Guide for Prospective Majors and Minors

Guide for Prospective Majors and Minors Brochure (pdf)
Career Opportunities for Philosophy Majors (pdf)

Why Study Philosophy?

Philosophy is the study of what there is (metaphysics), what we can know (epistemology), and the nature of the good, the right, and the beautiful (ethics and aesthetics). Studying philosophy will teach you to think clearly and critically, and to communicate complex ideas effectively both orally and in writing. These skills will serve you well both as a student of philosophy and as an engaged and responsible citizen.

Career Opportunities

Your philosophy courses will prepare you for a wide range of careers—in law, business, finance, management, technology, journalism, education, politics, and civil service—by cultivating your abilities to think critically and creatively about complex problems, and to express yourself with confidence and clarity. According to the data gathered by PayScale (2020-2011), students who graduated with a degree in Philosophy tended to have both the highest starting salary of any humanities major ($52,600) and highest percent increase between starting and mid-career salary ($94,300). Additionally, Philosophy graduates tend to earn more over the course of their career than people who majored in any humanities fields. As a student of philosophy, you will gain valuable skills that will help as you both prepare and advance on your professional career path

Top Attributes Employers Seek On A Cadindate’s Resume (NACE Job Outlook Report, 2024)

• Problem Solving Skills—88.7% of respondents
• Ability to work in a team—78.9% of respondents
• Communication Skills (written)—72.7% of respondents
• Strong Work Ethic—71.6% of respondents
• Flexibility/Adaptability—70.1% of respondents

Practical Skills Obtained by Majoring in Philosophy

• Critical reasoning
• Analytical skills
• Creative and flexible thinking
• Ability to synthesize complex information
• Ability to articulate complex concepts
• Strong writing/communication skills
• Diplomacy

Career Paths

The following are some career paths that a philosophy B.A. will prepare you for:

• Law / Paralegal
• Financial / Business Analyst
• College Professor
• K-12 Teacher
• Entrepreneur
• Medicine / Public Health
• Library Science
• Project Management
• Biomedical Researcher
• Social Worker

Average annual salary for Career Paths in Philosophy (PayScale, 2024)

• Associate Attorney—$91,000
• Software Engineer—$106,535
• Project Manager—$67,554
• Paralegal—$47,850
• Marketing Manager—$102,539

Median annual Income for Philosophy Majors (American Philosophical Association/PayScale, 2024)

• 0–5 years—$62,700
• 10< years—$108,400

Helpful Links

• Advisers
  • General advisement—contact any of our full-time faculty members.
  • Pre-law advisement—contact Professor Anna Gotlib.

“[Philosophical] questions enlarge our conception of what is possible, enrich our intellectual imagination and diminish the dogmatic assurance which closes the mind against speculation.”—Bertrand Russell