Philosophy investigates fundamental questions about the nature of things; about the universe as a whole, about human beings, society, science, ethics and art.

As a philosophy student, you will learn about the basic intellectual foundation for our political, social and legal systems, as well as our understanding of the principles of modern science and technology. You will explore deep theoretical, practical and moral issues that do not easily fit into more specialized disciplines.

Philosophy will challenge you with its reflective and critical approach to important, often puzzling, questions about the nature of right and wrong, time and space, perception, and the human mind.

Philosophy pays careful attention to its own long history, spanning more than 2,500 years. These early investigations are the focus of the department’s courses on ancient, early modern, late modern and 20th-century philosophers and philosophical movements.

There are numerous branches within the study of philosophy, touching virtually every topic; from questions about the existence of God, through to aesthetic principles, and the concepts of space and time:

• Justice and goodness: Investigates questions about right and wrong, or good and evil, such as biomedical ethics or environmental philosophy.
• Truth and reality: Looks at truth and reality through areas such as logic, metaphysics, epistemology and the philosophy of science.
• Social philosophical concerns: Delves into fundamental social philosophical issues addressed by political philosophy, ethics and the history of philosophy itself.
• Scientific philosophical concerns: Focuses on the conditions under which enquiry produces genuine truth and accurate representations of objective reality.
• Human creativity and artistic expression: Evaluates concepts like beauty in disciplines such as aesthetics and the philosophy of art.

Concentrations (Optional) | Students in the BA and BASc in philosophy degree programs may declare a concentration in legal reasoning.

Minors | Adding a minor to your degree is a great way to explore academic interests beyond your major. A minor is a set of courses comprising a secondary focus of interest generally not related to your major. A minor may be required or optional.

Honours thesis | If your GPA is high enough in your fourth year, you can opt to complete an undergraduate thesis course. This is an excellent opportunity for you to earn an “Honours Thesis” designation on your degree.

Experience learning | Our students have a number of experiential learning opportunities available to them including co-operative education, international exchanges, independent and applied studies as well as volunteer opportunities. uLethbridge is the only university in Alberta to offer co-operative education to all majors in the arts & sciences, at both the undergrad and grad level. Transfer students can actually head out on their first work term before ever stepping foot on campus! For example, many transfer students have completed a summer work term before starting classes in September.​​​​

Skills acquired | In this program, you will develop exceptional written and oral communication skills and outstanding negotiation capabilities. You’ll also develop strong critical, analytical and “big picture” thinking skills, advanced information acquisition and management skills, as well as precise attention to detail. All of these abilities are highly sought after in the business and professional world and can be applied to practically any working or life scenario.