Return to: College of Arts, Letters, & Sciences

The Department of Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Studies offers undergraduate instruction leading to the baccalaureate degree in philosophy, a minor in religious studies, and a minor combining study in philosophy and religious studies.

Students may choose to pursue a course of study within the baccalaureate degree in philosophy that emphasizes legal and moral studies that is designed to prepare them for early acceptance into the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. The department also coordinates an undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. For more information, see ualr.edu/philosophy.

General Information

Major in Philosophy

Why study philosophy? Because making a living is not the same as having a life. In Plato’s Republic, Socrates tells a story about the navigator on a ship who is thrown overboard by the sailors, who see him as a useless stargazer: what is useful depends on whether you are focused on the task of steering the ship or the science of guiding it. To decide the right course of action, to wonder if a law is just, to analyze a speech or an article in the newspaper, to ask what you can do to help others or yourself, to engage any of the issues that make our lives worthwhile and meaningful is to practice philosophy. The choice is not whether to do philosophy, but whether to do it well or poorly, to live or merely exist. Because it is practical. When you study philosophy you learn how to think critically about any topic. That is why philosophy majors consistently score higher than other majors on the LSAT, GMAT, and GRE tests. The ability to think critically, argue persuasively, and solve problems—which are the foci of philosophical training—have become increasingly necessary for success in the rapidly changing work environment in which we live. The study of philosophy is an excellent preparation for the study of law, medicine, business, or theology.

Programs

• Interdisciplinary Studies Online, B.A.
• Interdisciplinary Studies, B.A.
• Philosophy, B.A.

• Philosophy, B.A. and J.D.

• Philosophy Minor
• Philosophy/Religious Studies Minor
• Religious Studies Minor

Return to: College of Arts, Letters, & Sciences