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Minor in Philosophy
Overview
You go into [philosophy] to pursure your intellectual passion, and it just so happens as a byproduct that you emerge as a desired commodity for industry.
It seems almost too good to be true, but studying philosophy allows you to explore life’s toughest questions while acquiring some of the most desirable traits sought by employers. Here’s why. As a philosophy student you learn skills in critical thinking, written and verbal communication, moral and ethical reasoning and will learn how to analyze and understand arguments better that just about any other area of study. Because of these traits, more and more employers look for philosophy graduates. Additionally, philosophy graduates promote faster in the workplace.
The minor in philosophy is a low-credit option to add these skills to your portfolio, and a philosophy minor complements almost any other program of study. Requirements for the minor are summarized below, and can be reviewed in the Undergraduate Catalog.
To learn more about minoring in philosophy, get in touch with our department chair or visit us in CHBS 4202.
This program fulfills the REAL Curriculum "E" area in Humanistic or Artistic Expression.
Curriculum
The Philosophy Minor consists of 15 semester hours of philosophy courses as outlined below:
Required Courses (6 credits)
Choose two of the following courses:
- PHIL 213 - Critical Reasoning and Argumentation
- PHIL 216 - History of Philosophy: Ancient to Medieval
- PHIL 217 - Modern Philosophy: Renaissance to the Present
Electives (9 credits)
Choose three additional PHIL courses, one of which must be an E designated course at the 300-level or above.
Philosophy Faculty
Our philosophy faculty come from diverse backgrounds, have diverse interests, and are internationally recognized in their areas of specialization.
Dr. Guy Axtell, Professor of Philosophy
gsaxtell@radford.edu
Hemphill Hall 4205
Ph.D. University of Hawaii'i
Teaching areas: epistemology and metaphysics, philosophy of science, “STS” or science, technology and society studies, and philosophy of religion.
Research interests: epistemology, analytic and comparative philosophy of religion
Dr. Steven Fesmire, Professor of Philosophy and Chair
sfesmire@radford.edu
Hemphill Hall 4201
Ph.D., Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
Teaching areas: ethics, environmental philosophy, philosophy of education
Research Interests: ethics, education, politics, John Dewey
Dr. Gilburt Goffstein, Philosophy Adjunct Faculty
ggoffste@radford.edu
Hemphill Hall 4202
Ph.D. University of Missouri
Teaching areas: modern philosophy, political philosophy
Research interests: human liberation, Habermas, Zen Budhism
Dr. Heather Keith, Professor of Philosophy and Executive Director of Faculty Development
hkeith1@radford.edu
McConnell Hall-Library 272
540-831-5974
Ph.D., Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
Teaching areas: ethics, wicked problems, unconventional forms of instruction
Research interests: ethics and disability; environmental, social, and personal resilience
Dr. Katy Shepard, Adjunct Philosophy Faculty
kshepard4@radford.edu
Hemphill Hall 4024
Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Teaching areas: ethics, introduction to philosophy, professional ethics
Research interests: aesthetics, art and identity, identity and politics
Mr. Darrell Shomaker, Assistant Professor of Philosophy
dkshomake@radford.edu
RU Carilion - Roanoke
9th Floor, Rm 911
540-985-8362
M.A., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Teaching areas: ethics, heatlhcare ethics
Research interests: adult aging and development, gerontology
Mr. Mike Zarella, Philosophy Adjunct Faculty
mzarella@radford.edu
Hemphill Hall 4212
M.A., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Teaching areas: introduction to philosophy, ethics
Research interests: applied philosophy