Undergraduate Advising

As a prospective philosophy student, congratulations on your offer of admission to study philosophy with us here at Concordia University! Once you accept your offer of admission, and pay the confirmation deposit, your next step will be to attend an academic advising information session to learn about your degree and program. Following advising, you will be able to make your schedule and register for your classes starting in January 2025. It's a good idea to begin registering for classes as soon as you can, because seats will fill up.

Upcoming Advising Information Sessions via Zoom:

Thursday, December 19th, 2 to 4 p.m.

Thursday, January 9th, 10 a.m. to noon

Monday, January 20th, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Please email the Undergraduate Program Assistant or phone 514-848-2424, ext. 2500 for more information. Welcome to philosophy!

The Department of Philosophy offers a broad range of studies in philosophy. This includes courses in the history of philosophy, spanning three millennia, and courses covering a diverse spectrum of philosophical topics and approaches. Many of the courses are designed for undergraduates pursuing studies in other disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. The aim is to contribute to the development of critical, informed, and open minds.

The Major and Minor programs give students an understanding of the aims, methods, and content of a range of major philosophical periods and traditions. The Honours program prepares students for graduate study in philosophy.

Student requests are submitted when students wish to deal with exceptions to academic regulations or related matters, such as:

• Course substitutions
• Permission to take courses at other universities (outside of Quebec)
• Credit overload

The Student Request E-Form for the following exceptions must be completed through your Student Hub:

• Course repetition
• Credit overload
• Course substitution
• Late course registration
• Late course withdrawal (DNE or DISC)

The Student Request Form for the following exceptions must be submitted to your department:

• Late section change
• Transfer external credits
• Change status from part-time to full-time
• Extension to late completion (INC) deadline
• Add/remove exemptions

Requests must be accompanied by a letter of explanation and supporting documentation validating the request, such as a Professor's note, Medical Certificate or course outlines.

The department will then forward the Student Request, with the department advisor's approval, to Student Academic Services for a response, which will then be sent to you by email.

Student Requests that need further consideration will be forwarded to the Student Request Committee (SRC) or University Retroactive Withdrawal Committee (URWC), depending on the type of request. These committees generally meet every two weeks except over the summer. Students are informed of committee decisions by email. Committee decisions are final.

For any questions, contact your department or book an appointment with an advocate at the Student Advocacy Office.

When you are nearing the completion of your degree, you must apply to graduate before the specified deadline:

Apply to graduate through your Student Hub.

Take note:

• Don’t wait until you have received your grades before submitting your application!
• The university accepts late applications only for a limited period. Students will be charged a fee for late applications.
• If your application is unsuccessful for any reason, you must reapply the following term.

The Concordia Student Exchange Program (CSEP) offers students the possibility to study abroad while earning credits towards their Concordia degree. Exchange participants spend 1-2 terms studying at one of Concordia University’s 180+ partner institutions across the globe while paying Concordia tuition fees. Bursaries are available to help fund semesters abroad.

Eligibility criteria includes:

• Having completed a total of 24-credits prior to travel;
• Minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 (B-) at the time of the application;

For more information, visit Concordia International and Student Academic Services.

Under the Quebec Inter-University Transfer Agreement, you may apply to take courses at other Quebec universities that will count for credit toward your degree at Concordia.

You may apply to take courses for credit at other universities in Québec while paying tuition at Concordia through the Bureau de coopération interuniversitaire (BCI) or the inter-university transfer agreement. You must have completed 24 credits at Concordia and be in good academic standing.

To apply, you will need to use the BCI authorization to transfer credits form. Your application will be reviewed by your home institution (program advisor, Faculty Student Affairs office, Registrar’s Office) and once it is approved, it will be sent to the host university for review and approval.

Be sure to check course availability and requirements of the host university before submitting your application.

As a guide, applications for inter-university transfers must be submitted by:

·         Winter term: December 15

·         Fall term: August 15

·         Summer term: April 15 (May courses); May 15 (June courses); June 15 (July courses)

These deadlines vary by institution. Applications submitted after the school’s specified deadlines will not be approved.

You may follow up on the status of your application by logging into the BCI form. Be sure to read any comments added to your application.  

Registering for undergraduate level courses:

Once your application is approved by the host institution, you will be sent an email confirming your student ID and the steps you will need to follow to register for the course(s) you have been approved to take in the specified term. Students register using the host institution’s online student information system. If the course you are interested in has any prerequisites, or requires departmental approval, you must contact the department offering the course.

The confirmation of registration status for each course will be updated on the BCI form shortly following the add/drop deadline in the specified term. Your home university will access your registration status on the BCI form and assess your tuition accordingly.

Should you have any questions regarding course selection, please consult the Undergraduate Program Director during advising hours.

Students with a variety of disability conditions can use the Access Centre for Students with Disabilities (ACSD). Some examples are: vision, mobility, hearing, chronic medical conditions, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, mental health conditions, Autism Spectrum Disorder and other Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

The centre can also provide services and accommodations to students with temporary disability conditions that are generally the result of illness or injury.

To register with the ACSD, call 514-848-2424, ext. 3525 or visit GM 300.00 to book an appointment.

Feeling stressed out or depressed? There is help available to you at Concordia’s Counselling and Psychological Services. Reach out to them by calling 3545.

Need help with your writing? We all do. Make sure you get in touch with the Writing Assistants at the Student Success Centre at extension 3921.

Concordia’s Policy Regarding Sexual Violence defines sexual violence as “any violence, physical or psychological, carried out through sexual means or by targeting sexuality. This includes, but is not limited to sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, indecent exposure, voyeurism, degrading sexual imagery, distribution of sexual images or video of a community member without their consent, and cyber harassment or cyber stalking of a sexual nature or related to a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity and/or presentation.” The Policy further defines sexual assault and harassment.

The Philosophy Department condemns sexual violence. The Department encourages all students to report sexual violence to the Department Chair, the Dean, or to the Office of Rights and Responsibilities.

Concordia’s Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC) is an important resource on campus for students needing support, accompaniment, resources or information about sexual violence. SARC may convene a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) to support a survivor/victim reporting sexual violence. See the Policy for further details.

Other resources include the Centre for Gender Advocacy and the Student Advocacy Centre.

The Students of Philosophy Association (SoPhiA) executive represents your interests and can help you connect with other students through various events and activities. SoPhiA also houses a lending library!

The Inclusivity Project was created in 2014 to establish more inclusive spaces in the department and promote greater diversity and solidarity within the philosophical community.

The Sophia Review​ is a journal published by students in Philosophy. Its goal is to provoke theoretical engagements with contemporary phenomena and lend insight into our shared condition.