Wichita State Ends Philosophy Major by 2027
Prospective philosophy students in Wichita should plan around a program that will end in July 2027, though current majors can finish.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Higher Education
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Wichita State University is eliminating its philosophy major, and the program will cease to exist in July 2027. Current philosophy majors will be able to complete their degrees before that date.
Why it matters
For Wichita-area students weighing a humanities path, the decision removes a Bachelor's in Philosophy option at a major local university. The change followed a 2024 action plan from the Kansas Board of Regents over enrollment and degree production requirements set in 2023.
The Kansas Board of Regents set the requirement at 25 majors in junior or senior standing, a figure the department learned in January 2026 differed from its earlier understanding. Current philosophy majors may complete their degrees before the program ends in July 2027.
The players
Wichita State University
A public research university in Wichita, Kansas, serving a large regional student body and offering affordable in-state tuition.
Kansas Board of Regents
The governing body that oversees Kansas public universities, setting enrollment and degree production standards that programs must meet.
Richard Muma
President of Wichita State University, overseeing the institution's academic and budget decisions.
Monica Lounsbery
Provost of Wichita State University, responsible for the university's academic programs and faculty.
The details
The Bachelor's in Philosophy program was placed on a three-year action plan by the Kansas Board of Regents in 2024 for not meeting enrollment and degree production requirements. That plan ended early in 2026, and the university announced the program would be restructured to focus on pre-law, dropping its analytical reasoning, ethics, and world philosophy concentrations. Under the phase-out, the program will cease in July 2027 while students already enrolled as philosophy majors are allowed to finish their degrees.
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.
Education Landscape
The decision reflects how state governing boards are enforcing enrollment and degree production benchmarks on individual humanities programs. It places Wichita State's philosophy closure within a broader pattern of public universities narrowing low-enrollment majors.
Students currently majoring in philosophy at Wichita State can finish their degrees before the program ends in July 2027. Prospective students considering the major should ask the university's admissions or academic advising office how the phase-out affects their intended path.
The takeaway
Public universities are increasingly tying individual programs to enrollment benchmarks, so students should check current major enrollment and program status before choosing a field. Anyone affected by the phase-out can ask Wichita State's academic advising office about teach-out options.
Further reading
For context on how college programs are evaluated, explore Higher Education coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Skeptic Society Magazine.
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