Why Major in Philosophy?
The Philosophy Major is designed for those wanting a basic education in the liberal arts, students preparing for a career in law or government, and students contemplating graduate study in philosophy or a related discipline.
Studying philosophy strengthens logical reasoning, critical thinking, analytical skills, and ethical reasoning; it also heightens moral awareness.
What Is Philosophy?
Hear it straight from these UNCG Philosophy professors.
Outlook
Data from PayScale’s 2020-21 College Salary Report shows that people with bachelor’s degrees in philosophy have both a high starting salary compared to other humanities majors, and a high increase between starting and mid-career salary.
A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) found that the net financial return on a philosophy major is comparable to that of engineering and health majors (2017).
UNCG’s online philosophy program is ranked no. five in the nation for Best Online Philosophy Programs by Best Colleges (2022), and ranked no. eight in the nation by Best Value Schools (2023). It is also ranked no. four in the nation by Academic Influence (2022) and no. five in the nation by Intelligent.com (2023).
Quotable
“Not only is philosophy education less expensive than other forms of education that lead to well-paying, respectable jobs, but philosophy graduates end up earning more over their lifetimes than graduates in any other humanities field and more than graduates of some STEM fields.”
Source: “Want a good job? Major in philosophy.” AmericaMagazine.org, August 6, 2020
“Philosophy develops strong critical thinking skills and business instincts.”
Source: “The Unexpected Way Philosophy Majors Are Changing The World Of Business.” huffpost.com, December 6, 2017
Who Studies Philosophy?
Here are some examples of successful business people, politicians, writers, and artists who studied philosophy.
Source: American Philosophical Association
