University of Wyoming to Drop Philosophy Major

As for Fall 2027, incoming students at the University of Wyoming will no longer be allowed to major in philosophy. The news was shared by philosophy professor Bradley Rettler in posts on social media. He says that students will be able to major in “philosophy and religion” but not “philosophy” nor “religious studies”. Rettler points out just how unusual this is: Wyoming will become the first state in the US where you cannot receive a B.A. in Philosophy. The University of Wyoming will be the only R1 institution, the only state flagship university, and one of two land-grant universities that do not offer a B.A. in Philosophy. It is unclear what the justification for this decision is. The university administration has led the institution to a situation in which it is facing a $15 million budget shortfall. Yet philosophy faculty at Wyoming are already part of a joint Philosophy and Religious Studies department. It is unclear how much additional revenue could be saved, if any, by depriving…