The Philosophy major at UMD is designed to be completed within 2 years. Here is a suggested plan for completing a major easily within four years. The pace set out here should work well for those doing a double major, as well. Go forth and raise a ruckus

In your first year, take 6 credits in Philosophy
Problems of Philosophy (required)
Ethics and Society (not required for the major, but is a good introduction to ethics)

These classes both count toward UMD's Liberal Education requirements, as well as toward the Philosophy major.

Begin attending philosophy colloquia and discussion groups (these are announced in classes). By the end of your senior year, you will need to have 10 credits from attending these (but don't wait that long to start!).

The other 1000 level courses (Critical Thinking, Philosophy of Religion) should be taken during your freshman and sophomore years, as should any 2000 level courses (Philosophy of Language, Science and Pseudo-science, Existential Literature, and Feminist Issues in Philosophy).

In your second year, take 8-12 credits in philosophy:
Logic (much more math-like than other phil courses)

Begin studying the history of philosophy, preferably at the beginning with Greek Philosophy. The sequence can be started with The Birth of Modern Philosophy as well.

In your junior year, take 8-12 Philosophy credits
Should total at least 24 credits by the end of junior year:

Besides those two required history courses listed above, at least one more history course needs to be taken, preferably during your junior year. Take 19th and 20th Century Philosophy (preferably after The Birth of Modern Philosophy).

Also take an upper division Philosophy elective or two during your junior year (the elective can be another history of philosophy course). You will need 12 credits of Philosophy electives in order to graduate, 9-12 of these (three 4-credit courses) must be 2000 level or above.

If there is a 4000 or 5000 level course you are interested in, take it! The 5000 level courses are almost never offered two years in a row, so if a 5000 level course is offered when you are junior, it won't be offered when you are a senior (a different 5000 level course will be offered, instead).

In your senior year, take 3 courses (12 credits)
Finish the history sequence and take one of these 4000 or 5000 level courses:

Theory of Knowledge, or
Philosophy of Psychology, or
Aesthetics

Then take the required Seminar in Philosophy (instructor and topic varies; topic is selected by the instructor).
Finally, the term in which you will finish gathering 12 colloqium credits is the term in which to register for the 1 credit Colloquium in Philosophy.

As you can see, this is a very leisurely way to complete the major, with just a single course per quarter. By taking more than one phil course a quarter, you can complete the major in much less time. The order suggested above is a nice one, and could be followed even if you are compressing the time span for completing the major. Notice also that the philosophy major works well as a double major, as several phil courses satisfy the liberal education requirements, the total credit requirement is relatively low, and there are philosophy areas that closely complement the topics dealt with in other majors.

Philosophy majors should take other courses to complement their interests in philosophy. If you are interested in personal philosophy, philosophy of life, and individual ethics, you should consider appropriate Literature courses (English or foreign langauge). If you are interested in the history of philosophy, study other history and humanities as well. If you are interested in political philosophy or ethics or philosophy of law, courses in economics, political science or sociology can be very useful in filling out your understanding. Those studying philosophy of language, mind, etc., should also take courses in cognitive psychology, and consider courses in artificial intelligence. Other areas in philosophy also have natural complements in depart ments outside of philosophy. Ask any philosophy instructor for suggestions.

<<David Cole 1995; revised 2001>