Mar 29, 2025  
Undergraduate Catalog | 2024-2025 
    
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Undergraduate Catalog | 2024-2025

Philosophy, Honors Program

What is Honors in Philosophy?

Philosophy majors may pursue Honors in Philosophy either in addition to or instead of University Honors. Honors in Philosophy includes a combination of GPA requirements, coursework, independent study, and a thesis project. Only students whose projects have been approved by both the department honors committee and the Honors College may graduate with honors.

Why do Honors in Philosophy?

There are two main benefits: (1) credentials on one’s official transcript (“Graduation with Honors”), and (2) the more important benefit of scholarly growth.  Honors projects are basically practice for the more intensively researched, extensively written type of work students will need to do in graduate programs in philosophy and other humanities disciplines (such as literature, cultural studies, etc.).  They are also excellent opportunities to develop a stellar writing sample for graduate school applications.  Moreover, through intensive work with faculty, students will have the opportunity to both receive one-on-one mentorship (which often helps faculty write extra-detailed letters of recommendation).

All program-level Admissions and Progression Requirements are in addition to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Admission Requirements .

Admission Requirements

Current UNC Charlotte Undergraduate Students

  • See University Admission Requirements  
  • A declared Major in Philosophy
  • Minimum GPA of 3.5 in all philosophy courses counting toward the major is preferred, but exceptions will be granted on a case-by-case basis for students with extenuating circumstances
  • Minimum GPA of 3.5 for all departmental and Honors College courses submitted towards graduation with honors

Course Requirements

  • (3)

  • Students must also take one 3-hour HONR 37xx seminar on a topic of their choice (ideally in philosophy or in a topic related to their research paper).

Progression Requirements

  • Students must compose a research paper committee consisting of three UNC Charlotte faculty. At least two of the members must be in the Department of Philosophy. One is the PHIL 4700 - Honors Senior Seminar   instructor; the other is the Subject Matter Expert with whom the student develops their Application to Candidacy form and research paper proposal. The third may be from any relevant department or program (e.g., WGST if writing on gender, CHHS if writing on bioethics, etc.).
  • One member of the committee must be affiliated with the Honors College if and only if a student is also submitting the thesis to University Honors.
  • Students should select one member of the committee as the Subject Matter Expert whose research expertise is related to the student’s research paper topic. The Subject Matter Expert must be a member of the Department of Philosophy.
  • Complete the Application to Candidacy process for graduating with honors, as directed by the Honors College. There are two stages to this:
  • Oral presentation of research to committee
  • Submission of the written research paper to the committee at the end of PHIL 4700  
  • The honors notation will appear on a student’s official transcript.