American University of Beirut

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The Department of Philosophy offers programs leading to the degrees of bachelor of arts and master of arts in philosophy. Requirements for transfer to the department include approval by the department and a grade of C+ or more in any two Cultures and Histories courses (excluding the communication skills requirements in Arabic and English).

The undergraduate program in philosophy provides students with a knowledge of key historical and contemporary philosophers and philosophical problems, together with a range of responses to those problems. It promotes respect for clarity, truth, critical reflection and rational argument. It promotes independence of thought rooted in a fair-minded understanding of opposing views. It strives to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate relevant portions of the contemporary philosophical terrain; competence at critical analysis; and the ability to write about abstract issues in a clear, nuanced and compelling manner. The undergraduate program in philosophy also seeks to impart an awareness of the application of philosophical thought to other academic disciplines or to matters of public interest, encouraging students to apply their philosophical skills more widely.

Students majoring in philosophy are required to take a total of at least 36 credits of philosophy courses, which must include PHIL 211, PHIL 218, one of PHIL 205, 206, 209 or 210, two of PHIL 212, PHIL 213, PHIL 214, and PHIL 225, and at least two of the seminar courses, which are numbered PHIL 250- 262. One of those courses must be a Writing in the Disciplines course. Students should also choose, under the supervision of the department, a balanced program of systematic and historical courses. In fulfillment of university requirements, majors must also take the following:

The general education requirements are Understanding Communication - English (6 credits), Understanding Communication - Arabic (3 credits), Cultures and Histories (9 credits), Human Values (3 credits), Societies and Individuals (6 credits), Understanding the World and Quantitative Reasoning (9 credits with at least 3 credits from each), and Community Engaged Learning (3 credits). At least one of the courses from Cultures and Histories or Human Values should be from the History of Ideas: CHLA. At least one course from your degree requirements (except Understanding Communication) should cover the theme of Social Inequalities.

Students choosing to complete a minor in philosophy are required to take a total of 15 credits in philosophy, including at least two of PHIL 211, PHIL 212, PHIL 213, PHIL 214, PHIL 225.

The minor in ethics of artificial intelligence, offered jointly by the Department of Philosophy and the Department of Computer Science, provides students with the critical tools and frameworks necessary to navigate the complex ethical challenges posed by artificial intelligence. By engaging with topics such as safety and security, privacy, transparency, accountability, and bias, students develop a deeper understanding of how AI technologies impact society. This minor encourages students to critically examine the broader consequences of AI systems, helping them explore issues like data privacy concerns, the risks of algorithmic bias, and the need for transparency in decision-making processes. It fosters an ethical mindset, empowering students to ask key questions about the fairness, accountability, and potential harm of AI applications, while also promoting responsible development and deployment of AI technologies in a way that safeguards human rights and societal well-being.

Students choosing to complete a minor in ethics of artificial intelligence are required to take a total of 15 credits distributed among the following courses: 

​Note that the description of the philosophy courses is in the list below, while the description of the CMPS courses is to be found in the catalogue of the Department of Computer Science.