Q&A with Dr. Scott H. Moore on the Launch of the Bachelor of Philosophy (B.Phil.) Degree

What inspired the development of the Bachelor of Philosophy (B.Phil.) degree?

We know the Honors College is an excellent choice for applicants among the top 1% of college-bound high schoolers. Yet sometimes, we come in at #3 or #4 among those very best students. They’re excited about coming to Baylor, but then we lose them to Duke or Notre Dame at the last moment. These are, of course, extraordinary schools, so that shouldn’t be too surprising. But Baylor also has many things that these schools don’t have, and the B.Phil. has emerged as one of the university’s strategies to offer something, namely a research baccalaureate, to high-achieving students which they can’t get in most places. We’re hopeful that this exciting new degree will attract more high-achieving students and help us hang on to some of those who might otherwise be enticed away.

What makes the B.Phil. distinct from other Honors College opportunities?

To this point, the Honors College has offered two majors (University Scholars and Great Texts) and two programs which enhance the Baylor undergraduate experience (Honors Program and the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core). This is the first time that we will be offering a degree. The core requirements for this degree are built on two sets of requirements—the new core utilized by academic units across campus and the requirements for consideration by Phi Beta Kappa, our nation’s most prestigious undergraduate honor society. In terms of the B.Phil. core, students will complete additional requirements in philosophy, in mathematics, in foreign language, and through the completion of a thesis through the Honors Program under the direction of a Baylor professor from throughout the university. The core is the beginning, and the thesis is the culmination, but along the way, B.Phil. students complete an interdisciplinary major in the Honors College and a secondary major in one of Baylor’s other colleges or schools.

Why is research essential to the B.Phil. experience?

Research is essential because that’s what the degree is designed to help students learn. Students have often asked me why most professors get a “Doctor of Philosophy” degree even when they are studying fields like chemistry, accounting, or Italian (subjects which might not seem like “philosophy” at first). I usually explain it by showing them how “philosophy” means “the love of wisdom,” and one who earns the Doctor of Philosophy degree is one who has mastered the foundations of knowledge and the love of the wisdom that is unique to that field. Well, the Bachelor of Philosophy (B.Phil.) is designed to start students down this road. It is, quite literally, a research baccalaureate.

What kind of student would thrive in the B.Phil. program?

Highly motivated and intellectually curious students who recognize the importance of interdisciplinarity—that is, they understand that academic disciplines (fields of study) are all mutually interdependent. We can’t really understand literature apart from history, or history apart from economics, or economics apart from biology, or biology apart from physics, or physics apart from philosophy, or philosophy apart from language—and on and on. The Honors College strives to serve and uplift all the other colleges and schools on our campus, so we hope the B.Phil. will bring even more outstanding students to Baylor and encourage both students and faculty in these interdisciplinary explorations.

What aspects of launching this new program are you most excited about?

Working with great students and faculty from all across campus. It’s an exciting time.