Philosophy Programs

The Philosophy Major consists in 11 courses (33 credit hours).  Students are under no obligation to select a concentration; those who make no selection will automatically be assigned to General Philosophical Studies, which is our most flexible and varied path through the major. All students, regardless of concentration, must still complete all courses required for the major. Considering a double major? Philosophy is a great complement to many other majors. Talk with us for more information!

We encourage all of our majors to engage in experiential learning opportunities in the major, including undergraduate research, study abroad, directed readings, internships, and thesis work.   

Beginning Fall 2024, new students declaring a philosophy major will be able to choose between two options: General Philosophical Studies and a concentration in Law, Politics, and Ethics. 

Major: General Philosophical Studies

Students in this track are free to select their 15 elective hours (five courses) from any courses offered by the program; they are encouraged, however, to include in their program of study courses identified by the different philosophy prefixes--PHH, PHI, PHM, and PHP.

Concentration: Law, Politics, and Ethics

This concentration helps students to focus their philosophy coursework around issues, themes, and concerns prominent in law, politics, and ethics. Students planning careers in law, public affairs, theoretical or applied ethics, or those planning graduate work in social or political theory should consider this concentration.

View the Osprey Map [Course Sequence Guides] to keep on track for graduation. Osprey Maps should be used in consultation with an academic advisor after admission to UNF. 

To declare the major, contact COAS Advising at ASADV@unf.edu or call at 904-620-2797.

Students who are already on Track 2, "Legal, Political, and Social Studies" or Track 3, "Studies in Applied Ethics" can choose to finish out their program on the track as it was or switch to the new concentration, "Law, Politics, and Ethics."

The Department of Philosophy offers a minor in Philosophy and -- Coming Fall 2024 -- a minor in Law, Politics, and Ethics. Both minors are 15 credits.

• General Philosophy
• Law, Politics, and Ethics
  • The coursework in this minor is tailored to those with specific interests in law, political philosophy, and theoretical or applied ethics. 

Students in a current minor concentration (below) can stay in that concentration or elect to move to the general Philosophy minor or the new Law, Politics, and Ethics minor.

• Culture & Philosophy
• Applied Ethics
• Law & Philosophy

View our full course offerings in the UNF Course Catalog. 

 Summer 2024

PHI 3930 ST: Leadership and Public Philosophy             Summmer C         MW 10:50-12:30 Mattice

This special topics course aims to help students develop the skills of doing philosophy and facilitating philosophical conversations outside of the context of a university classroom. We will work through leading conversations on complex ethical issues, doing philosophy with children, and engaging in philosophical discussion in non-traditional formats (e.g. YouTube videos, podcasts, editorials, fiction-writing, and more). For Philosophy Majors, this can count for Value Theory, Diverse Perspective, or as a major elective. This course, or instructor approval, is required to be considered for the UNF Ethics Academy internships. FMI: s.mattice@unf.edu

General Education: multiple sections and times available

PHI 2010 (GW) Introduction to Philosophy

HUM 2020 (GW) Introduction to Humanities

PHI 2630 (GW) Ethical Issues

REL 2300 (GW) Comparative Religion

Fall 2024

Required for Majors and Minors                                                                   

PHI 3084 Philosophical Methods, Matheson, TR 12:15-1:30pm

PHI 2101 (GM) Introduction to Logic, TBA

Value Theory

PHI 3601 Ethics, Haney, TR 10:50-12:05

PHM 3050 Death and Dying, Mitchell, MW 12:00-1:15

PHI 3453 Philosophy of Psychology, LaChance Adams, MW 10:30-11:45

PHI 3640 Environmental Ethics, Fenner, MW 1:30-2:45

History of Philosophy

PHH 3104 Socrates and the Sophists, Carelli, MW 4:30-5:45

PHH 3400 Modern Philosophy, Koegler, MW 3:00-4:15

Knowledge and Reality

PHI 3700 Philosophy of Religion, Matheson, TR 1:40-2:55

Diverse Perspectives

REL 3102 Religion as Culture, Denison, TR 12:15-1:30

REL 3930 ST: Imagining Jesus, LoRusso, DL/Online

REL 4159 Sociology of Religion, Phillips, TR 4:30-5:45

 4000-level

PHH 4601 Contemporary European Philosophy* Haney, TR 4:30-5:45

            *This course is recommended for majors/minors with interests in law and political philosophy.

 Elective

PHI 3940 Mindfulness and Meditation Practicum (1cr, 1H), Mattice, F 10:00-11:30

Special Topics Fall 2024:

REL 3930 ST: Imagining Jesus This course explores representations of Jesus as they have emerged and continued to evolve over nearly two millennia. Students will examine portrayals of Jesus within the canonical texts of the Christian Bible, but also consider the perspectives of Jesus in non-Christian religious traditions and in contemporary society.

General Education: multiple sections and times available

PHI 2010 (GW) Introduction to Philosophy

HUM 2020 (GW) Introduction to Humanities

PHI 2630 (GW) Ethical Issues

REL 2300 (GW) Comparative Religion

Spring 2025 (provisional, subject to change)

Required for Majors and Minors                                                                   

PHI 3084 Philosophical Methods, Matheson         

PHI 2101 (GM) Introduction to Logic, TBA                

Value Theory

PHI 3930 Philosophy and Pop Culture, Haney             

PHI 3633 Bioethics, Mitchell           

PHM 3400 Philosophy of Law, Rainbolt

PHI 3640 Environmental Ethics, Fenner            

History of Philosophy

PHH 3786 Existentialism, LaChance Adams

PHH 3xxx Non-European History, Creller                                              

Knowledge and Reality

PHI 3500 Introduction to Metaphysics, Matheson         

Diverse Perspectives

REL 3380 Native American Religions, Denison

REL 4xxx: Religion and the Marketplace, LoRusso

4000-level

PHI 4220 Philosophy of Language, Koegler           

Elective

PHI 3940 Mindfulness and Meditation Practicum (1cr, 1H), Mattice            

Graduate:

PHI 5934: Religion and the Marketplace, LoRusso

General Education: multiple sections and times available

PHI 2010 (GW) Introduction to Philosophy

HUM 2020 (GW) Introduction to Humanities

PHI 2630 (GW) Ethical Issues

REL 2300 (GW) Comparative Religion

UNF Philosophy Majors participate in many different kinds of experiential learning, including but not limited to:

• One on one or small group work with faculty on directed independent study (DIS) or senior honors thesis
• Collegiate Ethics Bowl 
• High School Ethics Bowl coaching, judging, interning, and volunteering
• Internships (paid or non-paid) and volunteer positions in the community
• Peer mentoring at UNF
• UNF Ethics Academy Internships
• Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies Ambassador Internship
• Study Abroad (UNF students with the Giant Buddha in Chengdu, China, pictured below)

Are you interested in an internship? Thinking about interning is a lot like thinking about career goals — the key factors are:

• What do you want to do? (e.g. how do you want to spend your time)
• What are you good at? (e.g. what skills do you have)
• How can you help/serve others?

You can intern through private opportunities or with Career Services. Getting an internship is a PROCESS that takes TIME: you should begin the process a semester before you plan to intern. If you are specifically interested in legal internships you should contact Dr. Lerner (UNF's Pre-Law Advisor) for access to the Pre-law Canvas page. Here are some steps to consider:

• Make an appointment with Career Services to create/revise your resume (https://www.unf.edu/careerservices/students/bookings.html). They can help you translate your experiences (paid, volunteer, classroom) into concrete skills internship sites and employers will recognize. You can learn more about Career Services in Canvas, or on their website: https://www.unf.edu/careerservices/ 
• Attend a Career Fair (talk to potential employers and internship opportunity folks)
• Identify 1+ sites that interest you, and work with Career Services to put together an application. NOTE: this can include sites that already have relationships with UNF or new sites. New sites take more time, but are doable. 
• Identify a faculty mentor who can work with you to connect your internship experience to your philosophy coursework. Not sure where to start? Talk with Dr. Mattice (s.mattice@unf.edu) 
• Intern! Have a fantastic learning experience. 

UNF Philosophy students have interned at all kinds of different places. Remember, philosophy is a major that sets you up to do lots of different kinds of things for a career. Prior internship sites have included:

• Prosecutor's Office
• Attorney Offices
• City Ethics Board
• Arc Village
• Local schools
• Non-profit centers
• and more!

Another fantastic kind of experiential learning available to philosophy majors is Study Abroad. You can study abroad individually, through partner agreements UNF has with schools all over the world. You can do this while learning/practicing a foreign language (Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, ...), or entirely in English. You can also study abroad on a UNF sponsored program, with UNF faculty. Check out the International Center for more information: https://www.unf.edu/intlctr/ . Keep your eyes peeled for a study abroad program offered by Philosophy and Religious Studies faculty! And think about taking language courses to expand your options!

What do UNF students have to say about experiential learning in Philosophy? Here is what Madison Mendiola had to say about her Summer 2023 internship at Jacksonville Legal Aid:

"As an aspiring law student, I’ve heard all about the benefits of getting an internship. Experience! Connections! Knowledge! All great and true things, no doubt. The lawyer I worked under was wise, patient and had a wonderful sense of humor; I would love to stay in contact with her in the future. I also learned a lot about the law, especially with probate cases. From homestead tax exemptions to the processes of formal notices, I saw both the abstract and the applied at play. Yet, as I think back to my time going into the office, my mind wanders to the ease of getting dressed in my fancy black shoes, walking with a crowd to differing shades of tall buildings, and passing through rooms filled with phone calls and keyboard clicking. The experience and practicum of briefly being given a role filled my passion for a dream I had but never fully realized. After my first day at the internship, I was convinced I had to work in an office and do lawyer-y things."

And here is what James Hayes had to say about his Summer 2023 Peer Mentorship experience working with incoming freshmen in Intro to Logic: 

"What I learned most was the value of learning through teaching and group work. I feel as though I more deeply understood the material due to my experience working through homework with my classmates in a group setting where we could work together to solve the homework problems. It was equally edifying and gratifying to both work through problems that necessitated a collaborative approach amongst many students and also working one on one with students who may have been struggling with the homework. The opportunity to be a peer mentor has not only allowed me to feel confident in a basic understanding of SL, logic proofs, and the various related rules that are involved, but it has also taught me how to more clearly communicate and explain complex concepts. By the end of the semester, I felt as though I had learned how to convey complicated information in a way that could not only expand the knowledge base of a student but also, hopefully, expand their understanding as well." 

UNF Ethics Academy Summer 2023 Interns:

Cheyenne Burlingame: "I really enjoyed the camp, and I would do this again next year if possible. Overall, I feel like my group discussions went really well with the kids."

Madison Mendiola: "From the beginning, I was ecstatic about the idea of Ethics Academy. I loved judging for the First Coast Ethics competition, and I hoped the camp could get more students into Ethics Bowl... All in all, I love to see people being nerds, and there’s no better opportunity for that than a philosophy-centered summer camp. Learning about intellectual safety and gentle Socratic inquiry gave me a new perspective on being a discussion leader. As the leader, I have control over the pace of the conversation. This means that a good leader can keep conversation flowing, while also allowing for thoughtful silence. Meanwhile, an overly talkative leader can run the risk of speaking over the students. Creating an intellectual safe environment then allows the students to be free-thinkers, willing to be curious instead of searching for an approved answer. Working with my peers in the camp helped me see how a group leader should act. They would ask questions instead of giving answers, and dive into assumptions without being aggressive. Overall, the Ethics Academy taught me the difficulties but also the value found in leading an intellectual discussion."

Raymond Hall: "I enjoyed working the camp... I found that what helped me find my groove was mentally going back to when I was in high school and pretending I enrolled in this camp. I asked myself what I would have liked to take home from each day and what I’d like my counselor to be like... I found what worked for me was just letting the kids choose their own path."

Nathanael Coronado: "After thinking back on this Public Philosophy Leadership, I have gathered three important experience points that I focused on, and journaling of my own notes. The first experiential point being that I noticed that there is a necessity for a layout of philosophical ideas. The Moral Reasons Matrix, was the swiss army knife for this course. We first established an understanding of the Matrix as the team leaders to be familiar with its format and its strengths with certain ethical pnderies. What I realized is that certain discussions have a stronger hand in particular reasons, such as the consequentialist, deontilogical, or virtue having more points. This also helped strengthen my own preconceived options of only thinking from one viewpoint when approaching certain ethical questions. This made me have to approach the situation and dig for another reason outside of my standard train of thought."

Isabel Hiday: "This has been a great experience for me overall. I think I learned a lot about my personal thoughts on certain moral frameworks. I also learned more about my own leadership style and how to interact with high schoolers with respect while still letting them feel like they have their own ideas."