If you are the sort of person who enjoys philosophical problems and issues, then you already have a great reason to want to make philosophy a significant part of your undergraduate curriculum.

Of course, after college one must be prepared to earn a living, and the question naturally arises: how can philosophy help me get a good job and promotions?

Philosophy majors are prepared to pursue careers in a wide variety of areas. Some philosophy graduates go on to graduate school, in order to prepare themselves for a career in higher education. However, many more find that philosophy has provided them with the resources needed to succeed in other areas, such as business, government, journalism, law, and medicine. A great many philosophy majors go on to professional school.

Because philosophy provides one with a well-rounded, flexible education that stresses skills that are valued in a wide vareity of contexts, people who have majored in philosophy successfully pursue a number of different careers. Here are a few:

Philosophy emphasizes reasoning, critical analysis, and the ability to consider a wide variety of views and arguments. These skills don't go out of date. Further, philosophers have found their skills to be of increasing value in work place settings where the norms and practices shift. For example, medical ethics and ethics in public policy decision making are areas in which philosophers find employment because people have found that they want practical guidance in confronting difficult issues raised by current technology. The philosopher's ability to grasp abstract and complex issues, and the academic training that promotes communication skills, makes her a valuable resource in these rapidly changing areas.

Additionally, philosophy majors have proven that they do well on standardized tests. Thus, if you want to prepare yourself for professional school, philosophy is a great major to choose.