Programs · Columbia College · 2026-2027

1. History of Philosophy I

   Choose N

   Choose 1 of: PHIL UN2101, PHIL UN3131, PHIL UN3121.

   History of Philosophy I, or another course in ancient or medieval philosophy. The Bulletin names Aristotle (PHIL UN3131) and Plato (PHIL UN3121) as examples and the category is open beyond them — any other substitution has to be settled with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, so a course outside these three will not be matched here. PHIL UN2101 carries a required 0-point discussion section, printed by the Bulletin under its legacy code PHIL V2111; only the lecture is matched.

2. History of Philosophy II

   Choose N

   Choose 1 of: PHIL UN2201, PHIL UN3222, PHIL UN3237.

   History of Philosophy II, or another course in the history of late medieval or early modern philosophy. The Bulletin names Descartes-Spinoza-Leibniz (PHIL UN3222) and Late Medieval and Modern Philosophy (PHIL UN3237) as examples; the category is open beyond them and any other substitution is settled with the Director of Undergraduate Studies. None of these three has run in a term this catalog covers, so if you have taken one it will not be matched automatically — that is a gap in our data, not a judgement about your record.

3. Symbolic Logic

   All of these

   All of these: PHIL UN3411.

   Symbolic Logic. In exceptional cases the department substitutes a more advanced logic course; the Bulletin names none, so no substitute is matched here. PHIL UN1401 Introduction to Logic does not count toward the major.

4. Metaphysics and Epistemology

   Attested

   You confirm this yourself. One course in metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language, philosophy of science, or phenomenology and existentialism. The Bulletin's own examples are PHIL UN3601 Metaphysics, PHIL UN3960 Epistemology, PHIL GU4501 Epistemology, PHIL UN3551 Philosophy of Science and PHIL GU4481 Philosophy of Language, but the category is open and any related course has to be agreed with the Director of Undergraduate Studies — so no course number decides this one.

5. Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy

   Choose N

   Choose 1 of: PHIL UN2702, PHIL UN3701, PHIL UN3751.

   One course in ethics or in social and political philosophy. The Bulletin lists Contemporary Moral Problems (PHIL UN2702), Ethics (PHIL UN3701) and Political Philosophy (PHIL UN3751), and accepts a related course agreed with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, which is not matched here. The Bulletin's prose version of this requirement also accepts a course in aesthetics or philosophy of art; the Major table does not name that category, so check with the DUS before relying on it.

6. Majors Seminar

   All of these

   All of these: PHIL UN3912.

   The Majors Seminar. Required of senior majors and open to junior majors; capped at 20 students with preference given to philosophy majors, and the department fills it in a published priority order that starts with senior majors who have not taken one before. Register early.

7. Thirty Points in Philosophy

   Points

   30 points matching PHIL courses, numbered 1000 to 4999, excluding PHIL UN1401, PHIL BC4050, PHIL BC4051, PHIL BC4052.

   At least thirty points of philosophy, the six requirements above among them. Columbia and Barnard run one joint philosophy curriculum and all of it counts except the courses written for Barnard students — PHIL BC4050 and BC4051 Senior Seminar, and BC4052 Senior Essay — which are excluded here. PHIL UN1401 Introduction to Logic and the Core courses do not count. No more than one 1000-level course may count toward the major, a cap this audit does not enforce. Courses in other departments count only when cross-listed or when the Director of Undergraduate Studies approves them, and neither is matched automatically.