dec 21, 2023  
2023-2024 undergraduate catalog 
    
2023-2024 undergraduate catalog

philosophy, basic track, b.a.


return to {$returnto_text} return to: programs of study

college of arts and sciences

the basic track in the major requires a total of 21 philosophy hours.  a lower division foundations in ethics course is required (3credits).  if a student has taken the cornerstone course in the discipline of philosophy, this course will count as two credits towards the major (or the basic minor). 

any five upper division electives will then satisfy the major, but must include one history course and one topics course. 

students must also fulfill a one credit capstone requirement in their last semester (for a total of 21 hours). 

a student who has not taken the cornerstone course in the discipline of philosophy will take an additional elective to satisfy the major (and will be exempt from the capstone requirement).  courses will be selected in consultation with the student’s departmental advisor.  (see below for more on the oral exam requirement for the major.) 

twelve hours of related upper-division coursework are also required.

for more information and a general overview, see philosophy .

the wisdom core section included at the bottom of this program outlines the requirements to fulfill the rockhurst wisdom core for all undergraduate students. when registering for classes, to find which courses will fulfill core requirements, search the course schedule by “attribute type”.

the course schedule is located on the rockhurst registrar’s webpage at www.rockhurst/registrar.

 

lower division requirements:


a lower division foundations in ethics course is required.  if a student has taken the cornerstone course in the discipline of philosophy, this course will count as two credits towards the major (or the basic minor).  

upper division requirements:


required upper division courses are:

additional information:


additional upper-division philosophy courses will be selected by the student and major advisor to complete the major requirements.

the required 12 hours of related upper-division coursework normally can be fulfilled by a second major or possibly a minor. a foreign language is strongly recommended. students following the basic track who intend to pursue graduate study in philosophy will be advised to take additional philosophy courses.

wisdom core requirements


with few exceptions, rockhurst undergraduate students are required to fulfill the following requirements of the rockhurst wisdom core. to locate courses that fulfill specific wisdom core requirements, search the course schedule by “attribute type”.  the course schedule is located on the rockhurst registrar’s webpage at www.rockhurst/registrar.

cornerstone requirement:


 cornerstones courses introduce students to the jesuit tradition and to the university through study, discussion, and reflection. topics will vary. students are encouraged to take the cornerstone course during their first year at rockhurst.

this 2 credit hour course may be offered through the college of arts and sciences (wcca), the college of business intelligence and information analysis (wccb), or saint luke’s college of nursing and health sciences (wccn), with a variety of content to be covered in each individual course.

the attribute code attached to any cornerstone class is wcc.

foundation course requirements: 37-40 hours


foundations courses are lower division courses representing the traditional liberal arts and sciences disciplines that are highly valued within the jesuit tradition. transfer courses may be accepted to fulfill foundation core requirements.

nw - natural world

complete one science class with a lab from biology, chemistry, physics, or natural sciences (4 hours)

hc - history and culture: hca

complete one class from art, music, or theatre arts (3 hours)

hc - history and culture: hch

complete one class from history (3 hours)

hc - history and culture: hcl

complete one class from literature in english or literature in modern languages (3 hours)

is - individuals and society complete two classes from 2 different disciplines of: criminal justice, economics, psychology, sociology, or political science (6 hours)
uq - universal questions: uqp 

complete one course from philosophy (3 hours)

uq - universal questions: uqt

complete one course from theology (3 hours)

uq - universal questions

complete one additional course from either theology or philosophy - this swing course may be an upper level rockhurst or transfer course. (3 hours)

ep - eloquentia perfecta: wc

complete 1-2 wc - written composition courses. a student with an english act score over 24 may fulfill this requirement with en 1140. (3 hours)

a student who does not have an english act score of 24 must complete en 1110 and en 1120. (6 hours)

ep - eloquentia perfecta: oc

complete one oc - oral communication course (3 hours)

qr - quantitative reasoning

complete one math course (3 hours)

 

keystone core designations:


the keystone designations are specific learning outcomes which students fulfill through rockhurst upper-division courses, found primarily in the students’ major or minor program of study. no specific number of credits are required, but students are required to fulfill one of each of the seven keystone designations. these courses emphasize skills listed in the “core rationale and learning goals,” such as inquiry, analysis, critical thinking, and global citizenship. keystones can only be fulfilled through rockhurst courses. note: if a keystone designation contains sub-core designations, the keystone requirement may be fulfilled through either one of its subcore designations.

the seven keystone designations are as follows:

keystone designation code keystone description sub-core keystone designations
iac inquiry, analysis, and critical thinking complete one course with either ct (critical thinking) or ia (inquiry & analysis) designation. either designation will satisfy iac.
iql information and quantitative literacy complete one course with either if (information fluency) or ql (quantitative literacy) designation. either designation will satisfy iql.
aci artistic/creative & innovative expression complete one course with either ae (artistic expression) or iv (innovation) designation. either designation will satisfy aci.
cc communication and collaboration skills complete one course with either cm (communication skills) or co (collaboration skills) designation. either designation will satisfy cc.
ias intercultural awareness and sensitivity  complete one course with the ias designation.
gc global citizenship complete one course with the gc designation.
ese ethical reasoning & social engagement complete one course with either er (ethical reasoning & action) or sk (social knowledge & engagement) designation. either designation will satisfy ese.

 

threshold experiences


before graduation, students are required to engage in at least one course or experience certified as using a high impact practice. students must complete one of the following threshold experiences at rockhurst:

 

wi writing-intensive
id interdisciplinary
ur undergraduate research
in internship
tsl threshold service learning experience
rp reflective portfolios
sa study abroad

 

return to {$returnto_text} return to: programs of study