What Jobs can you get with a Philosophy Degree?

This post provides detailed information on some of the best jobs you can get with a philosophy degree, including the duties they commonly perform and the salary they earn.

If you are planning going to college to study philosophy, but first need to know: What jobs can you get with a philosophy degree?” for you to have an idea of the job you will do after completing your studies, then this post will be useful to you.

With a philosophy degree, you have several lucrative and fulfilling career options to choose from.

Read on …

Learning about Philosophy

The answer to life’s most difficult questions cannot be provided by a superficial knowledge of the world; it takes an in-depth study of the nature of existence and the role of people in their world, to be able to come up with logical assertions as to the essence of humanity.

Mind-boggling questions such that inquire the existence of God, the standard of truth, reality of time, and awareness of knowledge have all been attempted by sages commonly referred to as philosophers.

While some of these questions have been provided answers to, a lot still remain debatable. As a seat of understanding and wisdom, philosophy strives to provide a deep knowledge of life values, thought pattern, judgment, and effectual communication to mention.

Philosophy basically evaluates generalized concepts as well as inescapable life puzzles and seeks to suggest more rational and logical approach/solution to tough issues.

Philosophy majors in the course of their study acquire various invaluable skills such as great problem-solving skills, refined observation, ability to differentiate reasoning from manipulation, and exceptional argumentative, interpretive and descriptive skills.

With a degree in philosophy, you can switch to virtually any career field of choice; this is as a result of the broad nature of philosophy which deals on science, ethics, music, and politics thus providing job opportunities in management, public relations, and research, public policy and journalism fields.

A philosophy degree ranks 86th most popular college degree out of 200 others studied in the U.S.

What can you do with a Philosophy Associate’s Degree?

Getting an Associate’s degree in philosophy serves to prepare graduates for further Bachelor’s degree studies in philosophy, management, and law.

With an Associate’s degree in philosophy, you can access such jobs as:

• Administrative Assistant: They are responsible for providing customers with product/service information on enquiry; they communicate with clients over the phone, proofread/draft documents and manage company information database. They also prepare expense reports, keep record of meetings, prepare mails, and monitor office equipment, ensuring overall efficient office operations.
• Teaching Assistant: Their duties involve providing teaching aid to a classroom teacher. They assist with the tutoring of students, explaining theories and concepts. They supervise the classroom to maintain order. They also perform the duties of computing student’s grades, organizing extracurricular activities, typing/distribution of memos and generally helping students improve socially and academically.
• Marketing Assistant: They specialize in ensuring the smooth operations of marketing activities. They prepare quotations, distribute reports, maintain market library, and conduct market research. They also prepare the content of marketing materials, update sales information to database and analyze market survey information. They work to achieve the marketing goals and objective of an organization.

What can you do with a Philosophy Bachelor’s Degree?

Although, a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy is a non-vocational discipline and doesn’t prepare one for a specific type of job, it is important to note that it provides valuable transferable skills which employers value; skills such as analytic, oral and writing skills.

These skills among others help provide philosophy majors with jobs as:

• Journalist: They specialize in the research and writing of news account. They conduct surveys and interviews to obtain news pieces that are reported on radio, T.V. newspaper and internet. They may cover a specific or wide range of topics among which include politics, culture, sports, business, and health. They also work with news team to produce concise content for news houses.
• Public Servant: They work in government establishments where they perform various tasks according to their department. They find relevance in accounting, public health, administration and education sector where they can serve as accountants, child welfare worker, city manager, and principals respectively.
• Therapist: With their knowledge of psychology and human mental processes, they help resolve emotional and psychological issues. They hold sessions with clients to identify the cause of distress, then they proffer advice and professional recommendations on how best to deal with situation or overcome a challenge. They keep record of clients’ progress and strategize on new approach to alleviate psychological problems.
• Guidance Counselor: They work in a school setting where they assist students deal with social problems such as peer pressure, abuse, and depression. They listen to problems and relate solutions to young ones to help them resolve internally or externally influenced conflicts. They settle a lot of problems with their skills of empathy and compassion, indirectly improving the performance of students.
• Lawyer: philosophy majors can go to become legal attorneys after passing through law school. Their background in political philosophy as well as knowledge of ethical issues come to play when they’re making or defending a case in the law court.

What can you do with a Philosophy Master’s or Doctorate Degree?

Obtaining a higher degree, such as a Master’s or Doctorate degree in philosophy distinguishes one as a scholar qualified for job positions as:

• Philosophy Instructor: They work in academic institutions where they tutor students/undergraduates on philosophical concepts. They give courses that stimulate critical and logical thinking, knowledge of ethics and various other branches of philosophy.
• Consultant: They perform various duties depending on their niche which can either be marketing, management or technical consulting. With knowledge of several fields, they proffer expert advice to clients on ways to resolve an issue and generally boost the process of achieving an organization’s/client’s goal.

Philosophy Degree Salary

Although, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the annual median salary of philosophy and religion teachers to be $75,140, philosophy majors can go on to earn more or less according to their field of interest.

Conclusion

Having a degree in philosophy provides intellectually stimulating experience that prepares one for job opportunities in a range of fields.