Honors in Philosophy

The purpose of the Honors in Philosophy Program is to identify exceptional philosophy students and to encourage and recognize the development of their potential.

Eligibility Requirements:

To add the Honors Major, you must:

1. Be a declared Philosophy Major;
2. Have completed a minimum of 9 units of Upper Division Philosophy courses at CSUN;
3. Maintain a GPA of 3.5 or above in courses counting toward completion of the Major and a GPA of 3.3 or above in all courses taken at CSUN; and
4. Obtain the recommendation of a full-time faculty member.
5. Complete a "Change of Major Petition" (the process is outlined here).

Requirements for Graduating with Honors in Philosophy:

1. Complete a minimum of 45 units in letter-graded courses taken at CSUN;
2. Complete the requirements for a B.A. Degree in Philosophy with a GPA of 3.5 or above in courses counting toward completion of the Major and a GPA of 3.3 or above in all courses taken at CSUN;
3. Complete successfully an Honors Thesis consisting of a minimum of 5,000 words. To undertake an Honors Thesis, students must enroll in either PHIL 497 (Senior Research Seminar) or PHIL 499 (Independent Study) during their senior year and declare to their instructor by the end of the second week of instruction their intention to undertake an Honors thesis. (Those who choose to write an Honors thesis in PHIL 499 are not exempt from PHIL 497.) Theses must earn a grade of “A” or “A-” from the instructor of record in order to count as satisfactorily completed.

Students who successfully complete the above requirements are graduated with Honors in Philosophy and receive a special certificate from the Department. The designation “Honors in Philosophy” is noted on the student’s transcript and academic record.