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Regulations
PHI1.00 Students majoring in Philosophy should study carefully the Faculty of Humanities General regulations. The Departmental Special regulations are only meant to supplement the Faculty General Regulations.
PHI1.01 Students in the Department of Philosophy can read (a) for a double major
The double major should be made up of Philosophy and any one of the following: Literature in English; English Language; African Language/Linguistics; African Literature; Development Studies; French; History; Human Geography; Theology; Sociology/Social Anthropology ( FSS) ; Political and Administrative Studies (FSS).
(b) for a single major
Students will be admitted to a single major at the beginning of the Year 2 provided that they have taken and passed Philosophy Year 1 courses.
NB: a single major is offered only when the Department has sufficient stuff to run the necessary extra courses.
PHI1.02 The Department’s Year 1 courses (PHI111 and either PHI121 or PHI122) are prerequisite for a student who intends to read Philosophy either as a single or as a double major.
PHI1.03 Courses offered in the Department are normally one-semester long courses.
Any student, of course, can take any Philosophy course out of interest.
Not all of the optional courses listed in the syllabus will necessarily be offered each year.
With regard to elective/service courses chosen by students not majoring in Philosophy, the students are encouraged to register for/take two one-semester long courses in succession.
PHI1.04 In order to double-major in Philosophy a student shall take and pass the following courses:
Year 2 Year 3 Year 4
PHI211 PHI311 PHI410
PHI212 PHI312 PHI411
PHI213 PHI321 PHI421
PHI221 PHI322
PHI222 Any 2 electives* Any 2 electives**
PHI223
*From: PHI313, PHI314, PHI315, PHI316, PHI323, PHI324, PHI325, and PHI326.
**From: PHI412, PHI413, PHI414, PHI415, PHI422, PHI423, PHI424, and PHI425.
PHI1.05 In order to single-major in Philosophy a student shall take and pass the following courses:
Year 2 PHI211, PHI212, PHI213, PHI221, PHI222, PHI223*
*Plus 18 credit hours chosen from the courses offered by other departments in the Faculty of Humanities or other Faculties. The Department of Philosophy must authorise the choice of the courses.
Year 3 PHI311, PHI312, PHI313, PHI314, PHI315, PHI316, PHI321, PHI322, PHI323, PHI324, PHI325, PHI326
Year 4 PHI410, PHI411, PHI412, PHI413, PHI414, PHI415, PHI421, PHI422, PHI423, PHI424, PHI425
PHI1.06 For methods of assessment see the General Humanities Regulations.
PHI1.07 Regulations Governing Research Project (PHI410):
In their final year philosophy students have to submit a research project in the form of the long essay of 8,000-10,000 words for double-majors or 12,000-15,000 words for single-majors.
In the beginning of the first semester students have to take a minimum of 12 hours of Introduction to Research Method in Philosophy and pass a test on it.
The Department must approve of the research topic.
The research proposal has to be submitted within four weeks after the introductory course on the research method.
In the first semester the student will be guided through the weekly tutorials by the relevant supervisor. It shall be the responsibility of the student to establish and maintain regular contact with the supervisor throughout the full period of the registration in PHI410. The student shall meet with the supervisor on a regular basis to report on his/her progress, discuss problems and submit written drafts of the project.
The first draft of the whole project has to be submitted to the relevant supervisor by the end of March.
Each student will be required to give a seminar presentation based on his/her project in the first week of April. The seminar presentation will be evaluated as a part of the final mark.
The final typed and bound version of the project has to be submitted to the Department before/on the last day of lectures according to the Academic Calendar.
Students who anticipate failure to meet the deadline should present their explanations (in writing) to the Department at least one week before the deadline. Granting the extension of the deadline for submission will be at the discretion of the Department. Late submission of the project without valid reasons shall be treated as if it were a supplementary paper.
The project shall be evaluated on the basis of 100% as follows:
· the presentation of the project in the departmental seminar - 20%
· the project itself - 80%
All projects shall be assessed together with other courses at the end of the academic year, and shall be submitted to the External Examiner together with other written examinations.
There shall be no supplementary submission of the projects.
PHI1.08 Regulations Governing Diploma Programme
i) Entry Qualifications
The normal requirements for admission shall be:
A Cambridge Overseas School Certificate with at least a Third Class Pass with Six subjects and an aggregate of 40 or better.
A Junior Certificate followed by two years of full-time education or training at a recognised institution, followed by two years of relevant experience.
All recommendations for admission shall be at the discretion of the department.
ii) Duration
The normal duration of full-time study for the Diploma programme shall be two academic years.
In the first year, the programme shall consist of the compulsory courses of Year I and the Diploma courses in Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics
In the second year, the programme shall consist of Diploma courses in Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics
Additional prerequisite courses that would give a student an opportunity to transfer to other programmes may be taken.
iii) Assessment
The Diploma in Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics shall be assessed by course work and examination only.
The ratio of coursework to examination shall be 50/50
iv) Examination Regulations
All courses will be examined at the end of the semester. Any student who has failed to attend 75% of the class sessions or has not completed all the required course work assignments in any given course may not be granted permission to write examinations.
Proceed
In order to proceed from year one to year two, a student must not have failed Diploma courses totalling more than 12 credit hours.
Supplementary Examinations
A student who scores 50% in the continuous assessment of the course and scores at least 40% in the examination itself shall supplement that course. However, no student shall be allowed to supplement courses totalling more than 12 credit hours. No final supplementary examination mark will be higher than 59%.
c) Fail, Repeat and Discontinue
A student shall:
Fail and discontinue from NUL if OWM is below 30%.
Discontinue from the programme if OWM is between 30% and 44%.
Repeat the year if OWM is between 45% and 49%.
d) Score Classification
Pass with Distinction = A or B average (70% and above)
Pass with Credit = C average (60% - 69%)
Pass = D average (50%-59%)
Fail = Fail (49% and below)
v) Transfer to a Degree Programme
A candidate obtaining at least a Pass with credit may apply for a transfer to a degree programme which must include Philosophy as a major. The second major may be taken from any other area in which admission is possible.
Course Offerings
Candidates will be expected to register for, and pass the following courses:
Diploma Programme
Diploma in Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics
Course Codes and Titles
Year One
Semester 1
CSS100-8 Communication Skills
M001-3 Essential Mathematics
PHI111-3 Introduction to Logic and Scientific Method.
PHI112-3 Introduction to Ethics
PHI113-3 Ethics in War and Peace
Any two electives approved by the Department as listed by the Department from time to time.
Semester 2.
CSS100-8 Communication Skills
ST 151-3 Introduction to Statistics
PHI121-3 Introduction to Philosophy
PHI122-3 Introduction to Political Philosophy
PHI123-3 Introduction to Applied Ethics
Any two electives approved by the Department as listed by the Department from time to time.
Year Two
Semester 1
PHI212-3 General Ethics
PHI214-3 Ethics and the Organization.
PHI215-3 Issues in Environmental Ethics
PHI216-3 Bioethics
Any two electives approved by the Department
Semester 2
PHI222-3 Issues in Moral Philosophy
PHI224-3 Ethics and the Organization
PHI225-3 Business Ethics
PHI226-3 Ethical Issues in Transcultural Interaction
Any two electives approved by the Department as listed by the Department from time to time.
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy
Course Codes and Titles
Year 1
PHI111-3 Introduction to Logic and Scientific Method
PHI121-3 Introduction to Philosophy
PHI122-3 Introduction to Political Philosophy
Year 2
PHI211-3 Ancient Greek Philosophy
PHI212-3 General Ethics
PHI213-3 Epistemology
PHI221-3 Medieval Philosophy
PHI222-3 Issues in Moral Philosophy
PHI223-3 Symbolic Logic
Year 3
PHI311-3 Early Modern Philosophy
PHI312-3 African Philosophy
PHI313-3 Philosophy of Culture and Religion
PHI314-3 Political Philosophy
PHI315-3 Advanced Epistemology
PHI316-3 Guided Reading I
PHI321-3 Late Modern Philosophy
PHI322-3 Metaphysics
PHI323-3 Philosophy of Language
PHI324-3 African Political Theorists
PHI325-3 Marx and Marxist Philosophy
PHI326-3 Guided
Year 4
PHI410-6 Research Project
PHI411-3 Contemporary Philosophy: Continental
PHI412-3 Philosophy of Law
PHI413-3 Philosophy of Social Sciences
PHI414-3 Philosophy of Education
PHI415-3 Philosophy of Science
PHI421-3 Contemporary Philosophy: Anglo-American
PHI422-3 Philosophy of History
PHI423-3 Philosophy of Mind
PHI424-3 Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics
PHI425-3 Advanced Metaphysics
Postgraduate Degree Programmes in Philosophy
Introduction:
The Postgraduate degree programmes of the Department of Philosophy include the honours, masters, and doctorate programmes.
B.A. Honours (Philosophy) Programme - Regulations
Admission:
1.1 The normal requirement for admission shall be at least a second class, second division of this University in Philosophy with at least an OWM of 65% in philosophy courses. Candidates from other universities with equivalent qualifications may also be considered.
1.2 Candidates who meet the above requirement but have deficiencies in core philosophy courses will be required to register for and pass lower level philosophy courses to make up for such deficiencies. The pass mark for each course is 50%.
1.3 All recommendations for admissions shall be at the discretion of the Department.
2. Duration:
2.1 The normal duration of full-time study for the Honours Degree shall be ONE calendar year after a successful completion of the undergraduate degree programme.
2.2 Candidates with deficiencies in core philosophy courses may be required to take their honours degree over an eighteen-month or two-year period and the additional time shall be utilized towards remedying the deficiency. The duration for the honours programme shall, however, not be more than two years.
3. The Degree:
An honours degree in Philosophy will be evaluated by course work, examination and thesis.
Structure A
3.1a Candidates will be expected to register for and pass 24 CH of courses from the following:
PHI501-3 Critical Thinking as a Method
PHI511-3 Theories of knowledge
PHI512-3 Moral Philosophy
PHI513-3 History of Modern European Philosophy
PHI514-3 Contemporary Issues in African Philosophy
PHI515-3 Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics
PHI521-3 Metaphysics
PHI522-3 Modern Political Theories
PHI523-3 History of Contemporary European Philosophy
PHI524-3 Problems of Freedom and Responsibility
PHI525-3 Philosophy of Law
PHI526-3 Philosophy of Science
Structure B
3.1b Candidates will be expected to register for and pass 24 CH of courses from the following:
PHI501-3 Critical Thinking as a Method
PHI511-3 Theories of knowledge
PHI521-3 Metaphysics
PHI531-3 Modern Political Theories
PHI532-3 Moral Philosophy
PHI533-3 History of Modern European Philosophy
PHI534-3 History of Contemporary European Philosophy
PHI535-3 Problems of Freedom and Responsibility
PHI536-3 Contemporary issues in African Philosophy
PHI537-3 Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics
PHI538-3 Philosophy of Law
PHI539-3 Philosophy of Science
3.2 Candidates will also be expected to submit and defend a thesis of between 15,000 and 20,000 words.
PHI510-3 Thesis
4. Assessment:
4.1 Assessment will be done at the completion of each course by course work, formal examination and thesis.
4.2 The ratio of course work to examination shall be 40/60.
4.3 Candidates must obtain a mark of not less than 50% in each core course and an aggregate of 50% in other required courses in order to be allowed to defend the thesis.
4.4 Grades obtained for undergraduate courses taken as prerequisite for courses at honours level will not count towards graduation. However, candidates will be required to pass all prerequisite courses. A mark of at least 50% must be obtained for the candidate to be credited with a pass for such courses.
4.5 Candidates will be required to defend the proposal for their thesis successfully before proceeding with the writing of the thesis.
Candidates will be required to submit to an oral defense of their thesis before a Panel of Examiners and their performance will be assessed as:
(a) Pass with Distinction
(b) Pass
(c) Supplementable Fail
(d) Fail
A candidates thesis assessment will be based on the following:
(a) Report of examiners
(b) Oral Examination.
In the event of the thesis being assessed as a supplementable failure and corrections being suggested, the candidate can resubmit the revised thesis within four calendar months for re-examination. in such cases the maximum assessment of Pass will be awarded.
Where the candidate’s thesis is judged to be unsatisfactory at a re-examination, the candidate will be discontinued from the programme.
M.A. Philosophy Programme (Modes I and II) - Regulations
Admission:
1.1 The regulations governing eligibility for Master Degree by Mode I are as in the Gneral Regulations for the Masters’ Degree in all Faculties (PG. 11.00).
1.2 The normal requirement for admission shall be an appropriate of attainment in a Bachelors (Honours) in Philosophy of this University or an equivalent qualification from other universities. A mark of 65% and above in all courses at honours level shall, for the purpose of admissions, be regarded as an appropriate level of attainment.
1.3 Candidates with a high degree of attainment in a Bachelors (Honours) course of a cognate discipline relevant to the candidate’s proposed area of specialisation may also be considered. in such an instance, candidate may be required to register for and pass lower level courses to make up for deficiencies in philosophy courses.
1.4 All recommendations for admissions shall be at the discretion of the Department.
2. Duration:
2.1 The normal duration of full-time study for the Masters Degree shall be TWO calendar years after a successful completion of the honours degree programme.
2.11 Candidates with deficiencies in core philosophy courses may be required by the Department to take their Masters degree over a period of three or four years depending on the nature of the deficiency.
Candidate may also register as a part-time student for the Masters Degree and in such cases, the normal duration shall be FOUR calendar years after a successful completion of the honours degree programme.
Part-time students with deficiencies in core philosophy courses may be required by the Department to take their Masters degree over a period of six years or more, depending on the nature of the deficiency.
No full time programme leading to the degree of Master shall be more than four years and no part-time programme for the Masters degree shall extend beyond six years.
2.3 The offering/duration of both full-time and part-time programmes will be subject to availability of staff.
3. The Degree:
Mode II Masters degree in Philosophy will be evaluated by coursework, examination and thesis.
Structure A
3.1a Candidate will be expected to register for and pass 24 CH of courses from the following:
PHI601-3 Textual Analysis
PHI611-3 Issues in Metaphysics
PHI612-3 Aristotle’s Ethics
PHI613-3 Contemporary African Philosophers
PHI614-3 Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics
PHI615-3 Philosophical Logic
PHI621-3 Special authors in Epistemology
PHI622-3 Contemporary Issues in Ethics
PHI623-3 Social and Political Philosophy
PHI624-3 History of Contemporary Philosophy
PHI625-3 Critical Rationalism
Structure B
3.1b Candidate will be expected to register for and pass 24 CH of courses composed of the following:
PHI601-3 Textual Analysis
PHI611-3 Issues in Metaphysics
PHI612-3 Aristotle’s Ethics
PHI621-3 Special authors in Epistemology
PHI622-3 Contemporary Issues in Ethics.
PHI631-3 Social and Political Philosophy
PHI632-3 Contemporary African Philosophers
PHI633-3 Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics
PHI634-3 Critical Rationalism
PHI635-3 History of Contemporary Philosophy
PHI636-3 Philosophical Logic
PHI637-3 Modern Political Philosophy
3.2 Candidate will also be expected to submit and defend a thesis of between 25,000 and 30,000 words in the area of the candidate’s specialization.
PHI610-6 Thesis
3.3 Subject to availability of staff, candidate will be allowed to specialize in the following areas of philosophy, among others:
Metaphysics
Epistemology
Ethics
Logic
History of Philosophy
African Philosophy
Social and Political Philosophy
Philosophy and Economics
Philosophy and Literature
Philosophy of Law
4. Assessment:
A Master Degree by Mode I shall be evaluated by thesis only
The recommended length of mode I thesis shall be between 30,000 and 45,000 words.
4.3 A Master Degree by Mode II shall be evaluated by course work, examination and thesis. The recommended length of mode II thesis shall be between 25,000 and 30,000 words.
4.4 The ratio of course work to examination shall be 60/40.
4.5 Candidates must obtain a mark of not less than a 50% in each course in order to proceed with dissertation.
4.5 Grades obtained for lower level courses taken as prerequisite for courses at Masters level will not count towards graduation. However, candidates will be required to pass all prerequisite courses. A mark of at least 50% must be obtained for the candidate to be credited with a pass in such courses.
Candidates will be required to successfully defend the proposal for their thesis before a panel comprising:
Head of Department or his/her delegate
Candidate’s Supervisor(s)
A member of staff with appropriate specialisation
Designate of the University Post-Graduate studies committee
Candidates will be required to submit to an oral examination of their thesis before a panel consisting of:
(a) A Professor of the Department or of a cognate discipline as chairperson
(b) Head of Department or his/her delegate
(c) Candidate’s supervisor
Member of Staff with appropriate specialization
Designate of the University Postgraduate Studies Committee
Candidate’s performance at the oral examinations will be assessed with one of the following:
(a) Pass with Distinction
(b) Pass
(c) Supplementable Fail
(d) Fail
Candidate's dissertation must be favourably evaluated by the external examiner before oral examination.
In the event of the dissertation being assessed as a supplementable failure and corrections are suggested, the candidate can resubmit the revised dissertation within six calendar months for re-examination. in such cases the maximum assessment of Pass will be awarded.
Where the candidate’s dissertation, upon re-examination is judged to be unsatisfactory, the candidate will be discontinued from the programme.
Doctorate Programme - Regulations
Admission:
The normal requirement for admission shall be a Masters Degree in Philosophy of this University or an equivalent qualification from other universities with a minimum score of B in at least six courses in Philosophy obtained in the pursuit of the said degree.
Two references should be submitted, at least one of which should be from the applicant’s supervisor or head of department at Masters level. These references will be given special consideration in the case where the Masters qualification is not classified.
Candidates with a Masters degree in philosophy but without coursework but with a suitable thesis may also be considered. in such cases, what counts as a suitable thesis will be determined by the Department on the recommendation of a specialist in the area of Philosophy that the thesis was undertaken.
Candidates may be required to go through selection examination to determine their suitability for the programme.
1.5 Candidates will be required to present before the Department, a proposal in his/her area of interest as part of the application for admission.
1.6 All recommendations for admissions shall be at the discretion of the Department.
2. Duration:
The normal duration of full-time study for the Doctorate Degree shall be THREE calendar years after a successful completion of the Masters degree programme.
2.11 Candidates with deficiencies in core philosophy courses may be required by the Department to take their Doctorate degree over an extended period to allow them make up for the deficiency. The duration of the programme in such cases will depend on the nature of the deficiency of the candidate but must not be more than six calendar years.
2.2 Candidates may also register to study for the Doctorate Degree on a part-time basis. in such cases, the normal duration shall be SIX years after a successful completion of the Masters degree programme with an extension of not more than four additional years.
2.21 Part-time students with deficiencies in core philosophy courses may be required by the Department to take their Doctorate degree over an extended period. The duration of the programme in such cases will depend on the nature of the deficiency of the candidate but must not be more than ten calendar years.
2.3 The offering/duration of both full-time and part-time programmes will be subject to availability of staff.
3. The Degree:
A Doctorate degree in Philosophy will be by research only and will be evaluated through seminars and a dissertation.
3.1 Candidates will be required to present four seminars (in the first year of registration or sometime immediately thereafter) in four different areas of Philosophy that are relevant to the candidate’s proposed area of specialisation. The success of such a seminar shall be determined by an enlarged Panel of Examiners, which shall include at least one member from a cognate discipline.
3.2 Candidate’s Ph.D. dissertation must arise from one of these four areas and a thesis proposal defence will be required before the candidate proceeds with the writing of the thesis. The date for the thesis proposal defence will be set by the head of the department in consultation with the candidate’s supervisor(s).
3.21 Candidate’s proposal defence shall be before an enlarged Panel of Examiners which shall include at least one member from some other discipline.
3.3 After a successful proposal defence, candidate will be required to present a biennial report on the progress of his/her work to the department.
3.4 Candidate’s final dissertation of not less than 50,000 words will be examined by a board of examiners consisting at least of the following:
A Professor of Philosophy or cognate discipline as chairman,
Candidate’s supervisor(s)
Head of Department
One member representing the Departmental Panel of Examiners
One member (in a cognate discipline) representing the postgraduate school
One member (in a cognate discipline) representing the wider university
One member representing the wider community of knowledge (i.e. external examiner).
3.5 Candidate’s performance at the oral examinations will be assessed with one of the following:
(a) Fail
(b) Supplementable Fail
(c) Pass
(d) Pass with Distinction
Candidate's dissertation must be favourably evaluated by the external examiner prior to the oral examination.
In the event of the dissertation being assessed as a supplementable failure and corrections are suggested, the candidate can resubmit the revised dissertation within twelve calendar months for re-examination. in such cases the maximum assessment of Pass will be awarded.
Where the candidate’s dissertation, upon re-examination is judged to be unsatisfactory, the candidate will be discontinued from the programme.