Courses

You can find a list of courses we will offer in the immediately upcoming academic term by visiting William & Mary's course registration site. (Search for "Philosophy (PHIL)" in the "Subject attributes" field.)

For a list of all the philosophy courses we offer, please see the relevant section in the undergraduate course catalog. 

What to Expect in Introductory Courses

What type of readings are involved in first-and-second-year courses? (e.g. articles, textbook) How much reading should a student expect to do per week?  

Per week, readings are perhaps 8,000-15,000 words in total. But philosophy readings tend to be dense, and so even if there aren't many pages to read, it can still take a while to read them. 

What sorts of assignments should a student expect in first-and-second-year courses? (e.g. quizzes, group projects, presentations) 

It varies.  It is common to have some regular short writing assignments to facilitate understanding of the readings and/or lectures. Major assignments tend to be in-class essay exams or papers written outside of class (e.g., 800-1,500 words). 

Beyond the required course texts, are there other course materials a student should be prepared to purchase for first-and-second-year courses? 

Most philosophy courses do not require the purchase of materials beyond the texts to be used in class, and even here, professors sometimes make the readings freely accessible using fair use guidelines. 

Is there anything else that is important for first-and-second-year students to know and/or expect from their courses? 

Philosophy is awesome, and it will help students think and write clearly and critically.