What
Can I Do with a Philosophy Degree?
Courses
offered by the department emphasize the development of skills,
such as patient, careful reading, recognition, analysis,
and evaluation of arguments, and the clear presentation
and justification of one’s own arguments in writing and
in speech. These skills can be expected to serve graduates
well in a variety of fields, from business, to law, to teaching.
Employers can be expected to welcome graduates with these
skills
A
recent survey of our graduates found them in a wide variety
of fields, from ministry, to education, to law, to technology.
Here is a selection of their comments about how the study
of philosophy has helped them in their work.
"The
study of philosophy is excellent preparation for law school
and the practice of law.I still read philosophy in my spare
time. Studying philosophy helps one to learn to think with
clarity and on point. These skills are valuable precisely
because they are in short supply. If you think more clearly
than others around you, you will be valued by your colleagues
and successful in whatever field you choose."
"Philosophy
has given me a set of skills to understand technology beyond
technical expertise. While technical expertise is often
required. . .the knowledge of how to use use technology
comes from a deeper consideration of how we think and work."
"[The
study of philosophy] enabled me to be a success at graduate
school. [It] taught me how to think, which is critical
in my current job and how to listen!"
Here
are some links to pages that contain career information
for philosophy majors and minors:
Philosophy:
A Brief Guide for Undergraduates
U.S.A.
today Article
If
you are interested in professional or graduate school, be
aware that philosophy majors on average perform remarkably
well on the standard examinations required for admission.
•According
to a 1991-96 study of scores on the GMAT, the exam used
by business schools to assess candidates, philosophy majors,
on average, outperformed business majors and ranked fourth
or fifth among all majors during those years.
•According
to a 1994 study of the LSAT (Law School Admissions Test),
philosophy majors outperformed political science and pre-law
majors, and were fifth among all humanities and social science
majors.
•According
to a 1998-91 study of the GRE, philosophy majors performed
better than any other major on the verbal section, better
than any humanities or social science major on the quantitative
section, and had the second best of all majors on the analytic
section.
Similar
studies of these three exams have produced similar results.
Now, as you will learn when you study philosophy, that philosophy
majors score well on certain exams does not show that their
study of philosophy causes their high scores. But
it is at least plausible that the study of philosophy contributes
to these good results because it emphasizes rigorous thinking,
requires one to interpret complex texts and arguments, and
may include training in areas tested on the exams in question.
