CAS: Philosophy
Sample Pathway
Below is an example of a four-year plan of a College of General Studies student pursuing a degree in philosophy. Students will work with their CGS academic advisors and the philosophy department to plan their own pathway to a philosophy degree.
| Semester I | Semester II | |
| Freshman Year | CGS Required Courses CAS PH 160 Second Language (if needed) |
CGS Required Courses (London or Boston-New England semester) |
| Sophomore Year | CGS Required Courses* CAS PH Elective (200-level or above) Second Language (if needed) |
CGS Required Courses* Second Language (if needed) |
| Junior Year | Elective** CAS Moral, political, or legal philosophy course (PH 200-level or above) Elective** Second Language (if needed) |
CAS PH 300^ CAS Metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of science, mind, or language course (PH 200-level or above) Elective** Elective** |
| Senior Year | CAS PH 310^ One course from CAS PH 403-430 Elective** Elective** |
CAS PH 400-level course Elective** Elective** Elective** |
*Philosophy majors who complete CGS HU 201 and CGS HU 202, each with a grade of ‘C’ or higher, will receive credit as equivalent to CAS PH 150 or CAS PH 155.
**Choose your electives carefully to fulfill any remaining BU Hub requirements. You will find a list of all of the courses that carry Hub units on the University’s BU Hub website. External courses are not eligible for Hub general education credit. Philosophy courses by Hub unit can be found here.
^CAS PH300 and CAS PH310 may be taken in either the junior or senior year.
College of General Studies Program Requirements
- Two rhetoric courses: CGS RH 103 and CGS RH 104
- CGS RH 104 is taken during the London semester
- Two natural science courses: CGS NS 201 and CGS NS 202
- Three social science courses:
- CGS SS 104 is required and is taken during the London semester
- Students select at least two additional SS courses and will work with their academic advisor to determine course selection
- Three humanities courses:
- CGS HU 104 is required and is taken during the London semester
- Students select at least two additional HU courses and will work with their academic advisor to determine course selection
Major Requirements
The philosophy major requires students to complete a total of nine courses with a grade of ‘C’ or higher. For required courses, please see the CAS Bulletin.
For more information about the major, please see the Philosophy Department webpage. Students can reach out to the contacts below for guidance on course selection and degree planning:
- Cassie Court (philda@bu.edu), Department Administrator
- Samia Hesnie (shesni@bu.edu), Director of Undergraduate Studies
- Sammi Lewis (casphilo@bu.edu), Senior Program Coordinator
Continuation Requirements
- Completion of the CGS required courses and appropriate electives
- Cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 2.00
Graduation Requirements
Boston University students completing a degree in CAS must also complete the following requirements.
- BU Hub requirements
- CAS requirements:
- Philosophy major requirements
- CAS requires a minimum of 128 credits, excluding PDP, ROTC, and CAS FY and SY courses.
This is a sample pathway to be used in consultation with your CGS Academic Advisor.
It is subject to change according to course availability and individual circumstances.
Last revised: 03/19/2025