Program Description

Philosophy is one of the oldest academic subjects in the world and its concerns have given rise to nearly all other specialized academic disciplines. The primary motivation of philosophy is the desire for knowledge and understanding. Philosophy is an attempt to understand the nature of our reality, our attempts at knowledge, our quest for good and meaningful lives, and, most ambitiously, our construction of a society that might make these lives possible. Logic and critical thinking courses will explore the methodology of philosophic discourse and academic discourse in general. The student will explore the epistemological, metaphysical, ethical, and political dimensions of philosophy, the history of philosophy from its beginnings in the ancient world through contemporary philosophy, and the philosophic concerns manifested in the world's religions. Throughout these studies, attention will be given to diverse cultural perspectives.

Students who complete the Associate in Arts in Philosophy for Transfer degree will be ensured preferential transfer status to CSUs for Philosophy majors and/or majors in related disciplines. The Associate in Arts in Philosophy for Transfer degree will fulfill the lower division major requirements at many CSUs. Students are advised, however, to meet with a counselor to assess the course requirements for specific local CSUs and to validate which CSUs are considered local.

Learn more about the program on the Philosophy website.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to critically analyze and evaluate arguments regarding issues of metaphysics and epistemology.
• Students will be able to critically analyze and evaluate arguments regarding issues of ethics and political philosophy.

Units Required

• Major: 30-36

Associate Degree Requirements

Associate in Arts in Philosophy for Transfer requires completion of a minimum of 90 units, including:

• Core and support courses for the major (30-36 units)¹
• California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)² (45 units) (full certification is required)
• Transferable electives necessary to meet the 90-unit minimum requirement

¹

Some units from the core and support courses may be used to satisfy the GE requirement. Please see a counselor for more information.

²

Cal-GETC began in Fall Quarter 2025. Students with catalog rights for Summer Session 2025 and previous catalog years may be able to use IGETC or CSU GE Breadth. Please see a counselor for more information.

Note: All courses pertaining to the major must be completed with a grade of "C" (or "P") or better. In addition, the student must obtain a minimum GPA of 2.0.

Core and Support Courses 

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Core Courses
PHIL 7	INTRODUCTION TO SYMBOLIC LOGIC	5
PHIL 4	INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY	4-5
or PHIL 8	ETHICS
Support Courses
List A
Complete two courses from List A:		8-9
Any course not used from the Core Courses, or any of the following:
PHIL 4	INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY 1
PHIL 8	ETHICS 1
PHIL 20A	HISTORY OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY FROM SOCRATES THROUGH ST. THOMAS
PHIL 20B	HISTORY OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY FROM THE RENAISSANCE THROUGH KANT
List B
And complete two items from List B:		9-13
Any course not used in List A
HIST 4A & HIST 4B	HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION TO 800 CE and HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION: 700-1800 2
HIST 4B & HIST 4C	HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION: 700-1800 and HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION 1789-PRESENT 2
PHIL 1	CRITICAL THINKING & WRITING
PHIL 2	INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL & POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
POLS C1000	AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
List C
And complete one course from List C:		4-5
Any course not used in List A or List B
ENGL C1002	INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE
ENGL 22	WOMEN WRITERS
HUMN 1	CULTURES, CIVILIZATIONS & IDEAS: THE ANCIENT WORLD
or HUMN 1H	HONORS CULTURES, CIVILIZATIONS & IDEAS: THE ANCIENT WORLD
HUMN 2	CULTURES, CIVILIZATIONS & IDEAS: OF EMPIRES & CONFLICT
HUMN 3	WORLD MYTHS IN LITERATURE ARTS & FILM
or HUMN 3H	HONORS WORLD MYTHS IN LITERATURE ARTS & FILM
PHIL 24	COMPARATIVE WORLD RELIGIONS: EAST
PHIL 25	COMPARATIVE WORLD RELIGIONS: WEST
Total Units		30-36

¹

If not used to fulfill the core requirement.

²

Both courses must be completed to fulfill the requirement.