What can I do with a Philosophy major?

This question is perhaps the one that most bothers people considering a major in philosophy. Will you wait for the retirement of that philosopher in Ireland who works as an official pub philosopher? Maybe, but then think of the competition for this job... You can already hear your parents asking, who will pay you to sit around and philosophize?

Given how commonplace this question is, it may be surprising to learn that a philosophy major is actually wonderful preparation for virtually any field and that philosophy majors are actually in a strong position for successful careers. First off, since you’ll be smarter than your friends (see above), and employers want smart employees, you have what people want. (True, some employers don’t want smart employees, but would you want to work for such people?) Don’t believe us? Look at the figures.

• Philosophers do extremely well on the GRE test. According to a study of GRE scores from 1988-1991, philosophy majors had the highest mean verbal score of all majors and the second highest mean analytic score. They even had a higher mean quantitative score than all other humanities and social science majors.
• Law school is another destination for many philosophers, as the American Bar Association lists philosophy as a major that provides good preparation for law school. No wonder: a 1994 study showed that the mean LSAT for philosophy majors was higher than it is for both Pre-Law majors and Political Science majors.
• Want to be a doctor? The American Association of Medical Colleges writes, "It should be strongly emphasized that a science major is not a prerequisite for medical school, and students should not major in science simply because they believe this will increase their chances for acceptance...." They recommend a broad education in the sciences and humanities as the best preparation for medical study. In fact, according to the AAMC, philosophy majors have the highest acceptance rate into medical school among non-interdisciplinary majors among all majors.
• Want to make money? Aristotle famously relates the story of the philosopher Thales cornering the olive market and getting rich as proof that philosophers, should they so desire, have the ability to get rich. Indeed, George Soros, one of the richest and most powerful persons in the world, is evidence of this, as he has often credited his training in philosophy as a key to his success. Now, whether you can be Soros after majoring in philosophy is not certain, but again, there is evidence it helps. From information obtained between 1991-96, Philosophy majors scored higher on the GMAT than any type of business major (Accounting, Finance, Management, etc.) and reliably fourth or fifth overall (higher than any major outside the hard sciences).

Finally, to bring to life this success and diversity, consider the following list of people who have majored in philosophy: Martin Luther King, John Elway, Phil Jackson, George Soros, Vaclav Havel, Justice David Souter, Philip Glass, Joel Coen, Freeman Harrison, Bruce Lee, Susan Sarandon, Harrison Ford, Jay Leno, Stone Phillips, Steve Martin, Gene Siskel, Elie Wiesel, James Michener, the Pope and even Alex Trebek!

One can find a lot more information about non-academic careers with a Philosophy major on the American Philosophy Association’s website