Philosophy Major & Minor
Skills that last a lifetime - the cornerstone of philosophy.
The courses of the Philosophy Program have four main purposes:
- to acquaint the student with some of the great philosophical questions of the past and present and with leading attempts to answer them;
- to exhibit the connections between philosophy and such related areas as art, business, law, literature, medicine, science, religion, and the environment;
- to develop the students’ capacities for clear thinking and critical analysis; and
- to provide the basis for reflecting on right versus wrong and good versus evil in the present-day world.
These aims are pursued in the atmosphere of diverse philosophical interests and approaches found among the staff of the department. Typically, students also bring varied concerns to their own explorations in philosophy and move on to careers in many diverse fields. Double Majors in Political Science, Business Managment, and the arts are both common and managable with our flexable and thoughtful program. Pre-law, pre-med, and other pre-professional program students often find a home in philosophy and find the methods and skills we teach to be valuable tools for graduate school exams and coursework.
As seniors you'll choose a senior capstone project that matches you talents and interests. The project serves as the culmination of ones studies both within the department, and the wider college community. As such, students are encouraged to take an interdisciplinary approach and incorporate their second major, their minor(s), or extracuricular activies into their project.
Discover more reasons to consider the major:
- 410-810-7428
- pweigel2@washcoll.edu
- Smith 117B
What to do with a Philosophy Degree?
Outcomes
When our department faculty are asked what our philosophy alumni do for a living, the answer is they represent a wide range of professional fields. Alumni report their current employment to be in the following areas: Advocacy (non-profit), Banking, Business, Computers and IT, Consulting, Culinary Arts, Finance, Education (Primary, Secondary, Higher Ed.), Journalism, Law, Library Science, Marketing, Management, Military, Music, National Security, Oenology (Wine and Winemaking), Pharmacy, Psychology (Counseling and Research), Public Relations, Retail, and Sales.
Graduate School
When it comes to Graduate Record Exam scores for admission to graduate programs philosophy students do notably well. Physics majors are at the top among natural science students, economics majors top social science students, and philosophy majors have earned top scores among humanities students. Philosophy majors consistently score the highest of all majors on the verbal as well as the analytic writing portions of the GRE.
Philosophy majors consistently score near the top among all majors on the GMAT exam, ahead of business and economics majors looking for a graduate degree in Buisiness.
Law School
Philosophy and religion undergraduates consistently perform remarkably well on the standard Law School Admission Test. Law professors from top schools have noted a connection between early success in law school and having majored in such fields as philosophy, literature, mathematics, and physics.
Other Employment
Studying philosophy enhances one’s life and experiences. Every professional job requires creativity, problem solving, analyzing, organizing, and clear communication. Philosophy develops these competencies, which are never obsolete. Where a position requires special knowledge, philosophy majors tend to learn quickly. Graduate schools and employers know philosophy majors are adept learners. Most college graduates take a first job that is outside their major. People commonly change jobs or even careers. A versatile mind goes with you everywhere.