2025-2026

Philosophy, Politics and Law, Bachelor of Arts

Department of Philosophy

College of Arts and Letters

This degree prepares students to examine 'truths,' precedents, and proposals through critical thinking and provides exposure to great thinkers and practitioners. This major pulls from three challenging disciplines and illuminates them with the lights of history, logic, and math/economics.

  • 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.

    • All of Northern Arizona University's general studies, junior-level writing, and capstone requirements.
    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
    • At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
    • At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
    • A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.

    The full policy can be viewed here.

In addition to University Requirements:

  • 51 - 57 units of major requirements.

  • Language courses, if needed, to reach proficiency equal to 4 semesters of university-level coursework or 16 units

  • Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy General Studies Requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy major requirements.

  • Elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units.

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
Foreign Language Required
Fieldwork Experience/Internship Optional
Research Optional
Study Abroad Optional
University Honors Program Optional
AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-A Recommended
Progression Plan Link View Progression Plan

Purpose Statement
 
The Philosophy, Politics, and Law degree is an interdisciplinary study of the intersection of political, legal and economic institutions and the theoretical frameworks within which these institutions are formed and evaluated.  The degree develops and applies logical, mathematical/statistical and economic analytic skills through close examination of philosophical, political, and historical work to study the human condition as manifest in these social institutions.  From the interdisciplinary conceptual foundations combining substance and analytic methods, students may pursue more broadly or in greater depth answers to questions of one or more of these disciplines.  Students completing this degree are better prepared to understand the human condition and the challenges that characterize their various roles in contemporary society.  (This degree is especially suited to students aiming to pursue the juris doctorate, graduate work in philosophy or political theory, or public service.)
 
Student Learning Outcomes

  • Acquire both breadth and depth in the study of philosophy, politics, economics and history, especially as these are brought to bear on fundamental theoretical questions about law, politics, and economics.
  • Demonstrate a facility with analytic tools from a variety of disciplines, including economics, math and statistics, and philosophy.  
  • Demonstrate a developed capacity for extended writing, especially exegetical, analytic and argumentative in nature.
  • Demonstrate fourth semester proficiency in reading, speaking and writing in a foreign language. 
  • Develop an ability and disposition to integrate the substance and skills in appropriate circumstances, and manifest in a culminating experience.

See the full list of Student Learning Outcomes

Major Requirements

  • This major requires 67 - 73 units distributed as follows:

    • Lower-Division Requirements: 24 units
      • Philosophy:  9 units
      • History and Politics: 9 units
      • Ethics and Logic: 6 units
    • Upper-Division Philosophy Requirements: 15 units
    • Concentration: 12 units
    • Recommended Practicum: 0 - 6 units
    • Foreign Language: 16 units


    Take the following 67 - 73 units:

    • The following coursework must be completed with a Grade of "C" or better in each course.
  • Lower-Division Requirements (24 units)

  • Upper-Division Philosophy Requirements (15 units)

    • Select from the following (9 units):
    • PHI 348W which meets the junior-level writing requirement (3 units)
    • Select from the following which meet the senior capstone requirement (3 units):
      • PHI 414C, POS 421C
      • CCJ or HIS capstone 
        • Must be approved by the Philosophy, Politics, and Law faculty advisor committee.
  • Required PPL Seminars
    Students are required to complete a PPL 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 PPL advisor's signature on the student's graduation form indicates completion of these requirements.

    Recommended Practicum

    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:
    • Research project in collaboration with a faculty member
    • Internship such as a legislative internship (HIS 466 or PHI 466) or with a law firm or business (PHI 408)
    • Service learning such as leading philosophy sessions in local high schools (PHI 408)
    • Semester of external study as an international or national exchange student

  • Students enrolled in this plan may not enroll in or pursue the following due to the number of overlapping units:

Foreign Language Requirement

  • You must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English that is equivalent to four terms of university coursework in the same language. You may satisfy this requirement by taking language courses or through credit by exam. (16 units)

General Electives

  • 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.

Additional Information

  • Some courses may have prerequisites. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.