I reviewed a question the other day on LinkedIn. The question was this:  what can you do with a major in philosophy? I thought I would share my response with you.

Here’s the question:

Is philosophy a good major?  Why?  Just wondering what you can get with a philosophy major or if it’s worth the time and money.

And here is my response:

Good question. I get this sort of question a lot in my line of work.

The answer to your question does not lie in the opinions of others. It must come from within yourself.

What can you do with a liberal arts major?

Let’s be philosophical. Some value college as training for a profession. Others, who tend to pursue degrees at liberal arts institutions, see college as a process of training the mind. As you may have experienced, most folks who hear this question. Immediately begin thinking about the economic value of a philosophy degree–immediately upon graduation. But what they don’t know, is that plenty of philosophy majors at liberal arts institutions go on to very successful careers.

Did you know, for example, that statistically one of the best majors with the highest percentages of acceptance to medical school is (drum roll….) philosophy? Medical schools like people who have thought deeply about what it means to be human, to appreciate beauty, and to have thought theoretically. Medicine has plenty of technicians, but not an awful lot of deep thinkers. And medical schools value deep thinkers.

Furthermore, in a liberal arts context, I firmly believe that it matters little what you major in. What matters more is what you can do–the skills you acquire (a second language, computer programming skills, strong economics, scientific research skills). You can acquire some of these skills even as you complete a philosophy major. Or you may acquire them in graduate school or in the working world after graduation.

It’s possible that you can prepare for several careers (as you are statistically apt to have at least seven before you retire) simply by training your mind to be flexible, creative, analytical, and quick. If you read Daniel Pink’s book, A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. For example, you may be convinced that philosophy actually is much better training for careers of the 21st century than accounting or marketing or biology, even.

Finally, you ask whether the degree is “worth” the time and money. Well, be philosophical: define “worth.” Certainly a philosophy major does not have immediate, tangible value that is easily calculated in “return on investment” (ROI) terms. Such a calculation is easier with a professional degree (MBA, JD, Engineering) or with a licensing program (e.g. teaching/education).

But if you define “worth” more broadly, you might agree with Socrates: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” So maybe you want to examine human nature, appreciate the concept of beauty, think about what constitutes the “good life.”

While I respect the opinions of those who pooh-pooh the value of a philosophy major, I wonder how many of them have actually ever taken a philosophy course. How many of them know successful people in business, the arts, the law, journalism, medicine, and other professions who pursued a liberal arts degree and majored in philosophy?

So what can you do with a major in philosophy?

So to reiterate by returning to your question: “what can you get” with a philosophy degree? On the one hand, absolutely nothing. On the other, everything.

People who major in philosophy can work in artificial intelligence, science policy, medicine, law, banking, and just about any business you can imagine. Philosophy majors work in high tech. They work in government. They run organizations.

The skills of analysis, logic, and problem solving are relevant to any profession.

In the end, doesn’t the answer to your question depend on many variables well beyond your choice of major?

As was inscribed above the entrance to the Oracle at Delphi: “Know Thyself.” Start there, and the answer to your question will be come, well, self-evident.

What if I can’t decide my major?

Most young people have a difficult time settling on a major. Despite the Oracle at Delphi, most teens are just getting to know themselves and figure out what is important to them. If your family has a teen who is struggling to make this sort of decision–and struggling to create a solid college plan, give us a call at Great College Advice. We helps students wade through these tough decisions and create an action plan.

Mapping College Journeys. It’s what we do.

The post The Value of a Philosophy Major first appeared on Great College Advice.

• business
• health care related majors
• anything having to do with criminal justice (call it the “CSI factor”)
• hospitality related majors (ski resort management, for example)
• a greater interest in entrepreneurship and small business development

At the same time, philosophy and classics majors have been eliminated at some universities, as demand has dwindled.
This focus on professional orientation is not necessarily a bad thing.  Some students do well to focus in on learning discrete skills and functions. Furthermore, I don’t think it is necessary for every university in the country to offer every possible major:  some universities tend to be more professionally-oriented than others.
But as has been discussed elsewhere on this blog, just because a student is not “professionally oriented” at age 18 does not mean they will never have a profession.  Further, some statistics indicate that each of us will have a variety of professions over their lifetimes.  So while a “relevant” major may prepare a student for their first job or even their first career, no one can predict the ways in which the economy will change, a person’s priorities or interests may change, or whether that major will be any use ten, fifteen, or twenty years later.
Furthermore, employers are not clamoring for graduates with these “relevant” degrees.  For them, just having a degree of any kind is the preliminary qualification for many jobs.  And according to one study, employers are most interested in students who can communicate well.
Read this snippet from the NYT article:

There’s evidence, though, that employers also don’t want students specializing too soon. The Association of American Colleges and Universities recently asked employers who hire at least 25 percent of their workforce from two- or four-year colleges what they want institutions to teach. The answers did not suggest a narrow focus. Instead, 89 percent said they wanted more emphasis on “the ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing,” 81 percent asked for better “critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills” and 70 percent were looking for “the ability to innovate and be creative.”
“It’s not about what you should major in, but that no matter what you major in, you need good writing skills and good speaking skills,” says Debra Humphreys, a vice president at the association.

The organization has conducted focus groups with employers before and heard the same thing. With the recession, she says, they weren’t sure the findings would hold. “But it’s even more intense. Companies are demanding more of employees. They really want them to have a broad set of skills.” She adds that getting employer feedback is the association service that “college leaders find the most valuable, because they can answer the question when parents ask, ‘Is this going to help in getting a job?’ ”

In my view, a student’s major doesn’t really matter in the great scheme of things.  I’m happy to accommodate a student’s particular interests or strengths or predilections.  And I encourage them to pursue the things that interest them, because often those interests will help a student persevere through to graduation.  I know religion majors that are now heart surgeons, history majors who are entrepreneurs, international relations majors who are teachers, education majors who are managers, and engineering majors who are writers.
I also ask parents if they are engaged in the field in which they originally trained.  Most often, they are doing something wildly different (and unexpected and unplanned) than what their college major might have indicated.  That’s as it should be.  People grow and change and evolve over their lifetimes.
I make a living helping students (and their families) map out their college plans.  I’m happy to help them construct those plans based on current interests and needs.  I do remind folks, however, that interests and needs do change, and that taking the long view can lead to equally good–or even better–outcomes.

Great College Advice

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