Academic Programs

The philosophy major is flexible and can be adapted to your needs and interests. It's a demanding liberal arts discipline which sharpens your reading, writing and thinking skills.

Many students combine their study of philosophy with another discipline and choose to double major or minor in another field. For example, you can major in philosophy while pursuing a pre-med or pre-law curriculum. If you are pre-law, you should consider our optional concentration in politics, philosophy and law (PPLW).

Philosophy majors typically score very well on graduate admissions tests like the GRE and the LSAT. Many philosophy majors go on to law school, but philosophy will prepare you for any advanced professional degree. 

Career Outlook 

Philosophy is one of those majors that helps you build skills to go into any career. These types of careers are in high demand. According to Lightcast, a global leader in labor market analytics, philosophy majors find jobs in areas that are expected to increase 13.9% over the next 10 years.

Common job titles include: 

  • Teacher 
  • Lawyer 
  • Economist 
  • Legislator 
  • Writer, Journalist or Communication Specialist 
  • Legislator 
  • Political Scientist 

Getting Started 

If you are considering a major or a minor in philosophy a natural place to start is PHIL 101, Introduction to Philosophy. This course gives you a sense of the different areas of philosophy. We also offer courses in practical or applied ethics:

  • biomedical ethics.
  • environmental ethics.
  • ethics and sports.
  • the philosophy of sex and gender.

All of these courses provide general education credit in the humanities. Try one out, and see if becoming a philosophy major or minor is the right choice for you!