arts elective(s), if they are not otherwise using it/them as counting towards a Philosophy programme.

Minor Concentration

(18 credits)

Complementary Courses (18 credits)

15 credits from Groups A - E, with one course from at least four of the five groups.

In total, no more than 9 credits may be at the 200-level, and at least 3 credits must be at the 400 or higher level.

Group A

• PHIL 230 Intro to Moral Philosophy 1
• PHIL 237 Contemporary Moral Issues
• PHIL 240 Political Philosophy 1
• PHIL 242 Intro to Feminist Theory
• PHIL 327 Philosophy of Race
• PHIL 334 Ethical Theory
• PHIL 336 Aesthetics
• PHIL 343 Biomedical Ethics
• PHIL 348 Philosophy of Law 1
• PHIL 349 Environmental Philosophy
• PHIL 427 Topics: Critical Phil of Race
• PHIL 434 Metaethics
• PHIL 436 Aesthetics 2
• PHIL 442 Topics in Feminist Theory

Group B

• PHIL 210 Intro to Deductive Logic 1
• PHIL 221 Intro to Hist & Phil of Sci 2
• PHIL 306 Philosophy of Mind
• PHIL 310 Intermediate Logic
• PHIL 311 Philosophy of Mathematics
• PHIL 341 Philosophy of Science 1
• PHIL 411 Topics in Phil of Logic & Math
• PHIL 415 Philosophy of Language
• PHIL 419 Epistemology
• PHIL 421 Metaphysics
• PHIL 441 Philosophy of Science 2
• PHIL 470 Topics in Contem Analytic Phil

Group C

• PHIL 375 Existentialism
• PHIL 474 Phenomenology
• PHIL 475 Topics in Contem European Phil

Group D

• PHIL 344 Medieval&Renaissance Pol Theo
• PHIL 345 Greek Political Theory
• PHIL 350 Hist & Phil of Ancient Sci
• PHIL 353 The Presocratic Philosophers
• PHIL 354 Plato
• PHIL 355 Aristotle
• PHIL 356 Early Medieval Philosophy
• PHIL 452 Later Greek Philosophy
• PHIL 453 Ancient Metaphys&Naturl Phil
• PHIL 454 Ancient Moral Theory

Group E

• PHIL 360 17th Century Philosophy
• PHIL 361 18th Century Philosophy
• PHIL 366 18th&Early 19th C German Phil
• PHIL 367 19th Century Philosophy
• PHIL 444 Early Modern Political Theory
• PHIL 445 19th Century Political Theory

3 additional credits from the lists above or from other Philosophy courses.

* Students may count a maximum of 9 credits of 200-level courses towards the completion of a Philosophy program. Students may only count one of PHIL 200, 201, and 202 towards the completion of a Philosophy program. Students may use any of PHIL 200, 201, or 202 as an Arts elective(s), if they are not otherwise using it/them as counting towards a Philosophy programme.