The University of Nevada, Reno Department of Philosophy offers a graduate certificate in Ethics, Law and Politics which enhances students' scholarly abilities across disciplines. This graduate certificate is designed for students who wish to deepen their understanding of ethics, law and politics as a complement to their educational background. Students who choose to obtain this certificate will be better prepared for graduate school in law, medicine, political science and many disciplines. The graduate certificate is also beneficial for those seeking personal enrichment.
Course requirements
12 credit hours (see the course catalog for latest updates).
Students must take at least one three-unit course in each of two groups.
- Topical Group
- PHIL 650 - Ethical Theory (3 credits)
- PHIL 653 - Topics in Philosophy of Law (3 credits)
- PHIL 654 - Global Ethics and Justice (3 credits)
- PHIL 657 - Political Philosophy (3 credits)
- Historical Group
Any 600- or 700-level course that focuses on value theory in the thought of one or more historical philosophers. Ex. PHIL 620 - Plato when focused on the republic or PHIL 615 - Kant when focused on the groundwork of the metaphysics of morals, etc.
Please consult with our program director and the graduate school about the possibility of moving into our M.A. program from our certificate program or from our M.A. program into our certificate program within the philosophy department.
Note: Students may, with approval from the graduate coordinator, substitute a 600 or 700-level independent study course or a selected topics course in value theory in either Group A or B.
Admission requirements
Some of the students accepted into the certificate program in philosophy have completed undergraduate philosophy majors or minors, but we also accept students with degrees in other areas.
- Minimum GPA of 3.0
- Letter of Intent: a letter describing your interests and goals and explaining why you want to pursue your studies in our department. Be sure to indicate that you are interested in the Ethics, Law and Politics Graduate Certificate.
- Transcripts
- Writing Sample: a sample of your recent writing in philosophy, if you have one; or of some other type of recent writing that will indicate your aptitude for philosophical work.
- References: two letters of recommendation