Philosophy Major

[crex]

So I was looking online because I was interested in Philosophy. I've always liked it and I've thought about making that major into a career. But then I thought about it even more deeply, and figured I wouldn't be able to make much money for a living with that career. Then I looked further into it online and on the contrary, it's a very vague major and could branch into a lot of other jobs. So I honestly am not sure what to think so could I get your opinions on this and if anyone actually does this for a major or knows a lot about this please enlighten me.

[Aborted]

​Can I have extra fries with that?

[Bisuone]

I graduated with a Bachelors in Philosophy from USC in Spring '13. It's an extremely eye-opening and refreshing experience. I transferred here as an upper classman from the University of Hawaii and the two schools' the curriculums are roughly similar. Philosophy courses focus on two major aspects: reading and writing.

Expect to be writing anywhere from 6 to 10 pages of content every few weeks and heavy reading (30-40 pages per class a night). It equates to about a chapter a night so roughly 4-6 books read by the end of the semester and 4-5 essays completed by then as well.

Class time is spent discussing the readings and debating various ideologies. There are some courses which focus on lecture, but these are generally the 100-200 level courses, while 300-400 level class time is spent on discussion.

Post-Grad Applications
In terms of career opportunities I can only speak from experience. There are only a limited number of fields that I've found in which a direct application of a Philosophy degree was feasible. Either you will continue your studies and become a professor of Philosophy or you can take the LSATs the same year (usually during the summer months). All the content on the LSATs are comprehension and problem-solving so Philosophy majors tend to score in the highest percentile.

Career
If you wanted to embark on a career in Philosophy you will most likely start by finishing your BA, then moving on to graduate school and eventually be on your way towards a PhD. The entire process takes about 8-10 years in which time you will be working closely with a faculty advisor at your chosen college. I did not choose to continue with my Philosophy career, as I took a detour and am currently playing in the League of Legends Championship Series.

Top Schools
If you haven't yet applied for college or are looking for the top programs, from experience I'd say USC and the University of Hawaii have really grounded programs and opportunity for advancement if you choose to stay in for the long term. USC focus on Western techniques (Kant, Descartes, Hume) and Greek (Plato, Socrates) movements, while UH has a really unique and strong program that focuses on Asian (Confucianism, Daosim, Buddhism) and Middle Eastern (Andalusian Philosophy) styles. If you need any recommendations feel free to contact me directly. I am in touch with professors at both schools.





In summary I was able to have a unique college experience that was well worth what I spent for it. You're not only paying to read the text of famous Philosophers from all eras but to pick the brain of your professors, most of whom have contributed wholly to their respective disciplines. You'll be taught by famous authors, and lead researchers in the field of Philosophy - a truly unforgettable experience.

[[MPGH]Hero]

In terms of careers, from what I researched, a philosophy degree alone will not get you anywhere. If you combine it with another good degree (some engineering degrees, business degrees, etc) then you'll get somewhere. You should also get experience. In the past, employers would look at your degree, and if you had a BA they'd welcome you with open arms if you were overall good. Now this time in our generation we have it more difficult. Employers now look for experience and all that other stuff.

Take this for example:

You apply for a job at a business firm. You have your BBA degree (Bachelors of Business Administration). There is another guy that is also trying to apply for the same job. He is a college graduate with loads of experience in the field. Would the employer choose you (who has only a degree and no experience in the field) or the college graduate (who has loads of experience in the field)? They'd pick the college graduate, because he has a ton of experience. So if you plan on taking a job in the future, make sure you have experience in the field. A degree alone will unfortunately will not be enough.

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I read the above comment. Indeed Philosophy students get top grades on the LSAT (Law School Admission Test). HOWEVER you must remember that getting into Law School is not easy. I have a relative who also went to law school. They are not the most top students though. Physics/Math students get a lot higher. Mathematics improves your intelligence. Physics is also pretty much math based. So... Yeah. Albert Einstein, who proposed the theory of general relativity, which is a theory that space and time are linked and that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light, was a physicist. Look at what he has done for us.

tl;dr

I was told that you need to be in a very good law school if you want to get into a good firm. I don't know how true this is. I'm going to assume it is true to be on the safe side. Getting into Law School is NOT easy. It is very hard as there is a lot of competition for it. So unless you get 85% marks in university, don't expect to get into it easily.

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If anyone wants to correct me on this, they can. This is just what I believe what employers expect nowadays through sources and from what people have posted.