Bulletin - John Jay College Of Criminal Justice - CUNY

Certificates, Programs and Minors
300-Level: Choose one
Music 310 Comparative History of African American Musics
Track II: Music Composition/Theory/Technology
200-level, Choose two
Music 202 Songwriting
Music 220 Choral Music in Performance
Music 2XX Music Technology
Music 2XX Music Theory
Music 2XX Guitar & Chamber Ensemble
300-level, Choose one
Music 3XX Composition/Technology
Total: 18
PHILOSOPHY MINOR
Description. The Philosophy minor is designed to give students
interested in philosophy the opportunity to do intensive work in the
field and have that work recognized. Philosophy — a term derived
from the ancient Greek philosophia — means “love of wisdom.” As
a discipline, philosophy strives to seek thoughtful and rigorous
responses to the most fundamental “Why” questions about
ourselves, the universe and our place in the universe. Areas of study
include being or existence, knowledge, ethics, political philosophy
and various “philosophy of . . .” issues (e.g., philosophy of law,
philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, etc.). Some core
questions that philosophers ask range from “What is the nature of
justice” and “How should I live my life” to “Do humans have free
will” and “What sort of justification is required for me to have
knowledge”
Learning objectives for Philosophy minors include the development
and mastery of the following skills and competencies.
• Critically evaluate arguments
• Appreciate different responses to a given philosophical
question
• Offer a thoughtfully defended thesis on a given philosophical
question
• Entertain and respond to challenges to one’s thesis
Rationale. A Philosophy minor, which is noted on the student's final
transcript, is extremely beneficial for students planning careers in law
school or various graduate programs. A liberal arts and humanities
education, according to some of the top law schools, is the best
preparation for understanding, synthesizing, and evaluating the legal
theory and moral reasoning employed in legal judgments. Both law
schools and graduate schools place a premium on the sort of critical
thinking and conceptual analysis that philosophy uniquely provides.
In addition, there is statistical evidence that those who major in
philosophy consistently score higher than those in nearly every other
major on standardized exams such as the LSAT and the GRE.
Minor coordinator. Professor Tanya Rodriquez, Department of
Philosophy (212.237.8338, trodriguez@jjay.cuny.edu)
Requirements:
• A student must complete 18 credits (six courses) in philosophy.
• Philosophy 231 is required (also fulfills the general education
requirement for philosophy).
• At least two courses must be at the 300-level or higher.
• Independent study courses, arranged between the student and a
supervising faculty member, and experimental courses can be
used to fill the 18-credit requirement. For details on
independent study courses, see the Chapter 6, Academic
Standards.
Philosophy courses satisfying the requirements of the minor include
the following:
Students will be able to:
• Recognize and reconstruct arguments
198