Students develop competency in the history of philosophy through the close study of primary texts in the ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary periods. Students cultivate their capacity to read primary sources and secondary literature with understanding, to write essays marked by logical rigor and depth of insight, and to engage fellow students and faculty in thoughtful and serious conversation. The major requires 11 courses, giving students the freedom to combine their study with a second major. 

Required Courses (11)

One Intermediate Course from the Following List

Four Courses in History of Philosophy (one course from each era)

• Two PHI Courses (200 or higher)
• Two further PHI courses
   

Course Descriptions

Academic Catalog & Advising Guide

Major in Philosophy Course Descriptions

Today’s businesses and today’s world need citizens who can think with insight, communicate clearly, and exercise good judgment both in and out of the workplace. This version of the Major in Philosophy includes an emphasis on ethics, business, and economic life, and it can readily be combined with a second major, such as Political Science or Economics. The first four courses listed below help prepare students to understand business activities in their ethical and civic context. The other eight courses are included to broaden and deepen students’ understanding of philosophical reasoning as a formative influence in human life, one important part of which is economic activity. Students who complete this major with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 are guaranteed acceptance into Assumption University’s Accelerated MBA Program (Management Track) for liberal arts majors.

Required Courses

Three Courses in the History of Philosophy (each from a different era)

Three PHI Courses (at least one numbered 200 or higher)

Course Descriptions

• Academic Catalog & Advising Guide
• Major in Philosophy, Business Track Course Descriptions

The minor in philosophy is designed to strengthen any major, broaden the student’s background, and enable the student to see his/her subject in perspective.

Required Courses

One Intermediate Course from the Following List

Two Courses in the History of Philosophy (each from a different era)

Two Additional PHI Courses

Course Descriptions

• Academic Catalog & Advising Guide
• Minor in Philosophy Course Descriptions

Following completion of the BA, students will complete the 12– 14-month Accelerated MBA. For specific information about the Accelerated MBA Program (Management Track), students should consult Prof. Robin Frkal, Director of the MBA Program (ra.frkal@assumption.edu).

During the summer prior to their MBA year, students take the Foundations courses, consisting of four courses designed to prepare liberal arts majors for graduate-level business courses. Undergraduate students interested in an MBA should seriously consider taking the following courses as undergraduates, since earning a B- or better in these courses waives MBA requirements otherwise fulfilled by the Foundations courses: MKT 101 Principles of Marketing (equivalent: MBA 562) ACC 126 Principles of Accounting II (equivalent: MBA 565) MGT 230 Decision Analytics for Managers (equivalent: MBA564) ECO 325 Corporate Finance (equivalent: MBA 553) ECO 110, 111 Microeconomics and Macroeconomics (equivalent: MBA 554) 217 PHI 260 Business Ethics fulfills the MBA requirement for MBA 600 Business Ethics, thus enabling students to substitute an elective in the MBA segment of the program. Each of the following undergraduate courses is also strongly recommended: CSC 113 Introduction to Computer Science (OR CSC 117 Introduction to Programming) ENG 304 Business and Technical Writing (OR ENG 201 Writing Workshop: Argument and Persuasion; OR ENG 308 Writing and Editing; OR ENG 204 Effective Business Writing) MAT 117 Calculus POL 322 Political Economy SPA 125, 126 Business Spanish I, II THE 346 The Social Teachings of the Church