Career Opportunities and Advising

The intellectual enthusiasm which philosophy inspires in its students makes graduate work in philosophy, perhaps followed by teaching, a natural aspiration for many philosophy majors. Accordingly, providing a solid preparation for graduate level work in philosophy, or in another Humanities or related discipline, is one goal of the Philosophy Department.

At the same time, most of the skills which philosophy teaches are highly transferable to work or study in other fields. The study of philosophy stresses skills in critical reasoning, including the ability to extract arguments from difficult material, to analyze a position from multiple points of view, and to exercise creativity and sound judgment in problem-solving. Philosophy majors are trained to be excellent communicators, and to be able to express themselves in a clear, compelling way both in speech and in writing. And philosophers are trained to research problems thoroughly – to learn how to ask the right questions and to develop standards to answer them.

These are basic skills which will serve you well in any endeavor you choose to pursue. It is not surprising, then, that philosophy majors have gone on to successful careers in business, medicine, government, computers, and the arts. Furthermore, philosophy majors consistently score among the very highest levels on such standardized tests as the GRE, the GMAT, and the LSAT. Perhaps most important, though, is the personal satisfaction which many students find that the study of philosophy can lend to their life. In this respect, it is well to recall the Socratic adage, which inspires all of philosophy, that the unexamined life is not worth living. Students considering a major or minor in philosophy may discuss their program and interests with any member of the Philosophy Department, or contact the department office for the designated Philosophy advisor(s).

Note: Majors are encouraged to complete their lower-division history of philosophy requirements as soon as possible after declaring their major.

Major requirements

The student must satisfy the General Education requirements as set forth in this Bulletin and complete the following courses:

Lower-division

12 units, including a logic course (Philosophy 101, 102 or 400) and three of the following five courses: Philosophy 270, 271, 272, 273, or 274.

Upper-division

24 units, including Philosophy 360 and either 321 or 462; three of the following four courses: Philosophy 410, 411, 412, 413; and nine upper-division Philosophy units, at least six of which are not to be taken from the Philosophy 300 (ethics) series.

Note that 100- and 200-numbered course are equally lower-division, and 300- and 400-numbered course are equally upper-division. Accordingly, especially students intent on majoring or minoring in Philosophy may take 200-numbered course already during their first year; adequately prepared students may begin taking 400-numbered course during their junior year.

The Minor

Eighteen units in Philosophy, at least nine of which must be upper-division.

A Special Note for Students Interested in Law

Students considering a career in law should give extra consideration to philosophy as a possible field of study. Legal Studies is a fundamental, perennial area of inquiry and study in philosophy; and several members of the USD Philosophy Department -- some of whom hold joint degrees in Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Law (J.D.) -- include aspects of legal studies among their areas of expertise. Moreover, philosophy majors' scores on the LSAT are consistently among the highest of any of the most popular pre-law majors. Philosophy faculty regularly offer courses in Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Law, Legal Reasoning, Legal Ethics, and other courses bearing upon socio-political and legal theory and practices. These courses, when taken together with the major's particular requirements in Logic and other areas of Philosophy, provide a rigorous program of legal studies in Philosophy for our students. No particular courses are designated as requirements for a minor in Philosophy (see Minor requirements above). However, Philosophy minors interested in legal studies, whether in its own right or in connection with a pre-law aspiration, might consider Philosophy 333, 460, and either 461 or 462 when completing the nine upper-division units required for the minor. Majors or minors interested in Legal Studies offerings in Philosophy are encouraged to contact members of the faculty for additional advising.