A B.Sc./B.A. degree program (major or honours) is proposed as a joint program of the School of Computing Science and the Department of Philosophy, to be administered under the Faculty of Applied Sciences.
There is a natural intellectual affinity between Computing Science and Philosophy. The commonalities shared by these disciplines consist largely in the very substantial amount of logical inference and abstract conceptual organization required in both fields. The ability to reason clearly, and to formulate plans for creating complex, coherent, and logically correct systems will be mutually reinforced by training which would be given in each of the two disciplines. An appreciable number of students taking Computing Science already take Philosophy courses.
The proposed program is an excellent fit for the curriculum reform initiative at SFU, combining as it does a rigorous training in quantitative, technical and formal skills, much exposure to analytic and essay writing, and a great breadth of topics and methodologies from both the humanities and the information sciences.
Studies consistently show that philosophy majors are at the top of the humanities and social sciences as far as their employment and earning potential is concerned (with many pursuing a career in the information technology industry), at a level comparable to biology majors in the sciences. Moreover, in polls a clear majority of business leaders assert that the ideal preparation for the leaders of tomorrow is a combination of analytical and communication skills together with a solid technical background. This is the kind of leadership training that the proposed joint program will provide.
The following text is proposed to be placed in the School of Computing Science section under Faculty of Applied Science.
The School of Computing Science and the Department of Philosophy cooperate in offering a Joint Major and a Joint Honours program. The administrative home is within the Faculty of Applied Science for purposes of student registration, appeals and graduation processing. Interested students should contact advisors in both the Department of Philosophy and the School of Computing Science. Permission to enrol in the program must be obtained from both the Department of Philosophy and the School of Computing Science.
Program requirements below include sections labelled CMPT Requirements and PHIL Requirements. The requirements under these sections are intended to track corresponding requirements within the CMPT and PHIL Major programs, respectively.
MATH 151-3 Calculus I
MATH 152-3 Calculus II
MATH 232-3 Elementary Linear Algebra
and one of
STAT 270-3 Introduction to Probability and Statistics
BUEC 232-4 Data and Decisions I
and one physical science chosen from the list of physical sciences electives for the computing science lower division requirements.
CMPT 120-3 Introduction to Computing Science and Programming I*
CMPT 225-3 Data Structures
CMPT 275-4 Software Engineering
MACM 101-3 Discrete Mathematics I
MACM 201-3 Discrete Mathematics II
and one of CMPT 120-3, Introduction to Computing Science and Programming I, and CMPT 125-3, Introduction to Computing Science and Programming II*
*CMPT 126-3 may be taken in lieu of CMPT 120-3 or 125-3. To aid in assessing your choice, prior to registration, please complete the self-evaluation test at: www.cs.sfu.ca/undergrad/Advising/120-126
CMPT 300-3 Operating Systems
CMPT 307-3 Data Structures and Algorithms
CMPT 310-3 Artificial Intelligence Survey
CMPT 354-3 Database Management Systems
and one of
CMPT 320-3 Implications of a Computerized Society
PHIL 320-3 Social and Political Philosophy
PHIL 321-3 Moral Issues and Theories
and one of
CMPT 383-3 Comparative Programming Languages
CMPT 384-3 Symbolic Computing
and one 400 level course from the AI concentration (see Computing Science)
and one 400 level course from the theoretical computing science concentration (see Computing Science)
A total of 20 upper division Philosophy credits are required,
including
PHIL 341-3 Philosophy of Science
PHIL 344-3 Philosophy of Language I
PHIL 343-3 Philosophy of Mind
at least one 4-credit 400 level course
For a B.A. from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, students must fulfill the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences requirements, such as the Breadth Requirements. For a B.Sc. from the Faculty of Applied Science, students must fulfill the Faculty of Applied Science requirements, such as the Residency Requirements.
Students are encouraged to enrol in the Cooperative Education program.
MATH 151-3 Calculus I
MATH 152-3 Calculus II
MATH 232-3 Elementary Linear Algebra
and one of
STAT 270-3 Introduction to Probability and Statistics
BUEC 232-4 Data and Decisions I
and one physical science chosen from the list of physical sciences electives for the computing science lower division requirements.
and one of CMPT 120-3, Introduction to Computing Science and Programming I, and CMPT 125-3, Introduction to Computing Science and Programming II*
*CMPT 126-3 may be taken in lieu of CMPT 120-3 or 125-3. To aid in assessing your choice, prior to registration, please complete the self-evaluation test at: www.cs.sfu.ca/undergrad/Advising/120-126
CMPT 300-3 Operating Systems
CMPT 307-3 Data Structures and Algorithms
CMPT 310-3 Artificial Intelligence Survey
CMPT 354-3 Database Management Systems
CMPT 405-3 Design and Analysis of Computing Algorithms
and one of
CMPT 320-3 Implications of a Computerized Society
PHIL 320-3 Social and Political Philosophy
PHIL 321-3 Moral Issues and Theories
and one of
CMPT 383-3 Comparative Programming Languages
CMPT 384-3 Symbolic Computing
and one of
MACM 300-3 Introduction to Formal Languages and Automata with
Application
PHIL 310-3 Modal Logic and its Applications
and one 400 level course from the AI concentration (see Computing Science)
and two additional 400-level CMPT courses
A total of 28 upper division Philosophy credits are required,
including
PHIL 341-3 Philosophy of Science
PHIL 344-3 Philosophy of Language I
PHIL 343-3 Philosophy of Mind
and either
PHIL 350-3 Ancient Philosophy
or an approved 300-level alternative in
17th
century philosophy, 18th century philosophy
or value theory
and one of
PHIL 444-4 Philosophy of Language II
PHIL 455-4 Contemporary Issues in Epistemology and
Metaphysics
and one additional 4-credit 400 level course
and
PHIL 477-5 Honours Tutorial I
Note: SFU regulations require at least 132 total credits for an Honours Degree. For a B.A. from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, students must fulfill the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences requirements, such as the Breadth Requirements. For a B.Sc. from the Faculty of Applied Science, students must fulfill the Faculty of Applied Science requirements, such as the Residency Requirements.
Students are encouraged to enrol in the Cooperative Education program.
The following text is proposed to be placed in the Department of Philosophy section under Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
See “Joint Major and Honours Program in Computing Science and Philosophy” on page x.