Philosophy

The philosophy department at West Chester University was first founded in 1965 and is close to celebrating its 60th anniversary!

The philosophy department was first created when the administration at what was then "West Chester State College" recognized that the curriculum for the newly created liberal studies program was lacking in one crucial thing; philosophy! In the intervening years the philosophy department has grown to offer students the opportunity to both major and minor in philosophy. The Ba in Philosophy  minor in philosophy programs that include religious studies, peace and conflict studies, and ethics. Outside of the major and minor programs, the philosophy department also provides a wide range of courses that fulfill the various curriculum requirements that students need to complete their studies.

West Chester University is also proudly the first and only university in the PASSHE system to offer a graduate program in philosophy which includes the Ma in Philosophy, the Ma in applied ethics and graduate certificates in business ethics and healthcare ethics. The department offers a number of different pathways to complete the Ma and the department faculty provide specializations in subjects like ethics, epistemology, feminist philosophy, African American studies, Indigenous Studies, existentialism, continental philosophy, and more.

The philosophy department is currently going through some significant changes to improve its curriculum and course offerings. The department is undergoing a robust curriculum reform that seeks to decolonize its programs by giving students the opportunity to explore more of the ideas, voices, and contributions from those peoples who have traditionally been ignored or suppressed by traditional approaches to philosophy. This has involved creating exciting new courses in subjects like African American Studies, Indigenous Studies at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

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