Student Learning Outcomes for Philosophy

Philosophy students at Washburn University, upon graduation, are expected to have:

• Achieved an introductory understanding of the major figures and movements in both ancient and modern philosophy;
• Achieved an introductory understanding of symbolic logic;
• Attained knowledge, beyond the introductory level, of some of the literature in each of the four major areas of philosophy (History of Philosophy, Logic, Metaphysics and Epistemology, and Value Theory);
• Demonstrated the ability to evaluate philosophical positions critically and systematically;
• Demonstrated the ability to formulate and defend philosophical positions;
• Mastered the ability to write well-reasoned, well-integrated essays about materials recently studied;
• Mastered the ability to conduct and present philosophical research in written form;
• Mastered the ability to orally defend positions taken in written work.