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.
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!