VSU's Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies

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Philosophy and You: Careers Faculty Course Offerings 2008 Graduate School Placement of our Majors History of Our Department Syllabi Links Upper Level  Course Rotation Major and Minor Course Information PHIL and REL Club Newsletter Phi Sigma Tau Honorary  Society Valdosta Community Calendar Ron Barnette's Pages CV PHIL 9070 Zeno's Coffeehouse John Cleese Links The American Philosophical Association The American Academy of Religion Back to Dr. Christine James' homepage

DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES PHILOSOPHY MAJOR WITH TWO TRACKS: Philosophy or Religious Studies Dr. Fred Downing, Head 109 Ashley Hall The Department of Philosophy offers two programs of study that lead to a B. A. in Philosophy. Students may emphasize either a Philosophy Track or a Religious Studies Track. The department also offers minors in Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Professional and Applied Ethics. A Philosophy Major with the dual tracks of Philosophy and Religious Studies challenges students to think critically and express themselves effectively.  Students will develop an appreciation for lifelong learning and the richness of culture and intellectual history.  On either track, students will find a solid foundation to build a career in professions that demand critical thinking and conceptual flexibility in interacting with diverse populations. Students who take the Philosophy Track will study a broad spectrum of ideas, thinkers, issues and arguments.  The Philosophy Track addresses key questions from a variety of areas: the history of philosophy, reasoning and argumentation, ethics, philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, social and political theory, and aesthetics.  The Philosophy Track also offers a variety of special topics courses that address issues of interest to philosophers.  Special topics courses are concerned with a range of issues, e.g., courses may address the work of one particular figure in the history of philosophy, or a philosophical interpretation of modern cultural trends.  Students who take the Religious Studies Track will investigate the diversity of religious thought and practice from multicultural perspectives.  These students explore the influence of religious traditions in shaping values, norms, and public policies in societies worldwide. Regular course offerings in Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Indigenous traditions are integral to our curriculum.  Religious studies courses encourage multiple disciplinary approaches toward religious expression, whether in the fine arts, literature, politics, social conflict, language, history, or gender studies.  Overarching goals are to understand the significance of religion, with sympathetic insight into religious communities, and to analyze the dynamic influences of religion on social development and cultural transformation throughout history and around the globe. BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE IN PHILOSOPHY WITH A MAJOR IN PHILOSOPHY Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Philosophy Core Curriculum Areas A-E (see VSU Core Curriculum)………………...42 hrs Core Curriculum Area F……………………………………………………18 hrs REL 2020………………………………………………………..3 hrs             PHIL 2010 ………………….……………………………….…..3 hrs Foreign Language and culture.……………………………….….9 hrs Humanities, Arts, Natural Science, Social             Science, or Computer Science elective…………………..3 hrs             (Area F courses should be taken at the 1000-2000 level) PHILOSOPHY TRACK Senior College Curriculum………………………………………………....60 hrs (must include at least 39 hours of coursework numbered 3000 or above) Courses required for Philosophy…………………………….21 hrs Foundation Areas………………………………9 hrs   History of Philosophy (3060, 3080)...…6 hrs   Logic (2020)……………….…………..3 hrs Area Studies coursework (numbered 3000 or   above)…………………………………….…..6 hrs   Philosophy (3070, 3090, 3110, 3200,   3220, 3230, 3300, 3400, 3430) …..…3-6 hrs   Ethics (3100, 3120, 3150, 3180, 3210,   4120, 3330, 3331, 3320, 3350, 4220)..0-3 hrs             Upper Division Religious Studies coursework…………3 hrs Senior Capstone course PHIL 4920...………………….3 hrs Specialized Philosophy and Religion courses……….…………….…….…6 hrs Special Topics and Directed Studies coursework: REL 4700 or 4710…………………………………3 hrs PHIL 4800, 4810, 4900, or 4910…………………..3 hrs Minor and/or Elective Courses……………………………..…………….33 hrs Total hours required for the degree…………………………………...120 semester hrs RELIGIOUS STUDIES TRACK Senior College Curriculum (Religious Studies Track) ............................. 60 hrs (must include at least 39 hours of coursework numbered 3000 or above) Courses required for Religious Studies ...............................21 hours Religious Traditions chosen from ........................... 6 hours REL 3510, REL 3520, REL 3700, REL 3710 History of Religions chosen from ........................... 3 hours REL 3501, REL 3502, REL 3503, REL 3504 Sacred Texts and Stories chosen from .................... 3 hours REL 3330, REL 3340, REL 3350, REL 3360 Religion, Ethics, and Society chosen from .............. 6 hours REL 3200, REL 3210, REL 3220, REL 3270, REL 3530, REL 3600, REL 3800 Senior Capstone Course REL 4920 .......................... 3 hours Upper Division PHIL Courses .............................................. 6 hours Minor and/or Elective Courses ............................................33 hours Total hours required for the degree .............................................. 120 semester hours Please note that as of Summer 2007, and reflected in the Catalog of Spring 2008, the Philosophy Track will change as follows: Senior College Curriculum (Philosophy Track)…………………………………….……….60 hrs (must include at least 39 hours of coursework numbered 3000 or above) Courses required for Philosophy………………….24 hrs Logic and Argumentation…………......3 hrs PHIL 2020 History of Philosophy…….……………6 hrs PHIL 3060, 3070, 3080, 3090 Ethics………………….…………….......3 hrs PHIL 3100, 3120, 3130, 3140, 3150, 3160, 3170, 3180, 3190, 3210, 4120, 4220 Philosophy, Society, and Culture……...3 hrs PHIL 3110, 3300, 3400, 3430, 3530, 3700, 3710, 3800, 3850 Epistemology, Metaphysics, and Scientific Reasoning………..............…. 3 hrs PHIL 3200, 3220, 3230 Senior Level Curriculum……………....3 hrs PHIL 4800, 4810, 4900, or 4910 Senior Capstone PHIL 4920 ……...….3 hrs Upper Division REL . …………………………….6 hrs Minor and/or Elective Courses…………………....30 hrs Advising grids for our majors before 2007: Click here for the PHIL track grid and click here for the REL track grid. If you became a PHIL track student after Fall 2007, please use the new PHIL track grid here. Catalog 08-09. If you became a REL track student after June 2007, please use the new REL track grid here. Catalog 07-08.

Minor in Philosophy … 15 hours Fundamentals of Philosophy, or Principles of Logic and Argumentation (if not taken to satisfy course work in Area C or F) ........................................ 0-3 hours Choice of 3000/4000-level Philosophy courses ............... 12-15 hours Minor Religious Studies ... 15 hours At least four of these courses, 12 semester hours, must be taken in courses with an REL or REL/PHIL designation. Select from: REL 2020 REL/PHIL 3300 REL/PHIL 3310 REL 3330 REL 3340 REL 3370 REL/PHIL 3400 REL/PHIL 3410 REL 3390 REL 3500 REL 3600 REL 4700 REL 4710 SOCI 3150 ANTH 3070 ENGL 3310 HIST 3203 Minor Professional and Applied Ethics ... 15 hours Introduction to Philosophy (if not taken to satisfy course work in Area C or F) ............................................ .0-3 hrs Choice of the following 3000/4000-level courses ................ 12-15 hrs PHIL 3120 PHIL 4120 PHIL 3100 PHIL 3170 PHIL 3180 PHIL 3210 PHIL 4220 PHIL 3130 PHIL 3150 PHIL 3140 PHIL 3160 PHIL 3190  PHIL 4900 JOUR 3540 CRJU 3700 PROPOSED OUTCOMES/ASSESSMENTS                         Selected Educational Outcomes (Philosophy Track) 1. To encourage an understanding of central issues, topics and philosophers in the history of philosophy, from the ancient to the modern periods. 2. To develop students’ abilities to think, write, and speak critically and logically. 3. To enable students to challenge their own ideas and to develop self-understanding in the context of a diverse range of ideas that inform contemporary controversies and social conflict. 4. To enable students to engage in independent philosophical research, and to be responsible for communicating their understanding of the issues researched and developed, including a working familiarity with current research methods. Selected Educational Outcomes (Religious Studies Track) 1. To encourage an understanding of the world’s religious traditions and their influence on values, norms, and public policies. 2. To develop students’ critical and analytical skills and their abilities to articulate clearly an attention to multiple religious perspectives. 3. To enable students to challenge their own ideas and to develop self-understanding in the context of diverse ideas that in form contemporary controversies and social conflict. 4. To enable students to engage in independent research, to increase their sense of the problem and to communicate their understanding of the issues researched and developed in the context of current research methods in the discipline.  Examples of Outcome Assessments (Philosophy Track) 1. The on-going evaluation of student examinations and research papers and reports of other scholarly activities outside the classroom. 2. Exit questionnaires to be administered to each student completing work for the major. 3. Surveys of graduates of the program to assess the relevancy of the program to their current work and their suggestions for refinements. 4. The use of university or external data that may become available to assess the quality of the program and the performance of its graduates. Examples of Outcome Assessments (Religious Studies Track) 1.   The on-going evaluation of student examinations and research papers, and reports of other scholarly activities outside the classroom. 2. Exit questionnaires to be administered to each student completing work for the major.  3. Surveys of graduates of the program to assess the relevancy of the program to their current work and their suggestions for refinements. 4.  The use of university or external data that may become available to assess the quality of the program and the performance of its graduates.

Dr. Christine A. James

Department of Philosophy

Valdosta State University

Valdosta, GA 31698-0050

229-259-7609, Fax 229-259-5011

chjames@valdosta.edu

Philosophy Department home: http://teach.valdosta.edu/phi

Philosophy Department Office Assistant: 229-333-5949

Dr. James personal site: http://teach.valdosta.edu/chjames/

Dr. James' CV is available at http://teach.valdosta.edu/chjames/jamescv.htm 

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