Philosophy Department at UCCS
A Message from the Chair
Dr. Jennifer KlingWelcome to the UCCS Department of Philosophy!
The Philosophy Department was one of the original programs on the UCCS campus. In 1966, one year after the university received the Cragmor acreage, Philosophy was established as an extension of the Boulder department’s offerings under the leadership of Resident Dean, Richard Francis. From its origins as a branch department, the UCCS Philosophy Program soon became an independent department offering a major in Philosophy.
Our Philosophy Department has an exceptionally broad range of courses taught by experts in their respective fields. Our program of study is thematically based, with courses that focus on perennial topics across the full spectrum of philosophical thought. We also have a strong curriculum in the history of philosophy, covering global traditions from the ancient to the modern worlds.
We offer courses in all philosophical areas, such as Metaphysics, Ethics, Logic, Politics, and Epistemology, and many courses on the cutting edge of their disciplines that deal with gender, class, and race. We offer an undergraduate major (30 credit hours), a minor (18 credit hours), and specialized minors in Religious Studies, Asian Studies, and Classics (for more information, see our Programs page). The department requires each of our majors to write an undergraduate thesis as the capstone of their experience as a Philosophy major.
Department Highlights
UCCS Ethics Bowl teams succeed at competition
UCCS sent two teams to the Ethics Bowl this year, and both have something to celebrate: a second-place ranking and the Ethics Bowl Spirit Award.
New religion and nonprofits certificate equips students for careers in the nonprofit sector
UCCS is introducing an innovative interdisciplinary certificate for undergraduate students interested in making a meaningful impact in the nonprofit sector.
New Center for the Study of Evangelicalism at UCCS opens to explore intertwining of faith, politics
Out of that observation came the idea for the new Center for the Study of Evangelicalism at the Colorado Springs campus of the University of Colorado.
Resouces
How Philosophy Connects with Campus
The Philosophy Department houses three Centers, each of which offers specialized options for study within the major:
Center for Religious Diversity and Public Life
The primary aim of the Center for Religious Diversity and Public Life is to foster a healthy and fruitful relationship between UCCS and the surrounding community as it concerns religious issues and public life.
Classics at UCCS
The field of Classics extends through all aspects of Greek and Roman culture from antiquity through the medieval period.
The Classics Minor at UCCS is an interdisciplinary program focusing on the study of art, culture, history, literature, philosophy, religion, theatre, and women’s studies in conjunction with language training in Greek and Latin. The program aims to integrate these into a larger picture of Greco-Roman culture and, from this perspective, to deepen our understanding of our own.
Center for Legal Studies
The Center for Legal Studies coordinates the pre-law minor and organizes programs and events for students considering a legal career.
The Philosophy Department offers options in areas of philosophy that focus on particular fields of study, including:
- Religion & Classics
- Justice & Global Society
- Cognition
- Science
- Phenomenology
- Linguistics
- Culture & Aesthetics
Department News
Department Statements
Philosophy teaches analytical and critical thinking, develops oral and written communication skills, and contributes to interdisciplinary understanding. Philosophy as a discipline attempts to answer perennial questions about values, human existence, and the nature of reality.
The Department of Philosophy sets out to teach philosophy as a formal course of studies for the major in order to satisfy College and University requirements, to teach Philosophy to qualified students for their personal enrichment, and to prepare interested students for graduate and professional work. It also seeks to foster a climate of scholarly research in Philosophy. It is committed to serving the College, UCCS campus, and University in the areas of Critical Thinking, Ethics, and related philosophical areas of study.
The UCCS Philosophy Department resolutely strives to foster a welcoming and affirming culture in the classroom, in our research, and in community outreach, so that each and every student is able to cultivate a sense of belonging through the use of inclusive pedagogical techniques. As a department, we continually strive to bring underrepresented and marginalized voices and approaches into the classroom so that students can see and analyze their own cultural perspectives as well as the cultural perspectives of their global neighbors.
Our research centers on foundational issues, concepts, and concerns that are relevant to the human community (such as the meaning of life, the nature of virtue and the good life, the existence of God, the nature and grounding of truth, etc.), and on practical issues (such as questions regarding autonomy and individual responsibility, respect for persons, the nature of oppression, contemporary persecution, the importance of logical and critical thinking, and global perspectives of thought and experience). These considerations are of vital importance in diverse contemporary societies.
Because of our respect for personhood, we explicitly value work related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) in our AMR and RPT criteria. This valuation is borne out by the fact that our majors and minors in Philosophy are a diverse group of students who report feeling included in our department, connected and inspired by time-honored philosophical ideas, and engaged in "doing" philosophy.