Get to
know:
Dr. Gregg
Muilenburg, Professor/Chair, Division of Core and Academic Development
The philosophy program at Concordia College is designed to
meet specific student needs in the search for wisdom and knowledge.
This is done by providing students:
• a solid background for a major or minor in philosophy;
• a provocative introduction to philosophical inquiry
in areas where students may already have an interest; and
• classes designed to ask cross-disciplinary questions,
integrate learning in other inquiry areas, and provide students
options for majoring in several other disciplines where knowledge
of philosophy is a valuable foundation.
Concordia Benefits
• One of the fundamental benefits of studying philosophy
is the awareness students gain from the influence of values
on thought as they learn to analyze issues and problems.
• Philosophy is valued for its ability to develop skills
and habits of mind characteristic of the well-educated person.
• Students learn to read complex texts carefully and
insightfully, look for evidence of beliefs and learn how to
evaluate their findings fairly.
• Students learn to write argumentatively and to value
writing as a form of learning.
• Classes are small and taught by experienced faculty
holding Ph.D. degrees from leading university philosophy departments.
• Some classes are team-taught, with faculty examining
the same issue or topic from two distinctive points of view
and different academic disciplines.
• Of students who start and finish their degrees at
Concordia, 88 percent graduate within four years.
Concordia Distinctions
• The Philosophy Department’s goals are to introduce
students to the history of philosophy and the ways historical
context shapes philosophical thinking.
• Students gain a familiarity with important philosophical
problems and methods used by philosophers to inquire into
those problems.
• Students become familiar with logic, reading critically,
writing well, listening carefully and doing pertinent research
— skills beneficial for pursuing advanced degrees and
a lifetime of learning.
• An emphasis on understanding and building strong values
is a basic underpinning of Concordia’s program of study,
and reaches into all academic disciplines at the college.
