Philosophy

Many research studies and articles in the national press have touted the value of a philosophy major for career success, preparation for graduate and law school, and personal development. Here are a few examples:

• "A philosophy degree earns more than an accounting degree."
  Yahoo Finance, January 30, 2015

• “Is Philosophy the Most Practical Major?” 
  The Atlantic, October 16, 2011
   
• “Fifty Ways to Improve your Life in 2009: Learn Philosophy”
  U.S. News and World Report, December 18, 2008
   
• “Philosophy’s Makeover: Why Job Prospects for Philosophy Grads are Brightening”
  University Affairs, November 3, 2008
   
• “In a New Generation of College Students, Many Opt for the Life Examined”
  The New York Times, April 6, 2008
   
• “I Think, Therefore I Earn”
  The Guardian, November 20, 2007
   
• “Philosophers Find the Degree Pays Off in Life And in Work”
  The New York Times, December 26, 1997
   
• “How to Get to the Top — Study Philosophy”
  Globe and Mail (Toronto), January 2, 1990
   
• “Philosophy Links” 
  Links compiled by Keith Korcz at The University of Louisiana at Lafayette
   
• “Philosophy Degrees and Famous People who have ‘em”
  Paul Raymont’s blog including many resources about the success of Philosophy majors
   
• “Philosophy Rocks the Graduate Record Exam!”
  From Guide to the Graduate Record Examination Program 1996-1997, Education Testing Service; compiled by the Department of Philosophy at McNeese State University

 

(Mirrored with gratitude from UO Philosophy)

“Philosophy: A Brief Guide for Undergraduates”

Socrates famously claimed that the unexamined life is not worth living. The credo of philosophy in general could well be that everything is worth examining, and philosophers examine all manner of esoteric things: truth, justice, beauty, knowledge, antinomies, possible worlds, various kinds of concreta and abstracta (as well as the distinction between such), and on and on. This leads many people mistakenly to think that a BA in philosophy has no practical value, where ‘practical value’ is understood to mean something like usefulness in finding and keeping a “real" job. Nothing could be further from the truth. In what follows you will find some data and sources of information that give the lie to the myth of philosophy's practical uselessness.

It's well known that a BA in philosophy provides excellent preparation for study in a philosophy graduate program as well as in law school. The superior performance of intended philosophy graduate students on the GRE and philosophy majors on the LSAT are evidence of this.

GRE Scores

Verbal

Quantitative

Writing

LSAT Scores

GMAT Scores

Less well known is that a BA in philosophy also provides excellent preparation for employment in a variety of business settings. In a nutshell, the chief skills developed in a rigorous philosophy curriculum are the ability to communicate clearly and effectively, especially (but not exclusively) in writing, along with the ability to critically analyze and creatively solve complex problems. These skills are being increasingly recognized and valued by business.

On this, see:

• Philosophy's Makeover
• I Think, Therefore I Earn
• The Unexpected Way Philosophy Majors Are Changing The World Of Business

Some have even recently seriously entertained the idea that philosophy is the most practical undergraduate major:

• Is Philosophy the Most Practical Major?

Finally, mid-career median earnings of persons with just a BA in philosophy ($84,000) compare very favorably to similar earnings of persons with just a BA in another humanities discipline or a social science. Among humanities and social sciences, philosophy is in the top 10 for both starting and mid-career median earnings.

(mirrored with gratitude from LSU)