First-Year College Requirements: Philosophy & Social Science Majors

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the first-year college requirements for students majoring in philosophy and potentially double majoring or minoring in social sciences such as psychology or anthropology. Participants explore the variability of course requirements based on different universities and share personal experiences regarding general education classes.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the specific first-year course requirements for philosophy and social science majors, emphasizing interest in non-major classes.
  • Another participant notes that course requirements depend on the school and recommends anthropology as a potential minor.
  • A participant lists several universities they are considering, highlighting NYU's advice for philosophy majors to take intensive introductory courses instead of non-major ones.
  • Discussion includes a mention of NYU's strong anthropology program as a reason to consider a double major.
  • A participant shares their experience at UCF, detailing general education requirements including English Composition, history, science, and other electives, while noting that not all general education classes must be taken in the first year.
  • Another participant references the specific requirement at NYU regarding philosophy courses, indicating a difference in approach compared to other schools.
  • There is a light-hearted exchange about a philosopher named Dangerous Dan Dennett, with participants expressing interest in attending Tufts University due to his presence there.
  • One participant humorously questions the similarity of their name to Dennett's, leading to a playful interaction about their avatars and online searches.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that course requirements vary by institution, but there is no consensus on specific classes or requirements for first-year students across different schools.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the lack of detailed information on specific course requirements for each university mentioned and the variability in general education requirements that may depend on individual circumstances.

Who May Find This Useful

Prospective college students considering majors in philosophy or social sciences, as well as those interested in general education requirements across different universities.

zk4586
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Alright, so, let's say I decide to major in philosophy and possibly double major, or at least minor, in some social science (psychology, anthropology, ect.), what would I be required to take my first year? Not classes that have to do with my major, just other classes. Are there certain classes I have to take, or does it depend on the school?
 
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Depends on the school.
and I recommend Anthropology, heheheh (my major).
Which schools are you looking at?
 
My list is pretty varied. Johns Hopkins, UVA, Georgetown, U. of Penn., NYU, and Tufts University. Though, I did notice this at NYU:

Students considering a major in philosophy are advised to skip over the nonmajor introductory courses, and to begin with one of the intensive introductory courses

That's a plus.
 
I know that NYU has a terrific anthro program if you were seriously considering the double major.
 
Everybody has to take 2 semesters of English Composition (gah). At UCF, I had/have to take Speech, a choice of history classes, a choice of science classes, a choice of philosophy, religion, art, or theater, and some other stuff. My major is Computer Science.

Of course, you don't have to take all the gen ed classes your first year.
 
...unless of course you go to NYU, as I quoted from their philosophy website above.
 
As you know, Dangerous Dan Dennett is at Tufts. That's reason enough to go there.
 
Absolutely. That would be my one big reason and it's really tempting the more I think about.
 
Who is Dangerous Dan and why does he have such a similar name to mine?
 
  • #10
Originally posted by Dissident Dan
Who is Dangerous Dan and why does he have such a similar name to mine?

{chuckles}...hahaha...HEH HEH HEH...lol...LOL! LMFAO!

Just look at my avatar and do a search for Daniel Dennett on yahoo or google or even Amazon.com for that matter. I'm going to go back to laughing now.
 

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