Philosophy/Religion
Bachelor of Arts: Interdisciplinary Studies, concentration in philosophy/religion
Together, the areas of philosophy and religion comprise the study of humanity's efforts to arrive at reasonable answers to life's most fundamental questions.
As a student in the interdisciplinary Philosophy / Religion program at the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF), you'll ponder humanity's place within the universe, examine key assumptions that underlie our thinking, and explore the range of human thought about ethics, truth, the meaning of life -- you name it.
Here, you'll learn how to analyze and construct well-reasoned arguments, consider the history and subfields of philosophy, and investigate the world's great religions. In one week, you might go from reading a Buddhist text -- to examining Nietzsche's analysis of morality -- to discussing Plato's theory of the soul. As you do so, you'll gain valuable analytical, problem solving and synthesizing skills (which, by the way, are precisely the skill sets employers look for in college graduates).
As an interdisciplinary Philosophy / Religion major, you will also have ample opportunity to learn beyond the classroom. With their strong professional contacts, our faculty brings to Farmington two or three eminent academics to speak to classes and the wider UMF community each semester. These renowned experts come to campus to discuss in depth topics being covered in the classroom.
For instance, an expert who is involved with the United Nations came and spoke about Native American land rights issues. Another from Tokyo spoke about religion and violence in modern Japan. During these presentations, students had the opportunity to interact and talk candidly with some of the brightest and most respected minds in the field -- an opportunity rarely found at undergraduate colleges.
In addition, the UMF Religion and Philosophy Club (a student organization) regularly participates in academic conferences, hosts guest speakers, and holds public forums for student presentations.
"Last year, one of my Philosophy professors asked me what classes I wanted to take the following semester and I told him that, even though it's not offered, I'd really like to take something that combined the study of philosophy and music. So he went out and designed and offered the exact class I wanted to take! And the class filled up because it was such an interesting course. What other college would do something like that?"
-- Nate Burns
From Wayne, Maine
Because the University of Maine at Farmington is a liberal arts college, every student - in every major - will take courses in the Arts, Humanities, Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences. In addition, you will also get to choose interesting classes specifically tailored to Philosophy / Religion, such as:
| • Logic |
| • Early Christain Literature |
| • Critical Thinking |
| • Ethics |
| • Contemporary Moral Problems |
| • Myth and America |
| • Science and Social Context |
| • What if the Good Life? |
| • History of Western Philosophy II |
| • Sacred Text and Ritual |
| • Epistemology: Philosophy of Knowledge |
| • Introduction to World Religions |
| • Biomedical Ethics |
| • Buddhism |
For additional information about Philosophy / Religion at the University of Maine at Farmington, just contact the Office of Admission:
Office of Admission
University of Maine at Farmington
246 Main Street
Farmington, Maine 04938-1994
US tel 207-778-7050
Intl. tel 00-1-207-778-7050
fax 207-778-8182
TDD/TTY 207-778-7275
umfadmit@maine.edu
