Planning Your Course of Study in the Major or Minor
 The philosophy major consists of 10 courses, plus two semesters of a non-graded colloquium course. There are some philosophy courses that are better taken earlier in your course of study, and some later. The guidelines below should help you to plan your major and will give you an overview of what's available and possible. The minor consists of 6 courses. Details about major and minor requirements are described below and appear, as well, on the checklist. Of course, we invite you to consult with your advisor on any curricular issues and on occasional exigent circumstances, such as faculty sabbaticals, that affect course availability. During your first year, you can choose from among the four courses that compose our Central Philosophical Issues series: Self & Society; Puzzles & Paradoxes On Being Human; and Nature & God (PL 111, 112, 113, and 114, respectively). Each is an introductory course aimed at teaching basic philosophical skills through a focused subject area within the discipline. Only one of these will count toward the major, and you are ready to move to a 200 level course after completing any one of these. Many students also take Logic (PL 151) during their first year. It is required for the major and also satisfies the college’s Quantitative Reasoning distribution requirement. If you don’t take it during your first year, then we strongly advise that you take it in your sophomore year. The Reuman Reading Group (PL 277) welcomes students from all class years, and first year students often find it an inviting introduction to the philosophy community at Colby. The 1-credit, non-graded Reuman Reading Group meets once a week over dinner to discuss a book chosen by the group and has become an important part of our Department's culture. It typically attracts around 10 to 15 students and 3 to 7 faculty from different departments (and occasionally even other colleges!). Students may participate as many semesters as they like. Some students come to the major in their sophomore year, and
have no problem completing the major.
You can work with your advisor to complete the courses and even study
abroad in most cases.
We strongly recommend that students complete the required history of philosophy courses, History of Ancient Greek Philosophy (PL 231) and History of Modern Philosophy (PL232) during their sophomore year. The first is taught always and only in the fall semester, and the second is taught always and only in the spring semester. In addition, sophomores should enroll in Logic if they have not done so already. This is a time when you can begin to explore the major by taking 200 level courses, and if you have the prerequisites, even 300 level courses. There are departmental Area requirements in three areas: Values, Diversity, and Metaphysics & Epistemology. Often students satisfy these Area Requirements in the major by simply taking courses of interest, though it’s a good idea to keep an eye on which courses satisfy which Area Requirement each semester. This information is typically listed in the departmental course brochure, made available in the days before registration each semester. In an effort to introduce you to the practice of professional philosophy, we have created a colloquium series. For sophomores, there is a classroom component to the speaker series, PL 201-202. Completion of PL201-202 is required for the major. A central part of the practice of philosophy is listening to philosophers from other parts of the country speaking about their most recent work and engaging them in dialogue by posing your questions to them at the lecture. In order to receive credit for PL 201-202, you must read the papers in advance, attend the pre-lecture discussions, submit a question for each lecture, and of course, attend the lectures. More details are provided in the Colloquium Guidelines. Because the attendance requirements are stern, you may find that you are unable to complete PL201 or PL202 the first time you sign up for it. So majors should get started on this requirement immediately and aim to complete it prior to their senior year. Conflict with other requirements or activities outside of the department is not an acceptable excuse for failing to take, or to attend individual sessions of, PL201 and PL202. Spring of sophomore year is when most students plan for their study abroad programs if they decide to go on one. The department has several recommended programs, and your advisor can talk to you in more detail about them. You may take courses abroad that count toward the philosophy major, but they need to be approved before you go on the program in order to receive credit. By the time you are in your sophomore year, you might want to pursue independent study with a faculty member (PL 491 or 492). Typically, this is focused philosophical work that the faculty member is knowledgeable about and interested in. It is best to begin a conversation with the relevant faculty member before registration for the semester in which you plan to enroll, so that she or he has time to consider your proposal. As always, students from all class years are invited to participate in the department’s community life beyond the classroom by signing up for the Reuman Reading Group (PL277). The 1-credit, non-graded Reuman Reading Group meets once a week over dinner to discuss a book chosen by the group and has become an important part of our Department's culture. It typically attracts around 10 to 15 students and 3 to 7 faculty from different departments (and occasionally even other colleges!). Students may participate as many semesters as they like.
During your junior year, you should be taking 200 and 300 level courses and working toward satisfying the Area Requirements in the major. This is true whether you are on campus or studying abroad. See “Sophomore Year” above regarding the rules for getting credit in the major for courses you’re taking abroad. Spring of your junior year is the appropriate time to think about writing an Honors Thesis if you meet the requirements. We typically require an application, accompanied by a prospectus, late in your Junior year. If there is a subject area in which you are interested, your first step should be to make contact with the faculty member best suited to supervise the thesis. You will be expected to have completed coursework in the relevant subject area(s) before being approved to take on a thesis project, and typically faculty will only approve thesis projects in areas they are competent and comfortable supervising. A “statement of intent” to do an Honors Thesis should be submitted by May 1st for students in their third-year who intend to submit an Honor proposal, even if those students are studying abroad. Juniors may enroll in independent studies (PL 491 or 492). Typically,
this is focused philosophical work that the faculty member is knowledgeable
about and interested in. It is
best to begin a conversation with the relevant faculty member before registration for the semester in
which you plan to enroll, so that she or he
has time to consider your proposal. We expect that majors and minors will continue to be a part of the philosophical and departmental community by attending the lectures in the colloquium series, even if they have successfully completed PL201-202. As always, students from all class years are invited to participate in the department’s community life beyond the classroom by signing up for the Reuman Reading Group (PL277). The 1-credit, non-graded Reuman Reading Group meets once a week over dinner to discuss a book chosen by the group and has become an important part of our Department's culture. It typically attracts around 10 to 15 students and 3 to 7 faculty from different departments (and occasionally even other colleges!). Students may participate as many semesters as they like.
In the early weeks of your senior year—and perhaps even over the summer before your senior year—you should take a look at your academic record and make sure that you will have satisfied all the requirements in the major. If not, you will need to register for the appropriate courses needed to do so. The department chair often will contact you regarding your progress toward completion of the major, but it is your responsibility to make sure that you have met all the requirements. Senior year is also a time when students are in need of letters of recommendation for graduate school, fellowships, work, or internships. Typically, you should ask faculty with whom you’ve had more than one course, preferably several courses, since the most informative recommendations come from those who know you and your work well. It is also extremely helpful if you can pass on the following information to the faculty member whom you’re asking for a recommendation: your personal statement (even if it is in draft form); reasons why you are applying to this particular school or program or job; what you think your strengths and weaknesses are; and particular things you think are important for the recommender to know before she or he writes on your behalf. Please plan ahead, giving faculty plenty of notice before deadlines when asking for a letter of recommendation. If you are working on an honors thesis or an independent study during your senior year, you can ask to participate in the departmental awards ceremony at the end of the year (this is actually a requirement for honors in the major) or in the college student research symposium. We expect that majors and minors will continue to be a part of the philosophical and departmental community by attending the lectures in the colloquium series, even if they have successfully completed PL201-202. As always, students from all class years are invited to participate in the department’s community life beyond the classroom by signing up for the Reuman Reading Group (PL277). The 1-credit, non-graded Reuman Reading Group meets once a week over dinner to discuss a book chosen by the group and has become an important part of our Department's culture. It typically attracts around 10 to 15 students and 3 to 7 faculty from different departments (and occasionally even other colleges!). Students may participate as many semesters as they like.
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