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Key routes to a degree:

Programs > BA in Philosophy

Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy


Routes to the degree
The BA in Philosophy is available via the following routes:

>>Taught coursework (see below)
>>APEL
>>Community-based learning (projects)
>>Dissertation (usually designated B.Phil.)

Taught coursework route

1. Introduction
Thank you for your interest in the European-American University Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy program. The program is designed to be completed within thirty-six months by a student devoting ten to twelve hours a week, working by distance learning.

The program is outlined below, but individual details may be varied on the initiative of the Mentor and/or student, always subject to ratification by the University. In principle, the aim is to provide a fully bespoke, individualized learning experience that takes into account the particular strengths, interests and previous learning of the student, and thus offers a flexible but rigorous route to the degree.

The program currently consists of six modules, listed below with their main topics:

A. Foundations of Philosophy
Logic. Ethics. Concepts of philosophy: theories of knowledge, nature, mind and being.

B. Metaphysical and Ethical Philosophy I
Epistemology. Philosophy of Nature. Philosophy of Mind.

C. Metaphysical and Ethical Philosophy II
Ontology. Practical Philosophy (aesthetics, freedom, optimism/pessimism, progress). Philosophy of Religion.

D. Philosophy of the Enlightenment
Montaigne. Descartes. Spinoza. Locke. Paine. Swedenborg. Voltaire. Rousseau. Hume. Kant. Smith.

E. Philosophy of the post-Enlightenment period up to Russell
Hegel. Marx. Kierkegaard. Schopenhauer. Nietzsche. Bentham. J and J.S. Mill. Comte. Green. Bradley. Bosanquet. McTaggart. Muirhead. Spencer. 

F. A Dissertation Topic

2. Aims and objectives
The program aims to permit the development of an awareness of the main trends in philosophy prior to the contemporary era and to allow the study of contemporary perspectives through a topic-based format that sets them in their historical context. In many aspects the program is traditional in structure and intent, with a particular emphasis on philosophical concepts and a focus both on the Enlightenment and on its immediate heritage in the nineteenth-century. The dissertation topic allows for particular interests to be explored. The program is a sound foundation for research and philosophical enquiry, as well as for the study of the history of philosophy.

3. Methods of delivery
The delivery of the teaching for the course is by distance learning. Students will be assigned a Mentor who will be a practitioner in the field and/or an established academic. They will work out the exact details of what is to be studied and how this will be assessed in co-operation with the Mentor with this learning contract then ratified by the University. In most cases, students will communicate with their Mentor via electronic communications (e-mail, fax) although some Mentors prefer to work via postal mail, and many will also offer telephone support.

4. Course materials
The chosen methods of learning are designed to offer the student the maximum of flexibility and scope in tackling the program.

The individualized nature of the program means that traditional course materials in the form of structured course notes are rarely appropriate or practical, although it is hoped that where possible, Mentors will make their notes on particular topics available to the student. Students are, of course, responsible for creating their own course notes based on their reading and related work.

Most work within the program will consist of directed readings from key texts selected by the Mentor. The student will be responsible for obtaining books, which are not included in the tuition fees, although both the Mentor and the University will endeavor to assist in the event of any difficulty in obtaining books. The Mentor will set regular assignments based on the directed reading, most of which will be in the form of an essay or paper. Mentors will also provide guidance on background reading for each topic.

5. Entry requirements
The usual minimum requirements for entry to the course are as follows:

Completion of secondary education (high school)
and
at least three years of professional experience in any field

Candidates will normally have attained the age of twenty-two years. All candidates will be expected to show a proficiency in the English language.

It is a key principle of the University that each application should be considered on its own merits, and admission to the course and all interpretations as to the eligibility for such admission remain at the discretion of the University.