BSocSc - Philosophy as a major
The Bachelor of Social Sciences (BSocSc) will challenge your thinking about the world and the people who live in it. The degree focuses on contemporary social issues, the ways in which humans interact with these issues and how such actions can be monitored and modified.
Philosophy is for thinkers and doers. It's about solving real-life problems, and applying intellectual rigour to how we understand and interact with others, society and the world. Studying Philosophy at Waikato will teach you how to learn, think and write clearly, argue vigorously, and question deeply held assumptions and beliefs.
- Anthropology
- Digital Learning
- Economics
- Education and Society
- Environmental Planning
- Geography
- History
- Human Development
- Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management
- Linguistics
- Māori and Indigenous Studies
- Pacific and Indigenous Studies
- Political Science
- Population Studies
- Psychology
- Screen and Media Studies
- Social Policy
- Sociology
Apply to enrol
Key information
| Years: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Points: | 360 |
| Start Dates: | Semester A (February) and Semester B (July) |
| Fees (Domestic): | $6,120-$7,130 (approx) per year |
| Fees (International): | $24,425-$31,795 per year |
| Entry Requirements: | Undergraduate International |
| Faculty: | |
| *Tuition fees shown are indicative only and may change. There are additional fees and charges related to enrolment please see the Table of Fees and Charges for more information. You will be sent an enrolment agreement which will confirm your fees. | |
Career opportunities
- Business Consultant
- Editor
- Environmental Consultant
- Health Policy Adviser
- Policy Analyst
- Public Relations Practitioner
Degree Planner
Degree planner — BSocSc in Philosophy
Year 1
Any PHILO1 Paper
Any PHILO1 Paper
One from List A
(see BSocSc Papers below)
Field of the Degree
100 Level
Field of the Degree
100 Level
Elective
Elective
Year 2
Any PHILO2 Paper
Any PHILO2 Paper
Any PHILO2
Paper or MAORI202
One from List B
(see BSocSc Papers below)
SSRES200 or PSYCH211
Elective
Elective
Elective
Year 3
Any PHILO3
Paper
Any PHILO3
Paper
Any PHILO3
Paper
Any PHILO3
Paper
One from List C
(see BSocSc Papers below)
Elective
Elective
Elective
- Stream
- Elective
- Compulsory
BSocSc Papers
Open this section to read more
List A: Academic Foundations
- ARTSC101 Indigenous Social Science Research
- ARTSC103 Rights and Reason
- ENSLA103 Undergraduate Research Writing for ESL Students
List B: Cultural Perspectives
Any Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies paper, or
- ANTHY101 Exploring Cultures: Introduction to Anthropology
- ANTHY102 New Zealand and the Pacific
- ANTHY201 Ethnicity and Identity
- ANTHY202 The Polynesians: Tangata o Te Moana
- DSIGN252 Cultural Perspectives in Design
- EDUCA200 Te Hononga Tangata
- ENGLI200 Global Fictions
- FRNCH231 French Language - Intermediate 1
- GEOGY219 Māori Lands and Communities
- INTLC101 International Languages and Cultures
- HISTY225 Indigenous Histories: Narratives, Ethics and Decoloniality
- LINGS203 Language, Society and Culture
- LEGAL211 International and Comparative Law: Global Perspectives
List C: Work-Integrated Learning
- FASS396 Work Placement
Papers
Papers available within Philosophy
Philosophy exposes and addresses problems, including ethical problems, problems about science, logical problems and problems about the nature of reality.
Philosophy is available as a major for the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Social Sciences. Philosophy may also be taken as a second major or as a minor within other undergraduate degrees, subject to academic approval of the Faculty in which the student is enrolled.
To complete Philosophy as a single major, students must gain 135 points from papers listed for Philosophy, including 105 points above 100 level, and 60 points above 200 level.
To complete Philosophy as part of a double major, students must gain 120 points from papers listed for Philosophy, including 90 points above 100 level, and 45 points above 200 level.
To complete a minor in Philosophy, students must complete 60 points from the papers listed for the Philosophy major, including at least 30 points above 100 level.
100 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| PHILO102 | Introduction to Logic | 19B (Hamilton) |
| An easy introduction to formal logic comprising an explanation of key concepts such as validity and proof, and an introduction to propositional and predicate logic. | ||
| PHILO103 | Critical Thinking | 19A (Hamilton), 19A (Online), 19A (Tauranga), 19B (Online), 19B (Tauranga) & 19T (Online) |
| This paper helps students to engage critically with the sorts of arguments encountered both inside and outside the University. | ||
| PHILO106 | Social and Moral Philosophy | 19A (Hamilton) & 19A (Online) |
| A study of key concepts in areas of applied ethics including abortion, euthanasia, health care, children's rights, pornography, justice, environmental issues, religion and ethics, and other issues. | ||
| PHILO150 | The Big Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy | 19B (Hamilton) |
| An introduction to philosophical problems in the areas of knowledge and mind, value theory, metaphysics and religion. | ||
200 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| MAORI202 | Ngā Iho Matua: Māori Philosophy | 19A (Hamilton) & 19B (Tauranga) |
| This paper examines the philosophical underpinnings of seminal tikanga Maori concepts, and their influence both historically and in contemporary Maori culture. | ||
| PHILO204 | Wisdom, Language, and Communication | 19A (Hamilton) |
| Is language the seat of all knowledge and wisdom? The aim of this paper is to explore growing philosophical debate in epistemology and the philosophy of language. | ||
| PHILO208 | Reason, Science and Pseudoscience | 19B (Hamilton) |
| What makes science so successful? In this paper we discuss scientific reasoning, scientific methods and the social structure of science, and provide tools for differentiating science from pseudoscience. No formal knowledge of science or philosophy is required. | ||
| PHILO215 | Moral and Political Philosophy: A Historical Introduction | 19B (Hamilton) |
| A study of the moral and political philosophy of thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Hume and Mill. This paper uses Plato's Republic to introduce students to central issues in Moral and Political Philosophy, including questions about virtue, happiness, justice, liberty, democracy, tyranny, feminism, art, censorship, and moral educat... | ||
| PHILO217 | Environmental Ethics | 19S (Online) |
| A study of ethical questions about the relation of humans to the rest of the natural world, including the attribution of value and rights to the non-human world and ethical issues in environment and development. | ||
| PHILO218 | Ethics at Work | 19T (Online) |
| A study of ethics as it relates to business and professional practice in New Zealand including material specifically for interest groups: eg computer science, psychology and social work. | ||
| PHILO225 | Happiness and Wellbeing | 19A (Hamilton) |
| Drawing on ancient wisdom and modern science, this paper investigates the meaning and value of happiness, and the role it plays in making our lives go well for us. | ||
300 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| EDSOC300 | Maori Knowledge and Western Impacts in Education | 19A (Online) & 19A (Tauranga) |
| This paper explores comparisons between key Western and Maori philosophies. It considers how Maori and Western philosophies respectively describe the self's relationship with thought and knowledge in the context of education. | ||
| PHILO309 | Experiments in Ethics | 19A (Hamilton) |
| The paper uses thought experiments to introduce students to central issues in contemporary moral philosophy: What makes actions morally wrong? How can we be sure our moral judgments are right? | ||
| PHILO310 | Mind, Matter and Consciousness | 19B (Hamilton) |
| Are mental states just brain states? If not, what are they? Can we account for consciousness in purely physical terms? PHILO310 covers these central questions in the Philosophy of Mind. | ||
| PHILO315 | Democracy, Justice & Equality | 19A (Hamilton) |
| This course provides students with an in-depth introduction to contested topics in modern political philosophy. Students will be expected to analyse the theoretical basis of these positions, and to consider the practical consequences of them. | ||
| PHILO316 | Philosophy and the Arts | 19B (Hamilton) |
| The course examines philosophical questions to do with the nature and meaning of works of art, the appreciation and evaluation of them, and their function at both the personal and the societal level. | ||
| PHILO317 | Environmental Ethics | 19S (Online) |
| Do we have moral obligations toward nature? How should human beings treat the natural world? This paper examines questions such as these in light of our current ethical theories. | ||
| PHILO318 | Ethics at Work | 19T (Online) |
| This is an applied ethics paper focussing on the professions, research and business. It examines contemporary issues relevant to a wide range of occupations graduates might enter. | ||
| PHILO390 | Directed Study | 19A (Hamilton), 19B (Hamilton), 19S (Hamilton) & 19Y (Hamilton) |
| This paper offers students an opportunity to undertake advanced research on a specific topic of philosophical interest. | ||
500 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| HISTY516 | Historical Theories and Methods | 19A (Hamilton) |
| This paper prepares students for professional historical practice and higher study through an investigation of relevant historiographical theories and methodologies. | ||
| PHILO533 | Moral and Political Philosophy | 19A (Hamilton) |
| This paper will cover a range of current topics in moral and political philosophy. The exact content will be guided by choices made in class, but will include detailed analysis of foundational problems in modern political philosophy, and exploration of the intersection of moral and political philosophy in practice. | ||
| PHILO536 | The Philosophy of Mind | 19B (Hamilton) |
| This paper will cover philosophical theories of consciousness, focusing in particular on the views of Daniel Dennett and John Searle. | ||
| PHILO545 | Aesthetics | 19B (Hamilton) |
| This paper will cover a range of topics in contemporary aesthetics. The class will choose the topics. Possibilities include but are not limited to the expression of emotion in music; the arousal of emotion by music, literature and film; the aesthetic appreciation of nature; is there a single right interpretation of a work of art?; ... | ||
| PHILO588 | Foundations of Philosophical Research | 19A (Hamilton) |
| In this paper we engage in focused analysis of a range of philosophical topics relevant to the research goals of students. The paper enhances students' knowledge of long standing and contemporary debates in philosophy. Students cultivate their research skills through seminar development and presentation, and gain a grounding in phi... | ||
| PHILO589 | Directed Study | 19A (Hamilton), 19B (Hamilton), 19S (Hamilton) & 19T (Hamilton) |
| Students have the opportunity to pursue a topic of their own interest under the guidance of academic staff. Open to selected students who meet the criteria set out in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Graduate Handbook. | ||
| PHILO591 | Dissertation | 19A (Hamilton), 19B (Hamilton) & 19Y (Hamilton) |
| A report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical investigation. | ||
| PHILO592 | Dissertation | 19C (Hamilton) |
| A report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical investigation. | ||
| PHILO593 | Philosophy Thesis | 19C (Hamilton) |
| An externally examined piece of written work that reports on the findings of supervised research. | ||
| PHILO594 | Philosophy Thesis | 19C (Hamilton) |
| An externally examined piece of written work that reports on the findings of supervised research. | ||
800 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| PHILO800 | Philosophy MPhil Thesis | 19C (Hamilton) & 19D (Hamilton) |
| No description available. | ||
900 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| PHILO900 | Philosophy PhD Thesis | 19C (Hamilton) & 19D (Hamilton) |
| No description available. | ||
Scholarships and prizes
Visit our Scholarship Finder for information about possible scholarships
Subject links
Subject Requirements
Philosophy is available as a major for the BA and BSocSc.
Philosophy is available as a major for the BA and BSocSc. Philosophy may also be taken as a second major or as a supporting subject within other undergraduate degrees, subject to academic approval of the Faculty or School of Studies in which the student is enrolled.
For more information about subject requirements please refer to the catalogue of papers for the most up to date information. If you have any questions and need more advice contact one of our friendly student advisors phone:
Please note: For all graduate subject requirements check the information provided in the papers section above.
Contacts
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences:
Phone: 0800 800 145 or +64 7 838 4030
General and Undergraduate Email Enquiries: phil-fass@waikato.ac.nz
Graduate and Postgraduate Email Enquiries: phil-grad@waikato.ac.nz