A major declared by sophomore year
Dartmouth says students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year. The pages read describe no separate admission to Philosophy.
Undergraduate · Dartmouth College
Dartmouth Philosophy: prerequisites, a seminar and a culminating course, with a warning
Dartmouth lets students wait until sophomore year to declare a major. The Philosophy Department's Major Worksheet, issued for class years 2019 and later, lists two prerequisite courses and a ten-course pattern: two from a set of series, an advanced seminar, a culminating experience and four more philosophy courses. The department's page adds a warning that the requirements have recently changed and that students should check the catalogue of their matriculation year, so this guide treats the worksheet as a guide, not as the 2028 requirement.
Official information · read 2 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Dartmouth says about Dartmouth Philosophy
Taken from the Dartmouth Philosophy Department's Major and Minor page and its Major Worksheet for class years 2019 and later, Dartmouth Admissions' Majors & Minors and Testing Policy pages, read on 2 November 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Dartmouth's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Two prerequisites
An introductory course and PHIL 3 or 6 come first.
A seminar and a culminating course
The worksheet lists an advanced seminar and a culminating experience.
A warning from the department
The page says the requirements have recently changed.
The SAT or ACT, or an international alternative
US high school students submit the SAT or ACT. Students outside the US can meet the requirement in one of five ways, including predicted or final A-level or IB results.
Official sources
- Dartmouth Admissions: Majors & Minorsadmissions.dartmouth.edu
- Dartmouth Philosophy: Major and Minorphilosophy.dartmouth.edu
- Dartmouth Philosophy: Major Worksheet (class years 2019 and later, PDF dated 15 August 2023)philosophy.dartmouth.edu
- Dartmouth Admissions: Testing Policyadmissions.dartmouth.edu
Read on 2 November 2026 on the Dartmouth Philosophy Department's Major and Minor page and its Major Worksheet for class years 2019 and later, Dartmouth Admissions' Majors & Minors and Testing Policy pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Dartmouth's Organization, Regulations and Courses catalogue, the full requirement worksheet, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The major
What the department says the Philosophy major is
The department says philosophy majors learn to follow complex lines of reasoning, expose presuppositions, weigh evidence and craft arguments. The worksheet for class years 2019 and later lists two prerequisites, two courses from a set of series, one advanced seminar, one culminating experience and four additional philosophy courses with at least three above the introductory level. Transfer credit is limited to two courses and cannot meet the seminar or culminating requirement. The department page says the requirements have recently changed.
Is it the right major?
Philosophy beside Religion and Anthropology
Dartmouth lists these as separate majors, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
Philosophy fits if
you want reasoning, argument and the history of ideas as the main method.
Religion fits if
you want comparative study of religious traditions. Avandy's Dartmouth Religion guide covers it.
Anthropology fits if
you want cultures studied through fieldwork. Avandy's Dartmouth Anthropology guide covers it.
Admission and testing
A Dartmouth application, an SAT or ACT and A levels or the IB
Dartmouth requires students who attended high school in the United States to submit the SAT or ACT. Students who attended high school outside the United States may fulfil the requirement in one of five ways, which include predicted or final results from British A-Levels or the IB Diploma. The major is not a separate application. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Dartmouth's.
Which prerequisites could you take early?
The worksheet lists two prerequisite courses.
Have you checked your catalogue year?
The department says the requirements have recently changed.
Which testing route would you use?
Students outside the US can meet Dartmouth's requirement in one of five ways, including predicted or final A-level or IB results.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Dartmouth's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Dartmouth's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 2 November 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Dartmouth has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Dartmouth for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the department's Philosophy page and decide which testing route you will use for Dartmouth.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Dartmouth College or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Dartmouth College. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply directly to Dartmouth Philosophy?
The pages read describe admission to Dartmouth. Students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year.
Are the worksheet requirements current?
The department page says the requirements have recently changed and asks students to check the catalogue of their matriculation year, while the worksheet read is dated August 2023 for class years 2019 and later.
How many courses does the Philosophy major need?
The worksheet lists two prerequisites and ten further courses, including an advanced seminar and a culminating experience.
Do A levels and the IB count for testing?
Dartmouth lists predicted or final British A-Level and IB Diploma results among five ways to meet the requirement for students who attended high school outside the United States.
Is the SAT or ACT required?
For students who attended high school in the United States, yes: they must submit either test.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Dartmouth's wording with no entry-year label. Check Dartmouth's pages again when Dartmouth publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Dartmouth Philosophy
Tell us about the student's curriculum, whether logic and the history of philosophy appeal, how the seminar and culminating requirements fit and their testing route, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.