Philosophy is valuable and lucrative Why Undergraduates SHOULD study Philosophy Adapted from: Dr. Barry Vaughan Mesa Community College

Philosophy is the foundation of ALL other disciplines. Why Study Philosophy? Philosophy is the foundation of ALL other disciplines. The highest achievable level of academic certification in higher education is a Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.). You can question anything—including the way in which other disciplines do their work—with philosophy (e.g., philosophy of science, religion, law, psychology, etc.).

Why Study Philosophy? Also, Philosophy Majors: Do better on graduate entrance exams; and Earn a higher salary than many majors (as we’ll see below) Since higher education is the pursuit, discovery, preservation, and transmission of knowledge, and one of the major questions within philosophy’s purview is precisely what knowledge is, how can any other discipline be more relevant in higher education?

Why Study Philosophy? What if I told you that business leaders want more philosophy majors, and tell other majors to take more philosophy (e.g. former Fed Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke’s editorial telling economists to take more philosophy)? (See material being handed out.) Do you think we need more journalists with a double major in philosophy (or philosophy majors who become journalists), so they can ask good/better questions, and identify fallacies when they encounter them?

Why Study Philosophy? Here’s a list of non-philosophy careers (answering the question, what can you do with philosophy besides teach?): Business: advertising executive; hotel management; assistant to the president of a national firm; brewer; development manager; manager of a winery; quality manager. Computers and Technology: computer systems analyst; consultant; owner of a computer firm; programmer; technical writer. Consulting: in business, education, and publishing. Education (non-teaching fields): admissions officer; alumni relations officer; college president; dean; educational testing administrator; librarian; residence hall director; provost; vice-chancellor for academic affairs. Engineering.

List of non-philosophy careers (cont’d): Why Study Philosophy? List of non-philosophy careers (cont’d): Finance: bank officer; commodities or investment broker; financial advisor; tax accountant. Government (federal): armed forces officer; CIA staff member; congressional staff member; diplomat; immigration service staff member; intelligence officer; intern in the Department of Defense; policy analyst; policy and planning consultant; United Nations official; U.S. Postal Service staff member. Government (state and local): director, human services agency; county commissioner; county supervisor. Law: attorney; criminal justice program coordinator; state bar association communications director; legal researcher; legal aid society employee; paralegal assistant.

List of non-philosophy careers (cont’d): Why Study Philosophy? List of non-philosophy careers (cont’d): Marketing. Media: free-lance writer; executive editor of a magazine; TV producer. Medicine: director of a provincial medical association; hospital administrator; nurse; nursing administrator; physician; veterinary oncologist; hospital ethics consultant. Publishing: director of a university press; editor; employees of university and commercial presses. Research: business, educational, governmental, and scientific. Sales: many branches. Technical Writing.

Preparation for Graduate School, Part I: Graduate Records Examination (GRE)

GRE Preparation for Graduate School, Part II: Law School (LSAT) & Med School (GMAT) Graduate Records Examination GRE

What About the MONEY? $$$$$$$

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