Philosophy - Associate of Arts Degree (AA)*

AA - 2 Years (NB)
Explore MoreAbout This Program

Degree Quick Facts

  • Instructional School: Arts and Humanities
  • Department: Integrated Studies
  • Program Code: PHIL.AA
  • Program Type: Academic Transfer
  • Available Fully Online: Yes
  • Eligible for Federal Financial Aid: Yes

NOTE: Courses required for this program may have an additional fee; more information can be found on the Special Course Fees web page.

Degree Requirements

Course Course Title Min Credits
General Education Requirements
CWI 101Connecting With Ideas3
Global Perspectives course3
ENGL 101Writing and Rhetoric I (GEM 1)3
ENGL 102Writing and Rhetoric II (GEM 1)3
GEM 2 - Oral Communication course3
GEM 3 - Mathematical Ways of Knowing course3
GEM 4 - Scientific Ways of Knowing course 14
GEM 4 - Scientific Ways of Knowing course 23
PHIL 101Introduction to Philosophy (GEM 5) 33
GEM 5 - Humanistic & Artistic Ways of Knowing course 23
GEM 6 - Social & Behavioral Ways of Knowing course3
GEM 6 - Social & Behavioral Ways of Knowing course 23
Major Requirements
Select one of the following courses: 3
PHIL 103
Introduction to Ethics 3
PHIL 123
Artificial Intelligence and Ethics 3
PHIL 209Logic and Philosophy3
PHIL 211Philosophical Writing 3
ElectivesSelect elective credits to bring the total credits earned to a minimum of 6014
Minimum Credit Hours Required60
1

Must include a lab component.

2

Course must come from a different discipline.

3

This course fulfills the Ethical Reasoning requirement for an associate degree from CWI.

 *All requirements for this degree or certificate may be completed fully online.

Degree Plan

The course sequence listed below is strongly recommended in order to complete your program requirements. Please register for each semester as shown using the Student Planning tool in myCWI. Plans may be modified to fit the needs of part-time students by adding additional semesters. Consult your advisor for any questions regarding this course sequence plan.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredit Hours
CWI 101 Connecting With Ideas 3
ENGL 101 Writing and Rhetoric I (GEM 1) 3
PHIL 101 Introduction to Philosophy (GEM 5) 1 3
GEM 2 - Oral Communication course 3
GEM 4 - Scientific Ways of Knowing course 2 4
 Total Semester Credit Hours16
Spring
ENGL 102 Writing and Rhetoric II (GEM 1) 3
Select one of the following courses: 3
PHIL 103
 Introduction to Ethics 1  
PHIL 123
 Artificial Intelligence and Ethics 1  
SPAN 101 Elementary Spanish I (Recommended GEM 5) 3,4 4
GEM 3 - Mathematical Ways of Knowing course 5 3
GEM 6 - Social & Behavioral Ways of Knowing course 6 3
 Total Semester Credit Hours16
Second Year
Fall
PHIL 111 World Religions (Recommended Global Perspectives) 3 3
PHIL 209 Logic and Philosophy 3
PHIL 240 Belief and Reality (Recommended Elective) 7 3
GEM 6 - Social & Behavioral Ways of Knowing course 4,6 3
ElectiveSelect an elective 7 3
 Total Semester Credit Hours15
Spring
PHIL 211 Philosophical Writing 3
PHIL 230 Political Philosophy (Recommended Elective) 7 3
GEM 4 - Scientific Ways of Knowing course 4 3
ElectiveSelect elective credits to bring the total credits earned to a minimum of 60 7 4
 Total Semester Credit Hours13
 Minimum Credit Hours Required60
1

This course fulfills the Ethical Reasoning requirement for an associate degree from CWI.

2

Must include a lab component.

3

This general education (GE) course is recommended by the department as the most beneficial GE option for students in this program. Please note that students may fulfill their GE requirement by completing another course from the applicable general education category.

4

Course must come from a different discipline.

5

Philosophy majors are encouraged to take the Math Diagnostic upon acceptance to CWI if they did not submit ACT or SAT scores for math placement. The Math Diagnostic will inform the student if a review course such as MATH 097, MATH 098, or MATH 099 is needed prior to enrolling in their chosen GEM 3 course.

6

Philosophy majors are encouraged to choose between the following courses to fulfill their GEM 6 requirement (courses must come from two different disciplines):

7

Philosophy majors are encouraged to choose between the following elective courses to fulfill the total credit requirement:

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

  • Explain key philosophical ideas and analyze their implications.
  • Construct and defend arguments by evaluating competing positions and objections.
  • Apply ethical frameworks to evaluate real-world problems and defend a justified recommendation.

(The CWI Philosophy program learning outcomes are based on the learning outcomes encouraged by the American Philosophical Association.)

Z-degree Pathway for Philosophy Majors

The courses included in a Z-degree Pathway below offer at least one class section that uses one of the following types of materials/textbooks:

Classification of Instructional Materials Cost to Student
Open Education Resources (OER) $0
Low-Cost Textbook $30 or less
  • Open Education Resources: According to the Idaho State Board of Education, Open Education Resources (OER) are "teaching, learning, and research materials that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license, such as a Creative Commons license, that permits free use and repurposing by others." OER have no cost to students and are available on the first day of class.
  • Low-Cost Textbooks: Required textbooks or similar instructional materials that cost the student a total of $30 or less per class and are available for purchase at the CWI Bookstore. This cost does not include special course fees or any special equipment needed for a class.

Please note that not all sections of a particular course will utilize OER, as notated in the table below. Students can verify that a specific section uses OER or low-cost textbooks by looking for the following symbol next to the section description listing in Student Planning at the time of registration:

  

IMPORTANT: There may be changes to the courses utilizing OER or low-cost textbooks throughout the academic year. Students should always refer to Student Planning in myCWI for the most up-to-date Z-degree class information.

Course Course Title Min Credits
General Education Requirements
CWI 101Connecting With Ideas3
Global Perspectives course3
ENGL 101Writing and Rhetoric I (GEM 1)3
ENGL 102Writing and Rhetoric II (GEM 1)3
GEM 2 - Oral Communication course3
GEM 3 - Mathematical Ways of Knowing course3
  • GEM 3 OER Options: MATH 118 (some sections - see Student Planning), MATH 118L, MATH 123 (some sections - see Student Planning), MATH 143 (some sections - see Student Planning), MATH 147 (some sections - see Student Planning), MATH 170 (some sections - see Student Planning)
GEM 4 - Scientific Ways of Knowing course4
GEM 4 - Scientific Ways of Knowing course3-4
PHIL 101Introduction to Philosophy (GEM 5) 13
GEM 5 - Humanistic & Artistic Ways of Knowing course3
GEM 6 - Social & Behavioral Ways of Knowing course3
GEM 6 - Social & Behavioral Ways of Knowing course3
Major Requirements
PHIL 103Introduction to Ethics3
or PHIL 123 Artificial Intelligence and Ethics
PHIL 209Logic and Philosophy3
PHIL 211Philosophical Writing3
ElectivesSelect 12-14 elective credits to bring the total credits earned to 60 212-14
Minimum Credit Hours Required60
1

This course fulfills the Ethical Reasoning requirement for an associate degree from CWI.

2

All Philosophy (PHIL) courses offer OER. Students who wish to complete electives in other disciplines should refer to Student Planning for sections designated as OER.

IMPORTANT: Unless otherwise noted, all of the courses required for this degree are taught using OER.