Rather than training students to enter one particular field, the PPL BS cultivates a general set of critical thinking and communication skills: understanding complicated problems, dissecting arguments, identifying errors in logical or quantitative reasoning, exegetical and argumentative writing, and the ability to interrogate background assumptions that are elsewhere taken for granted. This skill-set is the basis for success in a wide range of pursuits, including law (as paralegals, lawyers, or judges), graduate work (in philosophy, political theory, or business), entrepreneurship, administrative work, teaching, and public service.
To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the general studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.
The full policy can be viewed here.
In addition to University Requirements:
Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.
| Minimum Units for Completion | 120 |
| Major GPA | 2.0 |
| Highest Mathematics Required | MAT 114 |
| University Honors Program | Optional |
| Progression Plan Link | Not Available |
Purpose Statement
The Philosophy, Politics, and Law BS is interdisciplinary. Philosophy courses are the backbone of the program, but the program also includes mathematics and statistics, political science, and history, and allows students to study economics (as a concentration). Each of these disciplines emphasizes a different, but complementary, set of intellectual tools - moral and political theory, logical inference, quantitative analysis, historical analysis, or economic theory. Learning to use all these tools enables students to understand better and critically evaluate the structure of society/law/politics. While the PPL BS requires breadth, it also allows students to pick an area of concentration, to study one of its constituent disciplines (i.e., philosophy, history, political science, or economics) in greater depth.
Rather than training students to enter one particular field, the Philosophy, Politics, and Law BS cultivates a general set of critical thinking and communication skills: understanding complicated problems, dissecting arguments, identifying errors in logical or quantitative reasoning, exegetical and argumentative writing, and the ability to interrogate background assumptions that are elsewhere taken for granted. This skill set is the basis for success in various pursuits, including law (as paralegals, lawyers, or judges), graduate work (in philosophy, political theory, or business), entrepreneurship, administrative work, teaching, and public service.
Student Learning Outcomes
This major requires 51 - 57 units distributed as follows:
Take the following 51 - 57 units:
Lower-Division Requirements (24 units)
Upper-Division Philosophy Requirements (15 units)
Concentration (12 units)
Required Philosophy, Politics, and Law Seminars
Students are required to complete a Philosophy, Politics, and Law seminar milestone and attend at least two seminars with distinguished visiting lecturers. Typically, a seminar will consist of no more than 15 students in a roundtable session with a guest lecturer. Students will read and be prepared to raise questions about an excerpt of work in progress by the guest. A Philosophy, Politics, and Law advisor's signature on the student's graduation form indicates completion of these requirements.
Recommended Practicum (0 - 6 units)
Students are advised to complete one or more of the following practicum(s) listed below, which will require the completion of an application and specific requirements:
Students enrolled in this plan may not enroll in or pursue the following due to the number of overlapping units:
Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.
You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or General Studies Requirements.
We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.
Some courses may have prerequisites. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.