Philosophy
A page within Philosophy
Why philosophy?
In philosophy, we look at the big questions: how we acquire knowledge, the nature of right and wrong, the meaning of beauty, the nature of the mind...just to name a few! We also investigate how philosophy is applied to real world problems and issues, whether it be politics, the environment, or artificial intelligence. In our courses, you'll learn to read carefully, think critically, and write clearly by examining responses to the big questions by thinkers from a variety of time periods and cultures. We offer you the opportunity to rigorously analyze different viewpoints on important topics, and develop good reasons for your opinions.
A philosophy major leads to a number of professional opportunities, and pairs well with other majors. Our own majors have gone on to work in law, medicine, journalism, education (teaching and administration), politics, business finance, business management, editorial work, nursing, the general sciences, community engagement, and counseling. The possibilities are indefinite.
What makes philosophy a great major? Lots of things. Our program is academically rigorous, ensuring that you'll feel challenged in your courses. Graduates with philosophy degrees possess the skills needed to get a first job...and quickly rise to the top. Best of all, philosophy is actually pretty fun.
Don't just take our word for it: learn more about why philosophy is a great major.
See what the American Philosophical Association (APA) says about why you should study philosophy.
Do philosophy majors really earn more than accounting majors???
According to a study published in the Wall Street Journal, graduates with an undergraduate degree in philosophy had the highest percentage increases in salary in their first 10 years after graduation. Average mid-career salaries ranged from $52,800 (25th percentile) to $127,000 (75th percentile).
Philosophy is also the top-earning bachelor degree in the humanities, as reported recently. Philosophy is the #1 major that pays!
Philosophy majors score higher than any other major on the GRE, with the highest overall scores and the highest scores on both the verbal and analytical writing sections. Philosophy majors are currently tied for #2 (with economics) for highest LSAT scores, coming in just behind Physics.
Philosophy majors also do well on the GMAT, and enjoy high rates of acceptance to medical school, compared to other majors.
With a major in philosophy, the possibilities are endless! Today's employers value college graduates who possess critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills and the ability to solve complex problems; in philosophy, you'll develop these skills by working on the hardest problems we can come up with.
Take a look at what he APA has to say about the employability of philosophy majors and some impressive people who are philosophy majors.
Our majors have gone on to do awesome things - check out some of their stories.
Even if you're not planning to major or minor in philosophy, a philosophy class can enrich and deepen your understanding of your major area of study.
We offer courses that fulfill General Education requirements. Many of our courses are also electives in a wide variety of majors and minors - including Psychology, Environmental Studies, Women's Studies, Nutrition, and Linguistics (just to name a few!)
Many of our students double major. See our Majors/Minors page for more details!
More questions? That's great - we like questions here in philosophy.
If you have further questions about our program, please check our Frequently Asked Questions page.
If you have questions that are more philosophical in nature, we recommend that you take a class with us.
The Philosophy Department is located in Centennial Hall. We're on the fourth floor: right off the elevator, left from the stairs.
Contact:
Department of Philosophy
4102 Centennial Hall
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
La Crosse, WI 54601
Phone: 608.785.8424
E-mail: ameier@uwlax.edu
