What can I do with a Philosophy degree?
Instead of training students for success in one particular career (like nursing or engineering), Philosophy students learn analytical and writing skills that set them up for success in a wide range of careers. Philosophy is also a good choice for students who want to pursue graduate school. On the LSAT (the entrance exam for law school), Philosophy majors outperform majors in every other humanity—as well as majors in Engineering, Political Science, Finance, Communications, and Criminal Justice. Additionally, Philosophy majors excel on the GMAT (the entrance exam for a master’s in business administration) and on the GRE (the entrance exam for many graduate schools).
Learn how a degree in philosophy can give you an advantage in your career path:
Why Study Philosophy?: Consider one answer from Emeritus Professor William F. Nietmann.
Is Philosophy the Most Practical Major?: The Atlantic – Edward Tenner, Historian of Technology and Culture, makes an interesting observation.
The Management Myth: The Atlantic – Matthew Stewart, Consultant, offers another answer.
A guide to the use of GRE scores: 2010-11: Check out the charts on pp. 17-19 for the details on how philosophy students fared on the three areas of the Graduate Record Exam. Here are the highlights- using mean scores, Philosophy students rank:
- first overall in Verbal (591)
- first overall in Analytic Writing (4.8)
- first in humanities, fifteenth overall in Quantitative (629, behind economics, banking and finance, five science and math disciplines, and seven engineering disciplines).
LSAT Scores by Undergraduate Major: This analysis reveals philosophy graduates are top performers on this score as well.
Click here for more information about the possibilities after earning a Philosophy degree.