SF State Scholars Program

The Philosophy Department offers the opportunity for undergraduate to participate in a blended undergraduate and graduate degree program.
philosophy_students
Apply to the SF Scholars Program

Coursework to complete before taking graduate level courses:

  1. Logic (must be equivalent to PHIL 205)
  2. Ancient Philosophy (PHIL 301)
  3. Modern Philosophy (PHIL 303)
  4. Ethics (PHIL 450)
  5. One course in Metaphysics and Epistemology (broadly construed):
    • Philosophy of Science (PHIL 350)
    • Metaphysics (PHIL 605)
    • Theory of Knowledge (PHIL 610)
    • Philosophy of Perception (PHIL 611)
    • Philosophy of Mind (PHIL 620)
    • Philosophy of Language (PHIL 630)

Once you start taking graduate-level seminars, we advise you to reduce your course load, because you will be doing more intense philosophical work. Once you are accepted to the program and have completed your undergraduate coursework and the five courses listed above, you can soon take your first seminar, which should be PHIL 715 – Seminar in Philosophical Writing. 

In order to progress to the MA portion of the Scholars program, all scholars must complete PHIL 696 as an undergraduate in order to graduate with the Bachelor's degree.

For further guidance, please seek advising with our SF Scholars advisors Dr. Wilcox and Dr. Jeremy Reid. 

How to Apply to the SF State Scholars Program

  • If you have a GPA above 3.0, you can apply to the SF State Scholars Program as early as the end of your freshman year (most students apply when they have taken between 30 and 105 units).
  • View the application for the SF Scholars program. Note: the application no longer requires the "Planned Course of Study" form. That is, you do not need to submit a list or excel sheet in which you plan out which classes you will take when.
  • You should plan first to take the core requirements for the B.A. Major in Philosophy, starting with the 100-400 level courses.
  • Consult the relevant "Program Study Guide" (linked on the right side of this page) for your B.A. in Philosophy or Philosophy and Religion so that you can see which classes are needed for your major.
  • Note: you will need to maintain a 3.0 GPA before doing graduate-level seminars, and while enrolled in the Scholars program.
  • Applications are due to the Department of Philosophy the first Friday of November (for Spring admissions) and the second Friday of May (for Fall admissions). Submit your application by email to grdphl@sfsu.edu.
  • Applications will be signed after they are approved (that is, they do not need to be signed by an advisor to be submitted).

Resources

SF Scholars Guide (pdf)

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