The UCSB Philosophy Program encourages its majors to consider studying abroad through the Education Abroad Program. This is a great opportunity for those who want to make the most of their college experience. Exposure to other cultures and contexts can help students gain new perspectives and achieve a greater understanding of the world in which we live. It is also an opportunity to put one’s critical thinking and reasoning skills to the test in a whole new setting. Many of the courses taken through EAP can be applied towards the Philosophy major, so there is no need to think of a summer, a semester, or a year overseas as lost time.
The major issues of philosophy – thought, ethics, knowledge, language – are not explored in a vacuum, but are part of the living experience of culture. Other philosophical topics such as politics, religion, justice, and aesthetics are often illuminatingly studied in terms of human experience, experience that may differ across language, time, and place. Studying abroad broadens your perspectives and enlarges your thinking about the major issues that continue to engage philosophers.
Philosophy majors have the opportunity to study in the places where the great philosophers lived and taught. Study Confucius and Lao-tsu in China; Nietzsche, Leibniz, Kant, and Hegel in Germany; Spinoza in the Netherlands; Descartes in France; or Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Wittgenstein in Britain. Students may also study the Japanese language while learning about Japanese aesthetics or learn Hindi while studying Buddhism in India. The opportunities for philosophy majors to study around the world are tremendous.
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With 30 different countries to choose from, you have many options. Many EAP courses are taught in English, in places as diverse as Barbados, India, Ghana, Hong Kong, France, and South Africa, as well as the more obvious UK, Canada and Australia. There are also plenty of courses taught in the native language of the host country, including French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese, and are excellent choices for students who have a grounding in those languages. Additionally, EAP offers intensive Language and Culture programs, such as: a summer in Sweden, a semester in Russia, or a full-year in Japan, among many other options.
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Philosophy majors typically study abroad during their junior or senior year. This allows students time to plan out their courses so that they can graduate on time and gain language proficiency if they are planning on studying in another language when they are abroad. Prior to departure, students should complete Philosophy 3 or 183, and ideally, some additional philosophy courses. Students should also consult with the Philosophy Undergraduate Advisor or EAP Faculty Advisor as well as the College of Letters and Science to ensure the successful
completion of degree requirements, especially if they plan to graduate while
abroad.
Keep in mind that at least 20 units of upper-division major coursework (or
12 upper-division minor units) must be completed in residence at UCSB along with other residence requirements. Consult an advisor in the College of Letters & Science for more information.
It is best to plan early for study abroad. Applications are typically due six months to a year prior to the start of the program. There is a wide range of programs: summer, half- and full-year, language intensive, general education and major specific. Students wishing to do an immersion program in a non-English speaking country should complete six quarters of the language, or the equivalent, prior to departure. Transfer students are eligible to participate in EAP as early as their first quarter at UCSB. Visit the EAP web site for more information.
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While EAP students automatically earn UC credit for work completed abroad, the application of credit to major requirements is subject to the discretion of the Philosophy Department and approval of the college. Philosophy students who would like their EAP courses to count as upper-division electives towards their major are encouraged to take those classes that best suit their particular interests. However, if you would like to have your EAP courses apply to a specific area of your upperdivision requirements, or to substitute for a specific UCSB Philosophy class, you will need to take classes with a similar subject matter.
Upon your return from overseas, you will need to petition to have such courses apply towards the particular requirements in question. (If an EAP course clearly corresponds to a specific UCSB course, this will most likely be readily approved. But such decisions are taken on a case-by-case basis, and you should keep your EAP course syllabi to document the content of the classes you have taken.) All EAP students need the Philosophy Undergraduate Advisor or the EAP Faculty Advisor to sign off on their proposed plan of study abroad. We are happy to talk with you about how your proposed courses will apply towards your major.
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Begin by identifying your goals for study abroad and then consult the EAP web pages (http://eap.ucop.edu/) to identify appropriate EAP programs. To find programs which offer particular disciplines or to search courses taken by EAP students over the last 5 years by subject, keyword and/or location, explore the resources found under Program and Course Search. Navigate to host universities’ web sites on the available links to learn more about the schools and their departments.
Stop by the EAP office at 2431 South Hall. Peer advisors who have recently returned from studying abroad as well as staff advisors are eager to answer your questions.
Here is a partial list of EAP host countries that offer unique opportunities in Philosophy:
Australia -- Barbados -- Hong Kong -- South Africa
Spain -- United Kingdom -- India -- Japan
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Department of Philosophy
South Hall, Room 5631
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-3090
Phone: (805) 893-3122
www.philosophy.ucsb.edu
