Philosophy Bachelor of Arts

Drake University places students in Des Moines, a city with connections to the arts, business, politics, and food. The campus offers an open environment for students who want to begin with a clear academic interest or take time to discover a direction. Hands-on experiences, leadership opportunities, and support designed to help students gain their footing are part of the Drake experience.

Academic options span more than 150 programs across seven colleges and schools. Faculty help students connect classroom learning with research, internships, and other practical experiences. Personalized mentorship is central to the student experience, with faculty available to support students as they work toward their goals. Global perspectives are integrated into campus life through learning alongside students from around the world and opportunities on campus and across the globe.

Community service is also part of learning at Drake. Students, faculty, and staff contribute more than 230,000 hours each year through volunteer work, outreach, and pro-bono service in the Des Moines community. International students can expect a setting that links academic study with local engagement and global perspectives, while the city provides access to cultural, civic, business, and culinary experiences beyond campus.

The Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy explores the fundamental questions of human inquiry and encourages critical reflection on beliefs and conduct. The department emphasizes collaborative learning and undergraduate research, actively involving students in faculty projects and providing mentorship beyond the classroom. The major is designed for broad interdepartmental study and interdisciplinary synthesis.

Focus areas include Mind, Language, and Knowledge, Society, Politics, and Values, Comparative Philosophy.

The program requires 18 credits of core coursework and a senior capstone, with an additional 15 elective credits that can be concentrated in one area or generalized across three. The total credit requirement for the major is 33 hours.

Graduates gain a background desirable for graduate study and work in fields such as human relations, law, literature, social sciences, religious studies, and theology.

The programme totals about 33 credit hours. For international students, tuition is well above the median for US programmes. The institution admits about 64% of applicants.