Frequently Asked Questions

I need advice! Whom should I see?
First, read the Frequently Asked Questions below. If that doesn't help, here are some other resources:

For help with declaring the major, registering for classes, checking progress to the degree, and getting put on the degree list, see Janet Groome, the Undergraduate Student Affairs Officer, in 314 Moses Hall.

For help with transfer courses, study abroad, advice on courses, and other questions, see Professor Hannah Ginsborg, the Undergraduate Faculty Advisor.

For questions about Letters and Science requirements and policies, try the Advising Help Desk, or e-mail . For more information about the range of L&S advising services, try L&S Advising.

For help with broader problems, try the Tang Center Counseling Services or the Student Learning Center.

Can I get into a philosophy class if I'm not enrolled through Telebears?
In the past you could often get into classes by asking and being persistent. However, starting in the spring of '03, the Philosophy Department will have to cap (strictly limit) enrollments. For most classes, this means that you will not be able to get in unless you enroll through Telebears. If you wind up on the waiting list, your position on the list will not be the only factor determining whether you will be added when spaces open up. The instructor may take other factors into consideration, including whether you are a major.

What are the requirements for declaring the philosophy major?
There are no hard and fast rules about this. You should certainly have completed several philosophy classes so that you have some basis for deciding that philosophy is right for you. A good rule of thumb is that you should have fulfilled at least two of the lower-division required courses (12A, 25A, 25B). Transfer students should have taken at least two philosophy classes at their other institutions.

How do I declare the major?
Go to Campbell Hall to pick up a Declaration of Major form. Fill it out, bring it to 314 Moses Hall (Philosophy Department office) for signature, and then return it to Campbell.

I'm a transfer student from a community college. How do I get my J.C. courses to count toward my major?
If you took a course that has an "articulation" with Phil. 12A, 25A, or 25B, you need to notify the department's Student Affairs Officer that you took an articulated course. If you aren't sure whether a course you took has an articulation, the Student Affairs Officer can look it up for you. If there is no articulation, you will need to talk with a faculty advisor about whether any of your courses will meet those lower-division major requirements. Scroll down for some more information about that.

How do I declare a minor in philosophy?
First, work on fulfilling the requirements for the minor (see Minor). Then at the start of your last semester at Berkeley, go to 113 Campbell Hall and get a Declaration of Minor form. Take it to 314 Moses Hall and ask the Student Affairs Officer to verify that you have taken the required courses, or are in the process of taking them. The Student Affairs Officer will then file the form for you at the end of the semester after you have received your final grades.

Which upper-division requirement should I meet first?
You should take Phil. 100 as soon as possible after you declare your major. The purpose of Phil. 100 is to teach you how to do a better job of reading, writing, and thinking critically about philosophy. It gives you a lot of practice writing and a lot of individual attention. What you learn in 100 will probably help you get a lot more from your other upper-division courses.

Do I have to formally declare my major before I take Phil. 100?
Yes; the course is closed to non-majors. That said, you can file your Declaration of Major during the first week of the semester in which you are taking Phil. 100. Be sure, however, that you have met the course prerequisites (two of Phil. 2, 4, 25A, 25B).

Note: There are now two ways to satisfy the Phil. 100 Requirement. See the following question, below, and the PDF documents "How to Meet the Philosophy 100 Requirement" and "Petition Concerning the Philosophy 100 Requirement" for details.

Must I take and pass Phil. 100 in order to fulfill the Phil. 100 Requirement?
No; there are two ways to fulfill the Phil. 100 Requirement. You can either (1) Take and pass Phil. 100, or (2) Show that you already have the relevant skills by presenting the evidence described in "How to Meet the Philosophy 100 Requirement". Option (2) requires (inter alia) filing a "Petition Concerning the Philosophy 100 Requirement".

How can I complete the major and my B.A. in the minimum amount of time?
Here are a couple of ideas:
Take philosophy courses in summer session. Although the department can't make any guarantees, it usually offers 25A, 25B, 12A, and at least one upper-division course in the summer. You can get information about the summer courses the winter before. If the information isn't on the web site, go ask the staff in 314 Moses.

See if you can get permission from the faculty advisor to count a philosophy-related course in another department as a philosophy elective. (More below.)
If Phil. 113AC is being offered, use it to meet a philosophy elective requirement as well as your American Cultures requirement.
Use philosophy classes to meet L&S requirements in Historical Studies, Arts & Literature, Social & Behavioral Studies (and of course Philosophy & Values).

I want to use a course toward the major that I took it (or will take) in another department or another school. How do I do this?
You need to get permission from a faculty advisor. (See top of FAQs for names.) You can speed things up a lot by gathering some information to take with you when you go to see the advisor. He or she will probably want to see some of the following: a course description, a course syllabus or reading list, a reader or textbook, writing assignments, exam questions.

Be sure you get your advisor's permission in writing, then take the written permission, along with a transcript from the school you attended, to 314 Moses Hall so that the paperwork can be added to your file. If you took the course at another school, there's one last step: you need to submit an official transcript from that school to L&S Advising in Campbell Hall. (For more on this, see L&S's "Enrolling Elsewhere" page.)

Which major requirements can be satisfied by courses taken at a community college?
Community college courses cannot satisfy upper-division requirements, but appropriate community college courses may satisfy the 12A, 25A, and 25B requirements.

Can the 12A requirement be satisfied by a community college course in critical thinking or informal logic?
No. The 12A requirement can only be satisfied by a rigorous course in symbolic logic. The course must cover symbolization, proofs, and semantics for propositional and predicate logic.

What criterion will the advisor use in deciding whether a course in another department will count as a philosophy elective?
The main criterion is whether the course has content that overlaps with, or at least is very closely connected with, the content of courses offered in the philosophy department. There are dozens and dozens of courses that would work, in departments as varied as mathematics, psychology, rhetoric, political science, German, legal studies, English, classics, and physics.

I have a lot of trouble with logic. Is there any way around taking 12A?
No, you do have to take it, but you might want to consider taking it P/NP if it is hard for you. You can use the P/NP option for one of the courses that you use to satisfy your major requirements, and there is no reason not to use it for 12A if that will help you. Some other ideas if you have trouble with logic are to be very, very good about keeping up with problem sets, and to ask your GSI and your instructor for help.

As a philosophy major, can I take a graduate seminar?
Yes, if you meet a couple of conditions. First, you should be a senior; second, you should already know something about the subject-matter of the seminar; third, you will need the instructor's consent. Taking a graduate seminar is one requirement for Honors in philosophy, but you do not have to be pursuing Honors to take a seminar.

I wish I could get to know my philosophy professors better, but they seem so busy. Am I out of luck?
Absolutely not. Here are some ideas:
Every member of the department has office hours, for starters. You should not hesitate to drop by for conversation with your instructors during their O.H.s. You (and they) will get the most out of this if you go in with a specific question about the course material.

Most faculty members are also happy to make an appointment to see you outside of O.H.s. Try e-mailing for an appointment; 15 or 20 minutes would be a good time-block to ask for.

You might also want to consider going to departmental colloquia. The talks are interesting, and many faculty members here participate in the discussion following the talks. This may suggest topics for conversation during the coffee break after the talk, or during the reception after the discussion.

If you have room in your schedule, you might want to sign up with a faculty member for one or two units of Phil. 199 (P/NP units for independent work). You should propose a plan at the beginning of the semester; the plan should include what you will read and write, and some sort of schedule of meetings with the faculty member (e.g., a half an hour every other week). Although a 199 will not satisfy major requirements, it is a good way to explore topics that don't get covered in standard course offerings.

I'm thinking of double-majoring. Bad idea?
No; in fact philosophy works very well as half of a double major. The trick, as with any double major, is in meeting a large number of requirements in a limited amount of time. Planning makes a big difference. Go to Campbell Hall and ask for the double-major forms. They are a bit daunting, but they are actually very useful for figuring out the details of exactly how to meet two sets of major requirements. Fill the forms out as best you can, and then go in to see the faculty advisors in philosophy (see above for names) and the other field. The advisors will help you spot potential problems and may be able to suggest solutions.

I'm a major; is there anything special I have to do before being graduated?
A couple of things. First, several semesters before graduation, carefully check which major requirements you haven't yet met, and make sure you will be able to meet them in time. If there are potential problems, go talk to one of the undergraduate advisors (see top of page). Second, be sure you put yourself on the degree list at the beginning of your last semester. Here's how. When you enroll in classes online or via Telebears, the system will ask whether you want to put yourself on the degree list. Say yes. If it's too late to do it that way, you need to do it through L&S. Third, if you would like to take part in the department's graduation ceremony, watch the bulletin boards next to 301 Moses for information. The ceremony takes place in May; you are welcome to participate if you were graduated the previous winter or if you have a few more requirements to meet in summer session.

I've heard that philosophy is a good major for professional schools, including law school. True?
A big study conducted ten years ago showed that philosophy majors outscore all other humanities majors on the LSATs, GREs, and GMATs. On the LSATs, only majors in Economics and Mathematics did better. It's hard to know how much the advantage lies in qualities that make students lean toward philosophy, and how much the coursework in philosophy gives majors their edge.

I'd like to continue studying philosophy after I get my B.A. What are my options?
You can try studying on your own, but it's not easy. Your best bet is to apply to an M.A. program or a Ph.D. program. Most programs admit students for fall entry, and most application deadlines are in the previous winter. You will therefore need figure out where to apply and get your application materials together almost one full year before you plan actually to start your advanced degree program.

UC Berkeley has programs designed to help undergraduates prepare for graduate studies during their undergraduate career. You may want to take a look at the STEP by Step web site for tips on what to do when to prepare yourself. The Graduate Diversity Outreach program may also be able to help advise you.

How can I figure out which graduate programs to apply to?
Talk with a faculty member who knows you or who shares your philosophical interests. You might also want to talk with a faculty advisor.

How can I get letters of recommendation?
Whether you're applying to professional school or graduate school, you will need letters of recommendation from philosophy department faculty members. Some students assume that if you don't know the professor personally, you should not ask him or her for a letter. False! All faculty members who have had you in their classes will be happy to talk with you about writing a letter for you, whether they already know you or not. The best way to approach them is to go in during office hours or e-mail a request for an appointment. Bring with you the following: the written work you did for their courses; a copy of your transcript (unofficial is OK); a resumé, c.v., or statement of purpose, if you have one; a list of the places you're applying to; and a letter form from the Career Service. This means that you will need to go ahead of time to the Career Service office (2111 Bancroft Way) to sign up for their letter service.

I can't get enough philosophy! Are there extracurricular philosophy organizations on campus?
Yes. The Cal Undergraduate Philosophy Forum sponsors discussions of philosophical topics. Harvest Moon is a philosophy journal published annually by Berkeley undergraduates. For more information, email calphilosophyforum@gmail.com.