Wichita State Ends Philosophy Major in 2027
Current philosophy majors can finish their degrees before the program closes in July 2027 under a restructuring toward pre-law.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Higher Education
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Wichita State University administrators have decided students can no longer major in philosophy, and the program will cease to exist in July 2027. Current majors will be allowed to complete their degrees.
Why it matters
The Bachelor's in Philosophy was placed on a Kansas Board of Regents action plan in 2024 for failing to meet enrollment and degree production requirements set in 2023. The three-year plan ended early in 2026, and the program is being restructured to focus on pre-law.
The Kansas Board of Regents set a requirement of 25 majors in junior or senior standing in 2023, and the program was placed on a three-year action plan in 2024 that ended early in 2026. The extraction does not provide current enrollment figures against that standard.
The players
Wichita State University
A public university in Wichita, Kansas, governed in part by the Kansas Board of Regents, which is eliminating its philosophy major.
Richard Muma
President of Wichita State University, the institution's chief executive.
Monica Lounsbery
Provost of Wichita State University, overseeing its academic programs.
Kansas Board of Regents
The state body that oversees Kansas public universities and set the enrollment and degree production requirements the philosophy program failed to meet.
The details
Wichita State will phase out the philosophy major while allowing current students to finish. The department will be restructured around pre-law, dropping analytical reasoning, ethics, and world philosophy concentrations; the department learned in January 2026 that the requirement was 25 majors in junior or senior standing.
Timeline
2023: Kansas Board of Regents sets enrollment and degree production requirements.
2024: The philosophy Bachelor's is placed on a Board of Regents action plan.
January 2026: The department learns the requirement is 25 majors in junior or senior standing.
Early 2026: The three-year action plan ends and restructuring to pre-law is announced.
July 2027: The philosophy program ceases to exist.
Higher Education Context
The closure follows the Kansas Board of Regents' 2023 enrollment and degree production requirements, which led to a three-year action plan for the Bachelor's in Philosophy in 2024. The outcome shows how that state oversight process can end in program elimination or restructuring.
Students currently majoring in philosophy at Wichita State can complete their degrees before the program closes in July 2027. Prospective students should confirm current program availability with the university before enrolling.
The takeaway
Students weighing a philosophy major in Kansas should check enrollment and program-continuity status with their school, since state requirements can lead to program closures. Those already enrolled should confirm their graduation timeline with an advisor before the July 2027 deadline.
What happens next
The philosophy program is scheduled to cease to exist in July 2027, and current majors will complete their degrees before that date.
Further reading
For related coverage, browse Higher Education stories on Wichita's universities and program changes.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Skeptic Society Magazine.
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