Minors

Philosophy, Humanities, and Religious Studies

Philosophy and Religious Studies

Philosophy

The philosophy minor requires 18 credits in philosophy, 12 of which must be upper division courses.  Religious Studies courses do not count toward a minor in philosophy with the exception of 3230.

Effective the 2016/17 academic year, the philosophy minor will also require the following courses:

  • Choice of:
    PHIL 2030 Practical Reasoning   (OR)
    PHIL 3050 Symbolic Logic
  • And Choice of:
    PHIL 3010 History of Ancient Philosophy   (OR)
    PHIL 3030 History of Modern Philosophy

Students should plan their minor in consultation with an advisor from the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies.  To find your advisor, please click the appropriate tab below.

  • Students with fewer than 60 completed credit hours
    Cody Morelock
    Advisement Resources & Careers Center (ARC)
  • Students with over 60 earned credit hours
    David Harker
     322 E Rogers-Stout Hall

 

Humanities

Humanities seeks to provide a base for students to construct a better understanding of the spirit and meaning of their civilization. It draws fully on other departments within the university and attempts to show the interdependence of the various disciplines. By the consideration of the vast storehouse of historical, philosophical, religious, and artistic expressions, students are better able to find meaning for themselves as individuals. It is designed for the student desiring a firm background in the humanistic disciplines, and it should be of special interest to students planning to enter such professions as the ministry, law, or college teaching.

The humanities minor requires 24 credits, including:

  • HUMT 2310 Arts and Ideas I
  • HUMT 2320 Arts and Ideas II
  • HUMT 4950 Senior Seminar
  • 12 upper division credits approved by the Humanities advisor*

Effective academic year 2018/2019, the humanities minor will require 18 credits, including:

  • HUMT 2310 Arts and Ideas I
  • HUMT 2320 Arts and Ideas II
  • HUMT 4950 Interdisciplinary Humanities Seminar
  • 9 credits Humanities Electives*

*The specific electives for this program must be approved by the Humanities advisor, including courses in the following disciplines:

  • Art History
  • History
  • Literature (in any modern or classical language)
  • Introduction to Music or Music History
  • Philosophy
  • Religious Studies
  • Theatre, Dance, and Storytelling

No courses counting toward the student's major field or Service-Learning or General Education Core courses (with the exception of HUMT 2310 and HUMT 2320) may be counted toward satisfying the Humanities Minor.

Students wishing to minor in Humanities should contact Leslie MacAvoy for advisement.  Her office is in 322A Rogers-Stout Hall.

Religious Studies

The Religious Studies Minor is a 21-credit hour interdisciplinary program of study hosted by the Philosophy Department, and including faculty and courses from the departments of History, Sociology and Anthropology, English, Appalachian Studies, and other fields. The program is designed for students interested in the historical, social, scientific, and philosophical study of religions and religious thought throughout the world. It may be elected as preparation for professional graduate education in theology or ministry. Students specifically interested in critical and philosophical issues in the study of religions may also concentrate in religious studies within the philosophy major (see Philosophy Major [PHIA] Philosophy and Religious Studies Concentration [RELI]).

The minor in religious studies requires a minimum of 21 credits, including:

Religious Studies Requirements (9 credits)

  • RELI 2210 - Intro to the Study of World Religions 
  • ANTH 3800 - Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion
  • PHIL 4047 - Philosophy of Religion

Western Religions (3 Credits)

  • APST 3530 - Religion in Appalachia 
  • ARTH 4017 - Classical Art 
  • ARTH 4027 - Medieval Art 
  • ARTH 4037 - Italian Renaissance Art 
  • ARTH 4047 - Baroque Art 
  • ENGL 3280 - Mythology 
  • ENGL 3700 - The Bible as Literature 
  • HIST 3903 - African American Religious History 
  • HIST 3910 - History of Christianity 
  • HIST 3911 - Ancient Religions 
  • HIST 3912 - Ancient Israel and Modern Scholarship 
  • HIST 3914 - The Historical Jesus and the Early Church 
  • HIST 3915 - American Religious History 
  • HIST 3920 - History of Islam 
  • HIST 4387 - History of the Holocaust 
  • RELI 3240 - Hebrew Scriptures 
  • RELI 3250 - Greek Scriptures 

Non-western Religions (3 Credits)

  • HIST 3913 - The History of Buddhism
  • PHIL 3210 - Chinese Philosophy 
  • RELI 3230 - Indian and Buddhist Philosophy 

Advisor Approved Courses (6 Credits)

  • Any RELI course 
  • ARTH 4957 - Special Topics in Art (1-6 credits)
  • SOCI 4440 - Sociology of Religion
  • Courses may also be chosen from the list of Western and Non-Western courses. 

 

Dr. Keith Green is the Program Coordinator of the Religious Studies Interdisciplinary Program.  His office is in Rogers-Stout 322B.

Ethics

The Ethics minor serves as a natural and important complement to a wide range of fields of study, particularly those in which social justice and social change are high priorities. In addition, employers in both the public and private sectors are increasingly looking for individuals with strong, ethical leadership skills. This program will improve students’ moral decision-making and, as with any program in philosophy, develop better creative and critical thinking, and improve both oral and written communication skills. Students can declare the Ethics minor starting in Spring of 2023. 

The minor in Ethics requires a minimum of 18 credits including: 

Required Courses (6 credits)

  • PHIL 2020 - Introduction to Ethics
  • PHIL 4017 - Ethical Theory 

Advisor Approved Electives (12 credits)

  • CDST 4317 - Applied and Professional Ethics (3 credits)
  • PHIL 3110 - Philosophies of Feminism (3 credits)
  • PHIL 3120 - Existentialism (3 credits)
  • PHIL 3130 - Bioethics (3 credits)
  • PHIL 3140 - Environmental Philosophy (3 credits)
  • PHIL 3150 - Philosophy of Law (3 credits)
  • PHIL 3210 - Chinese Philosophy (3 credits)
  • PHIL 4107 - Classical Political Philosophy (3 credits)
  • PHIL 4127 - Modern Political Philosophy (3 credits) 
  • PHIL 4137 - Marxism (3 credits) 
  • PHIL 4147 - Health Justice (3 credits)
  • PHIL 4177 - Global Justice (3 credits)

Allen Coates is the advisor for students in the Ethics minor; his office is located at Rogers-Stout 322 F.