Philosophy Honors

Honors-in-Discipline (HID) programs are specially designed, in-depth, hands-on programs offered within a variety of degree programs at ETSU, including philosophy.  HID scholars work with a Program Coordinator in the Philosophy Department, receive special advising and priority registration, are members of the Honors College community, and become eligible for special opportunities and scholarships.  Other benefits of Honors-in-Discipline programs include 24/7 access to a HID computer lab and study rooms, and honors graduation and transcript recognition.

HID Scholars in Philosophy take a minimum of 18 hours of honors coursework in the discipline. This coursework generally counts toward the student's major, allows each student to work closely with faculty in the discipline, and includes hours earned during the completion of an Honors Thesis. All Honors-in-Discipline programs require the Senior Honors Thesis, which is the result of a research or creative project the scholar undertakes under the direction of faculty in the department.

Admissions Requirements

For current ETSU students:

    • An overall GPA of 3.2
    • or a minimum GPA of 3.5 in department/college courses
    • The student must have declared a philosophy major
    • The philosophy faculty must agree to admit the student

For entering freshmen:

    • High school GPA of 3.2 overall on a 4.0 scale
    • or an ACT composite score of 25
    • or SAT math and verbal score of 1140
    • The student must declare a philosophy major upon enrolling at ETSU

ETSU Application can be found here.

Please submit your application to the Philosophy Department.

For more information, contact the Program Coordinator, Dr. Allen Coates.

Requirements for Completion of the Program

1.  12 hours of honors-enriched sections of existing courses or honors classes.

Students enrolled in existing courses under the -088 section will be required to complete assignments over and above those required of students in -001 sections. These assignments will be left to the discretion of the instructor; they might include (but are not limited to) an analysis of the current literature on a topic, a final paper, or a class presentation.

Courses for which we offer an -088 section:

    • 3010 History of Ancient Philosophy
    • 3030 History of Modern Philosophy
    • 3050 Symbolic Logic
    • 3061-3 Philosophy Colloquium
    • 3261-3 Religion Colloquium
    • 4017 Ethical Theory
    • 4077 Contemporary Continental Philosophy
    • 4087 Topics in Analytic Philosophy
    • 4047 Philosophy of Religion
    • 4957 Special topics

Two of the honors-in-discipline courses must be chosen from among:

    • 3010 History of Ancient Philosophy
    • 3030 History of Modern Philosophy
    • 4017 Ethical Theory
    • 4077 Contemporary Continental Philosophy
    • 4087 Topics in Analytic Philosophy

As enrollment in the program grows, we hope to be able to offer honors sections of existing courses (such as PHIL 1030 and 2040) and new courses designed for the honors program, as the exigencies of staffing allow.

2.   PHIL 4950-088, a 3-credit senior capstone course

Students will be required to write a senior thesis, starting in the first semester of their senior year. In the Fall, the department will offer 4950 as a capstone course, for which all senior students must register. Be sure to register under the -088 section. A faculty member will be assigned to teach this class, which will serve as a capstone experience and as a means of evaluating learning outcomes. The course will involve a short paper on a topic assigned by the instructor, due early in the semester; this will require students to demonstrate an ability to conduct original research. During the remainder of the semester, students will work on their theses, presenting portions of their work as they progress for the rest of the class and the instructor to critique. At the end of the students' final semester, they will be required to present their theses publicly.

3.   Three hours of research on the honors thesis, under PHIL 4018

Students will typically register for this the semester after they have completed 4950.

Honors Thesis Guidelines: DOC
Honors Thesis Proposal: DOC

Scholarship Information

Students in the Honors-in-Discipline program in Philosophy may be eligible to receive scholarships. Scholarships are awarded by the Director of Honors-in-Discipline Programs in the Honors College. More information is available here.

 

Retention Requirements

To remain in good standing in the Honors program, students must complete all required Honors-in-Discipline classes, complete at least 12 hours per semester, and maintain a minimum GPA each semester, both in the major and overall, of 2.75 for their first 30 hours, 3.0 for 30 to 45 hours, 3.15 for 45 to 60 hours, and 3.25 for the remainder of their academic careers at ETSU. Students are allowed one probationary semester to meet the applicable GPA requirement before they are suspended from an Honors program and out-of-state tuition waivers and/or Honors-in-Discipline scholarships are withdrawn. In these circumstances, the Program Coordinator will notify the Associate Director of University Honors Programs immediately.

No grade lower than a B- in an honors course will count toward completion of the program.

Honors-in-Discipline scholarship and out-of-state waiver receipt and retention requirements: In order to minimally qualify for an Honors-in-Discipline scholarship or out-of-state fee waiver, an incoming freshman ETSU student must have an ACT score of 25 or higher and a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher. A student receiving an Honors-in-Discipline scholarship or out-of-state waiver must (a) enroll in at least 15 credit hours per semester, with the exception of the semester in which she is writing her thesis, during which she must enroll in at least 12 credit hours; and (b) maintain a cumulative grade point average consistent with program standards to retain that scholarship. Students who fail to meet program standards are allowed one probationary semester before scholarships are revoked.

In addition, students are bound by policies stipulated by the Honors College: ETSU Honors College Policies

Graduation Requirements

Students must have a minimum 3.25 GPA in the major and overall, complete all required courses (Honors, General Education, Academic Proficiencies), and complete and orally present the senior Honors thesis. In addition, all thesis grades must be B or higher.