Philosophy

Jumpstart your career with a degree in philosophy

In the Department of Philosophy, students gain valuable skills that make them highly employable in a wide range of fields. Students are prepared to pursue a variety of career paths including business, non-profit management, technical writing, law, education, higher education, government, research, and marketing, among others. The philosophy major also provides outstanding preparation for graduate school. Here are some key national career statistics for philosophy majors from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and PayScale.

$38,597-$52,180

Average Starting Salaries for Philosophy Majors (NACE)

Noteworthy Jobs and Mid-Career Salaries for Philosophy Majors (PayScale)

Lawyer $126,930 Post-Secondary Teacher $80,560 Public Policy Director $160,260 Human Resource Manager $121,220 Policy Lobbyist $117,363 Intelligence Analyst $81,400 Marketing Manager $150,739

74%

Alumni in humanities and social sciences employed or in graduate school within 6 months after graduation

Get Prepared to Succeed

Students in our programs benefit from professors who bring real-world experience to the classroom, along with the opportunity to get involved in research or scholarly activities with faculty members. They also participate in civic engagement/service-learning activities. Other opportunities include the Philosophy Club, Phi Sigma Tau (Philosophy Honor Society), and the Bioethics Club, among others.

What You'll Learn

In philosophy programs, students learn in-demand skills that employers have identified as critical for job candidates, including:

Verbal and written communication skills
Critical thinking
Research- and problem-solving skills, among others

View a full listing of student learning outcomes for philosophy students

Information on affordability and value from the U.S. Department of Education:

View our College Scorecard

Key Career Skills
for Philosophy Majors

as indicated by Employers
and Alumni on LinkedIn

Critical Thinking

Collaboration

Data Analysis

Digital Fluency

Research

Verbal & Written Communication Skills

*LinkedIn Workplace
Learning Report 2021

Degrees Offered

Undergraduate

BA in Philosophy

Philosophy investigates many aspects of our thinking and experience. In classes such as ethics, logic, and aesthetics, philosophy examines procedures and standards, if there can be any, for proper behavior, thinking, and feeling. Metaphysics examines the nature of space and time and the conditions of experience. Epistemology looks at how we know what we think that we know and the limits of knowledge. Many areas of our experience have separate philosophical inquiries dedicated to furthering our ability to discuss and understand them: language, art, education, religion, science, love, gender, mind, history, politics, law, and mathematics. Many famous thinkers have offered advice on how to pursue inquiry or catalogued the results of their own efforts, and the department offers regular seminars in the work of a single thinker, such as Plato, Aristotle, Spinoza, Kant, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, among others.

View requirements and course descriptions:

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BA in Ethics

The ethics degree provides students with training in ethical frameworks and methods that benefit them in both future professional duties and personal decision-making. Awareness of ethical issues helps prepare students for employment in a global marketplace. It also prepares students for graduate professional studies in a variety of fields. The major brings together a community of students interested in practical, contemporary problems such as the recent collapse of the stock market and global financial systems, the nature of professionalism, stem cell research, whether people have a right to healthcare, and what we owe to future generations. The ethics major is structured to explore involved global issues from the perspective of the individual and personal responsibility, as well as organizations and social responsibility.

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Minor in Philosophy

A minor in Philosophy offers a rich variety of traditional courses in Ancient Greek, medieval, modern, nineteenth and twentieth century philosophy, along with specific courses in philosophical areas such as logic, ethics, political and social philosophy, philosophy of mind, theory of knowledge, philosophy of language, philosophy of religion, philosophy of art, existentialism, phenomenology, metaphysics, as well as Eastern philosophy and religion. Many of these courses are chosen by non-majors as part of their liberal studies, general education requirements, or free electives.

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Minor in Ethics

A minor in Ethics offers provides students with the opportunity to take courses that study theory, empirical research and analysis. Minoring in Ethics will train students in ethical frameworks and methods to ensure successful execution of both future professional duties and personal decision-making. This minor complements a variety of majors, including nursing, public health, business, finance, pre-law, and majors across the humanities.

View requirements and course desctiptions:

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Minor in Religious Studies

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Where Our Alumni Work

Our alumni excel in such fields as business, natural sciences, communication, public health, accounting, law, psychology, government, social work, marketing, and many others. The philosophy degree provides excellent preparation for graduate study, including the JD, MBA, MS, MD or PhD; in fact, philosophy majors consistently perform very well on entrance exams such as the GMAT, GRE, LSAT, and MCAT.

Many graduates have gone on to graduate school or law school, including Rutgers Law School, Duke University, University of Texas, Albert Einstein’s College of Medicine, and many more.

What Our Graduates Say

"Thanks to caring mentors and phenomenal professors, I discovered a lot of academic and personal success at WP. I had never been a high-achieving student before, but was in the Honors College on campus, served as president of Phi Sigma Tau – our philosophy honor society, and presented at an undergraduate philosophy conference. I now aspire to earn my PhD and become a professor myself."

Raymond Ackerman '19
Philosophy and elementary education, pursuing PhD in philosophy at Temple University

Undergraduate Admissions

Graduate Admissions

International Students

Administration

Philosophy

Philosophy

Jumpstart your career with a degree in philosophy

$38,597-$52,180

74%

Get Prepared to Succeed

What You'll Learn

Key Career Skills
for Philosophy Majors

as indicated by Employers
and Alumni on LinkedIn

*LinkedIn Workplace
Learning Report 2021

Degrees Offered

Where Our Alumni Work

Internships
Philosophy students have many opportunities for internships in private corporations, public and non-profit organizations, law firms, and more.

What Our Graduates Say

Take the Next Step

Philosophy

Philosophy

Jumpstart your career with a degree in philosophy

$38,597-$52,180

74%

Get Prepared to Succeed

What You'll Learn

Key Career Skillsfor Philosophy Majors

as indicated by Employersand Alumni on LinkedIn

*LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report 2021

Degrees Offered

Where Our Alumni Work

InternshipsPhilosophy students have many opportunities for internships in private corporations, public and non-profit organizations, law firms, and more.

What Our Graduates Say

Take the Next Step

Key Career Skills
for Philosophy Majors

as indicated by Employers
and Alumni on LinkedIn

*LinkedIn Workplace
Learning Report 2021

Internships
Philosophy students have many opportunities for internships in private corporations, public and non-profit organizations, law firms, and more.