Why Study Philosophy?

Engaging in philosophical thinking is essential to a superior liberal arts education. Philosophy enriches thought, understanding, and imagination.

"There’s one humanities major whose graduates are doing quite well in the job market—and it’s philosophy majors … We hear again and again that employers value creative problem solving and the ability to deal with ambiguity in their new hires, and I can’t think of another major that would better prepare you with those skills than the study of philosophy." - “The Earning Power of Philosophy Majors,” The Atlantic, 2015

National Statistics

Philosophy students rank first in average GRE Verbal Reasoning score (160), first in average GRE Analytical Writing score (4.3), and first in average GRE Quantitative Reasoning score (154) for fields outside of STEM and business.

Philosophy students rank fourth in average GMAT score (588)—higher than any business discipline.

Philosophy students rank in the top ten in average LSAT score (157.97) and have an excellent acceptance rate to law schools (82.73%).

Outcomes

Geneseo philosophy students have successfully pursued a wide variety of career paths. Among recent graduates, a number are in law schools that include Cornell, Boston College, Duke, William & Mary, and UVA—or are practicing attorneys. Others work as accountants, investment bankers, and managers. Several recent alumni work for governmental agencies (including FEMA), non-profit organizations, or educational institutions.

Student Feedback

A survey of Geneseo philosophy alumni from 2011 and 2017 elicited the following comments:

  • "[Studying philosophy] gave me many transferable skills, including oral and written communication, analytical thinking, etc.”
  • "They helped develop my ability to read closely and deeply, to take criticism, and to disagree with people in a reasonable way.”
  • "Philosophy courses helped me develop a logical mindset and an attitude of intellectual humility, which I think have served me well both as a student in social science and as a person more generally."
  • "The coursework taught me how to structure and think critically about arguments. This was useful when writing papers in other undergrad disciplines and has been extremely helpful in law school."
  • "Philosophy courses at Geneseo helped to make me into a better, more responsible citizen in a pluralistic, democratic society."