As a Philosophy major at Wheaton College, you have many activities available to you to interact with other students in many settings, as well as pursue independent study and internships.
Speaker Series
Each year the department invites 5 or 6 well known philosophers to Wheaton’s campus to speak on a wide range of philosophical topics. Past speakers include C. Stephen Evans of Baylor University, John Hare of Yale University, Russ Shafter-Landau of University of Wisconsin, Michael Rae of the University of Notre Dame, Timothy O’Connor of Indiana University, and Susan Brower-Toland from St. Louis University. Lectures are held mid-week and go from 7:30 – 9:00 p.m. See this year's speakers
McManis Lectureship
The annual McManis Lectureship rotates between the Philosophy, Bible/Theology, and History departments, bringing distinguished scholars to campus to talk on issues of interest to the three departments.
Philosophy Department Honors
Philosophy majors seeking additional challenge and enrichment may wish to apply to the departmental Honors Program. Honors are won by completing a significant thesis project containing original ideas and arguments, that receives a grade of A or A-, and is successfully defended before a thesis committee on or before April 15th of the student’s senior year. A student who completes all the requirements will, upon graduation, receive a special certificate indicating the honors designation, honors status will be recorded on the student’s transcript, and a copy of the thesis will be archived in the Library.
Annual Pizza Party
Every September, a pizza party brings together philosophy professors and philosophy majors as well as those interested in the major for information, food, and fun. Come enjoy some great Chicago style deep-dish, some dessert, and drinks. Watch for an announcement of the specific date.
Philosophy Club
The Philosophy Club is student led and meets to encourage philosophical fun and good chat among our majors and those with philosophical interests. Recent meetings have included watching and discussing films with philosophical themes, inviting a professor to share on some topic philosophical or otherwise, hearing a student presentation, or doing some advance thinking on a subject to be broached in the Special Speaker Series.
Independent Study
The Independent studies course Philosophy 495 offers you the opportunity to work one-on-one with a Wheaton professor on subjects that may not have been covered in the regular curriculum. There are some limitations to independent study and a prospectus is expected to be turned in to your professor. See the "Independent Study Policy" in the Philosophy majors handbook on the Information and Resources page.
Internship Opportunities
There are internships available in Philosophy. Find out more about internships.