Philosophy Transfer

The pathway below represents an efficient and effective course taking sequence for this program. Individual circumstances might require some changes to this pathway. It is always recommended that you meet with an academic counselor to develop a personalized educational plan.

The courses have been intentionally placed and should be prioritized in the order in which they appear. If you are unable to take all the courses in a semester, you should prioritize enrolling in the courses in the order below. Some courses have been noted as “Appropriate for Intersession” . Should you need (or want) to take classes in the summer and/or winter intersessions, the program recommends these courses as appropriate for the condensed schedule of the intersessions.

Some pathways combine a “Certificate of Achievement” and an “Associate Degree”. If you are pursuing only the Certificate of Achievement, you are only required to take the courses marked “Program Requirement” .

All pathways include at least one “Gateway Course” which introduces you to the program and/or field of study and helps you decide if you want to continue with this Academic and Career Path.

Most Associate degrees (though not Associate Degrees for Transfer) require satisfying the SMC Global Citizenship requirement. If the Program Requirements do not include a “Global Citizenship course” , be sure to select a General Education course that also satisfies Global Citizenship.

Programs in philosophy are designed to develop the reasoning skills needed to understand and evaluate beliefs about man, society, reality, knowledge, truth, values, etc. Skills in thinking and problem solving, research, writing, criticism, and analysis are emphasized. Philosophy programs provide a background for fields such as law, theology, journalism, business, or public service. Some students earn graduate degrees to become college philosophy teachers.

This program is intended to prepare students for transfer into the study of Philosophy and incorporates the UC transfer pathway.

Upon completion of the program, students will:

1. Lower division major preparation for transfer into Philosophy.
2. Upon completion of the program, students will: Exhibit strong academic behaviors, evidenced by their timeliness, regular attendance, participation in class activities, adherence to the College Honor Code, and awareness of their opportunities and obligations as students. Demonstrate through oral and/or written work knowledge of various metaphysical and epistemological questions and problems in philosophy including the nature and limits of knowledge, the existence of God, the Mind-Body Problem, the Freedom vs. Determinism and the Absolutism vs. Relativism debates, and related topics in ethics. Demonstrate the ability to evaluate and make compelling arguments about the validity, soundness, strength, and cogency of inductive and deductive arguments, and critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of positions/theories relative to a specific problem/issue in metaphysics or epistemology (and/or ethics), with particular attention to the underlying philosophical assumptions contained therein.