What You Can Do With a Philosophy Major
The greatest misconception of philosophy is encouraged by the phrase ‘my philosophy,’ which makes it seem as though philosophy is the business of irrationally declaring one’s own opinion. It is precisely the opposite. Philosophy is the business of rationally scrutinizing opinions, including, most importantly, one’s own. The skills and creativity one develops in this practice open the doors to all sorts of opportunities.
So, what can you do with a philosophy degree? Here are some of the many things you can do:
Business school is not the only path to business. Philosophy — which can be easily combined as a second major for business students — can get you there as well. A B.A. or B.S. in philosophy is an excellent degree for future entrepreneurs. Business leaders want a broad range of skills and the consulting expertise that philosophers can offer; even Mark Cuban thinks philosophy is the way of the future.
If you do want to get an M.B.A., philosophy is the best non-STEM major for succeeding at the GMAT.
Contrary to popular belief, a philosophy degree is excellent for helping you land a satisfying and well-paying job. It is an excellent major for salary growth and the best humanities major for mid-career salary. Employers appreciate the skills one learns by studying philosophy, as can be seen in these articles:
I Think, Therefore I Earn:
“Philosophy lies at the heart of our approach to recruiting and developing our leadership, and our leaders. We need people who have the ability to look for different approaches and take an open mind to issues. These skills are promoted by philosophical approaches.”
For Philosophy Majors, the Question After Graduation is: What Next?
"Philosophy majors spend their college years pondering deep questions, such as: What is the meaning of life? Do we have free will? And what job am I going to get with this degree after graduation? It turns out the last question isn’t hard to answer: Just about anything."
Graduating With a Philosophy Degree? There is More Than Starbucks in Your Future:
“(Philosophers’) background in critical thinking and creative problem solving (is) paying off and leading to jobs in the business world.”
Be Employable, Study Philosophy:
“Jobs change. But if you teach students to think clearly first, they can do whatever else they want to do.”
Is Philosophy the Most Practical Major?:
“(Philosophy) is a tool...for thinking about everything else, and every profession from law and medicine to motorcycle maintenance.”
Philosophy Prepared Me for a Career in Finance and Government
"I’m asked from time to time which undergraduate courses best prepared me for working at Goldman Sachs and in the government. People assume I’ll list courses in economics or finance, but I always answer that the key was Professor Demos’ philosophy course and the conversations about existentialism in coffee shops around campus. For me, embracing these two perspectives brought me a sense of calm in what were incredibly stressful situations."
A philosophy major prepares you to do well on the GRE and, in turn, to succeed in graduate school. Philosophy students score the highest on the verbal reasoning and analytic writing sections of the GRE and post the best composite scores.
The critical thinking skills one learns studying philosophy help students get into law school and succeed once they are there. Year in and year out, philosophy majors post excellent scores on the LSAT, and they are admitted to law school at a higher percent than any other major.
You don’t have to major in biochemistry to earn a medical degree. Medical schools want students with a well-rounded background who can think critically, so a philosophy major can help you get in.