Why Philosophy?

A Philosophy major or minor is not only an intellectually stimulating and rewarding course of study available at Kent State University, it is a great way to develop critical and creative thinking skills, an ability to read complex material with comprehension, and a facility with both creative and technical writing.

These are skills that today's employers are seeking and which no employee can afford to be without. With a Philosophy major or minor, you are well prepared for a wide range of career opportunities. 

Why Choose Philosophy? An excellent guide to the career and non-financial benefits of a philosophy degree are available at: 
PHILOSOPHYISAGREATMAJOR.com.

 

Recent studies show that, as a group, Philosophy majors outperform many other majors and all government and prelaw majors on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).

MAJOR AREA OF STUDY

MEAN LSAT SCORE (PERCENTILE)

NUMBER OF APPLICANTS

Philosophy 158 (74.1%) 2,154
Int'l Relations 158 (74.1%) 1,101
Government/Service 157 (70.9%) 477
Political Science 154 (60.0%) 12,046
Liberal Arts 152 (52.0%) 1,166
Pre-law 147 (33.2%) 681
Criminal Justice 146 (29.7%) 3,657

(Source: LSAC Social Science Research, Law School Admission Council, Applicants by Major 2016–17)

Recent studies show that, as a group, Philosophy majors outperform economics majors and all other business majors on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).

MAJOR AREA OF STUDY

MEAN GMAT SCORE 2007–2012

NUMBER OF STUDENTS

Philosophy 583 650
Economics 572 16,069
Finance 542 19,773
Information Systems Technology 521 6,176
International Business 516 5,079
Accounting 508 23,384
Business Education 502 6,228
Management 494 15,264
Marketing 487 11,484

(Source: Graduate Management Admission Council, Profile of Graduate Management Admission Test Candidates 2007–12, pages 11-14.)

Recent studies show that, as a group, Philosophy majors outperform most other majors and all business, pre-law, and liberal arts majors on the GRE (Graduate Records Exam)! Philosophy majors, out of 51 reported majors, earned the highest mean score on the Analytical Writing section of the exam.

MAJOR AREA OF STUDY MEAN GRE SCORE: Verb.+Quant./Analytical Writing 2013-16
Physics and Astronomy 318/3.8
Mathematical Sciences 316/3.6
Philosophy 314/4.3
Economics 314/3.8
Chemistry 311/3.7
Political Science 308/4.1
Foreign Language/Literature 307/4.0
Biological Sciences 307/3.8
English Language/Literature 306/4.2
History 304/4.1
Computer/Information Services 302/3.1
Psychology 301/3.9
Sociology 301/3.8
Business Administration 301/3.6
Accounting 301/3.4
Communications 299/3.7

(Source: Educational Testing Service, GRE Guide to use of Scores, 2017-18, pp. 26–29)

According to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education (Clifford Adelman, Senior Associate of the National Institute of Education, The Standardized Test Scores of College Graduates, 1964-1982) of the three principle examinations for entry to graduate school (GRE), law school (LSAT), and business school (GMAT):

  • The only two majors which performed substantially better than national average on each of the tests were philosophy majors and biology majors.
  • The highest performers on the verbal portion of the GRE were philosophy majors.
  • The only majors among the humanities and social sciences to perform significantly higher than the national average on the quantitative portion of the GRE were philosophy majors and economics majors.
  • The highest performers on both the LSAT and the GMAT were philosophy majors, mathematics majors, and engineering majors.

The KSU Philosophy Department offers no guarantees, but the Philosophy Department Undergraduate Coordinator can guarantee you a chance to talk about the possibility of becoming a philosophy major or minor. Drop by Bowman 320 on the Kent State main campus or call (330) 672-2315 today!