Career Exploration

Career development is a lifelong process of self-discovery, career exploration, gaining meaningful experiences, intentional reflection, and career decision-making and planning. Utilize CLA Career Services staff and resources to help you navigate your career exploration and post-graduation planning process. Philosophy majors are highly sought after in the fields of law, journalism, and many others.

Did You Know?

• Philosophy majors rank first among all majors in law school acceptance rate (82.4%).
• Philosophy majors rank first among all majors in verbal and analytic sections of the GRE (and first among humanities majors in the quantitative section), according to the American Physics Society.
• Philosophy majors score higher on the GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test) than students in any business major. Except for students who majored in the natural sciences or engineering, philosophy majors had either the first or second highest average score on the GMAT for each year, according to the Graduate Management Admission Council.
• Philosophy majors’ salaries increase more over 10 years than most other majors, including marketing and accounting, according to the Wall Street Journal.
• "The present value of the extra earnings that graduates in humanities majors can expect over their lifetime is… $444,700 for English majors, $537,800 for history majors, and $658,900 for philosophy majors," according to Forbes. 

Explore

Students in the Department of Philosophy go on to a number of different professional fields and positions, such as law, journalism, grant writing, religious scholarship, and more. The coursework you pursue provides a great foundation for many areas of interest upon graduation. The skills you gain in verbal and written communication, creative problem solving, and analytical expertise will be immediately applicable as you enter your field.

Experience

In addition, what you do outside of the classroom can improve your confidence, enhance your skills, and build your resume. Therefore, we encourage you to seek out real-world experience through research opportunities, club involvement, service learning, and internships to help you feel confident in your decision upon graduation. Students may also gain valuable and relevant skills in philosophy by studying abroad.

Excel

Prioritize your next steps by building an effective strategy for applying to graduate programs, jobs, and/or service opportunities. You are encouraged to schedule an individual appointment with a CLA Career Counselor and attend upcoming employer and career events and workshops to start building a network. You can also connect with us online via Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.