Minor
The minor in philosophy requires students to be well-grounded in the history of philosophy, especially ancient and early modern, covering the major texts of ethical and political theory as well as the major texts of epistemology and metaphysics. The emphasis on argument and logical structure in philosophy requires students to be familiar with contemporary logic, at least up to the level of the first-order predicate calculus. Beyond this foundational requirement, students take four courses tailored to their individual interests and, typically, to complement work being done in their major. To provide the greatest latitude for this, only three of the four remaining courses need be at the 300 level.
Minor course requirements (8 units)
(A) Four core requirements:
- Logic: 150 Elementary Logic I,
- History of Philosophy: 210-1 (Ancient Philosophy),
- History of Philosophy: 210-3 (Early Modern Philosophy),
- Classics of Ethical or Political Theory: at least one course from the area: 260 or 261.
(B) Four philosophy electives: At least 3 must be at the 300 or 400 level. A student who is admitted to and completes 1 or more 400-level courses may apply such courses toward this requirement. Electives may not include Phil 109, 270, 373, 398, and they may include at most 1 (one) PHIL 399.
NOTE: Core requirements cannot be replaced by courses taken at other venues than the NU philosophy department. This includes study abroad, online courses, other universities, other departments at NU. Only in cases of established exceptional hardship will the UG-committee be able to consider a request to have a course taken at another venue as a core credit (see FAQ for further details). Should you believe to be in such circumstances, you need to immediately contact your advisor or the DUS to find out more about the possibilities.
For more detailed official information on the requirements, see https://catalogs.northwestern.edu/undergraduate/arts-sciences/philosophy/philosophy-minor/.