Undergrad Information

Philosophy as Preparation for Graduate School

By definition, and as a matter of historical fact, philosophy is a highly interdisciplinary area of human inquiry. The study of philosophy as a second major or a minor along with the study of literature, art or a theoretical field (physics, psychology, history, economics, political science, etc.) is an excellent preparation for graduate work in those fields. Philosophy requires the same kind of careful, reflective thought one encounters in graduate school and in research, while deepening and broadening one's understanding of a subject area.

Students majoring in Philosophy and in Ethics and Religion tend to do very well on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). The GRE is usually required for graduate school admission. A study showed that of students who took the GRE, philosophy majors scored higher on the verbal section of the exam than all other students except those majoring in English. On the quantitative section, philosophy majors outscored all others majoring in a humanities field and were outscored only by those majoring in fields that required considerable mathematics (e.g., mathematics and physics).

Work in graduate school and in research demands careful, reflective thought, often involving philosophical aspects of the discipline. The study of philosophy will deepen one's understanding of the implications of a scientific or humanistic discipline.

Students who intend to do graduate work in philosophy are strongly recommended to maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher, write a polished philosophy paper, and take the following courses:

  • An upper-division course in logic
  • Epistemology
  • Metaphysics
  • Ethical Theory
  • An upper-division course in the history of philosophy

Competition for admission to graduate school in philosophy is extremely high in the best departments. Majors should plan ahead and discuss their plans with their advisor.