A university philosophy degree or major attracts jobs and provides a greater chance of entry into business and law school, as reported by several leading organizations, schools and labor market statistics.
Why are philosophy graduates so popular to employers? Graduates from university philosophy programs have several key attributes that are attractive to the workforce including:
Philosophy teaches students to evaluate and analyze arguments
More informed decisions are made by those with a philosophy background
Contentious issues are approached in both a broad and deep manner by those trained to consider a range of options
Clear thinking emerges from philosophy degree graduates because issues are often considered independently and the consequences weighed against each other
Philosophy graduates have good verbal and written communications skills. These attributes are highly valued in most employers and signal a person’s ability to learn and be creative in the approach to problem-solving
Students of philosophy tend to enjoy learning and being exposed to new ideas and therefore value diverse opinions and are good listeners when presented with issues or problems
Students appears to understand the value of a philosophy degree. At Canadian universities, for example, Statistics Canada reports that full-time enrolment in philosophy programs grew 54% between 2000 and 2004, more than double the 25% increase in full-time enrolment overall during that period.
Jobs with Philosophy Degree, Major Offered in a Variety of Fields
A key attraction to studying philosophy at the undergraduate level is the range of career and academic options available to graduates. The types of career opportunities available to philosophy degree graduates are varied and include:
Education, as educators or education administrators
Business
Law
Government, on the political or public service side
Journalism
Graduate or professional study at the master’s or doctoral level in a variety of humanities, arts, science and technology disciplines
Students majoring in philosophy find the range of specializations in the field attractive. These features within philosophy at universities include courses and research in law, ethics, politics, religion, religious studies, science and technology and medicine.
At most universities, students studying philosophy at the undergraduate level can expect to enter an academic environment rich in classroom discussion and join an intellectual community filled with guest speakers, forums and debates. Students are encouraged to use a growing body of philosophical knowledge to tackle current issues and topics in society.
University Degree in Philosophy Leads Graduates to Good Jobs, Careers
Given the popularity of a philosophy degree and its options for graduates, many famous philosophy majors have found careers in high profile places. Famous philosophy majors include Former Mayor of New York City Rudi Giuliani, U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, Nobel Prize for Literature Laureate Pearl S. Buck, Filmmaker Ethan Coen, Actor Richard Gere, Martial Arts and Actor Bruce Lee, Pope John Paul II and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Albert Schweitzer.
A university philosophy degree or major means jobs and lifelong careers. Graduates can expect to use the degree to open the door to a wide variety of possibilities that can build a series of careers over a lifetime.
