Philosophy Option

 

Review the academic map for recommended course selections and sequencing for a Philosophy focus (PDF, ) .

 

Philosophy is not just an excellent course of study; it is preparation for living a fulfilling life. We want our students to be thoughtful and reflective persons, wise and engaged parents, active and responsible citizens. Far from being an abstract and useless field, philosophy is among the most practical courses of study. Taking philosophy courses imparts skills that will be useful not only in any career but also in your personal life. The study of philosophy will enable you to think carefully, critically, and with clarity, take a logical approach to addressing challenging questions and examining hard issues, reason well and evaluate the reasoning of others, discuss sensibly, and write effectively.

Program Advising

Academic advising helps students reach their educational and career goals. Meet with your academic advisor regularly to discuss your academic plans and make sure you are on track to graduate and/or transfer. See the academic map for a suggested course sequence for this discipline.  

• Philosophy Discipline Option - Academic Map (PDF, )  
• Find a Program Advisor

Transfer Opportunities

As you create your academic plan for transferring into related programs, keep in mind transfer institution requirements for the following courses, which can differ greatly among institutions:

• Language Requirements – Most Arts and Humanities degrees require study of another language through the 200 level. In philosophy, the ideal languages would be French, German, Latin, or ancient Greek.
• Mathematics Requirements – Most Arts and Humanities degrees require at least one General Education mathematics course.
• Science Requirements – Most Arts and Humanities degrees require a course in modern science, with or without a lab.
• Social Science Requirements – Most Arts and Humanities degrees require a course in the social sciences

To get help, make an appointment with a counselor or advisor or a General Studies program advisor in Philosophy. 

Career Options

For some positions listed, a bachelor's degree or higher may be required. Use the Career and Program Explorer to see a full report for this career field. See links below chart for further guidance and/or connect with a Program Advisor to discuss career goals.

Philosophy majors find a wide-range of career options open to them, since the discipline imparts skills that are valued always and everywhere. A degree in philosophy prepares one to be a careful reader, thinker, writer and speaker, and thus a philosophy degree can be valuable preparation for entering education, publishing, public relations, legal careers, and more. Additionally, a philosophy degree prepares one to succeed on graduate school entrance exams such as the GRE or LSAT. In fact, the highest scoring majors on the verbal reasoning and analytic writing portions of the GRE are philosophy majors, and they also receive the highest average scores on the LSAT (data compiled by The Daily Nousnew window). Famous philosophy majors include the singer Lana del Ray, former president William J. Clinton, Pope John Paul II, Nic Pizzolatto (creator of HBO’s True Detective), Jeopardy! host Alec Trebek, and many more, including Supreme Court justices, Nobel Prize winners, and captains of industry.

• MC Student Employment Services: Speak with the Student Employment Specialist for help with resume writing, interviewing, setting up a College Central Network (CCN)new window account and other job search topics.
• Career Coach: Explore Career Coach to learn more about this career and/or discover related majors and in-demand careers based on your current interests! Take a Career Assessment and then browse careers and job opportunities in the area.

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