San José State University : Undergraduate Studies : Philosophy

Philosophy

The Philosophy Department has four missions similar to, and based on, the university missions:

To enrich the lives of its students through philosophical study, discussion, and reflection
To transmit knowledge of philosophy to its students along with
The necesssary skills for applying it in service of our society (helping bring philosophical ideas to bear on important community issues), and
To expand the base of knowledge through promotion of faculty and student research and scholarship in philosophy.

These missions are distinct but mutually supportive.

revised spring 2009 [SLOs in effect through fall 2008 (doc)]

Graduates with a BA in Philosophy will:

Be able to identify, discuss and constructively engage with, in both written and oral fashion, core areas and methods of Philosophy, and major figures and ideas in various historical periods and in various traditions from around the world.
Have the ability to understand texts and oral presentations and to identify and critique the arguments expressed in these texts.
Have the ability successfully to collect and evaluate information and carry out research projects and successfully to share the results in both written and oral form.
Have an understanding of the demands of responsible citizenship and an understanding of how to make and defend ethical choices.
Have an understanding of the ways in which culture, race, ethnicity, gender, economic class, sexual orientation, and national membership influence perceptions about reality, knowledge and value.

Graduates with a MA in Philosophy will

be able to identify, understand and critically discuss, both orally and in a sustained major written essay, and in a written exam taken without the benefit of notes, major figures, ideas, methods and core areas in various historical periods and in various traditions from around the world.
have high level skills in communication, critical inquiry and the ability to collect and evaluate information successfully, and to use all of these skills in their own original research.
have an understanding of the demands of responsible citizenship and an understanding of how to make and defend ethical choices.
have an understanding of the ways in which culture, race, ethnicity, gender, economic class, sexual orientation, and national membership influence perceptions about reality, knowledge and value.
be able to teach and assess all these skills and competencies at the lower division undergraduate level.

this page last updated 5-15-09