Philosophy and Your Career

Here are some of the ways in which philosophy courses at WVU can help you gain skills and insights that will be valuable to you in your post-graduate career:

Pre-law: Acquire the basic tools of legal practice: argumentation, analogical reasoning, and powerful writing. Explore controversial issues on criminal justice, individual freedom, and human rights. 

Pre-medical: Could you help family members make a life and death decision about a loved one in a hospital setting? Medical ethicists do just that. Learn about the criteria that are used to make these decisions.

Psychology/Counseling: Develop insights into human meaning and happiness: existentialism, pragmatism, religion, behaviorism. Which theory best promotes human flourishing? 

Psychology/Experimental: Discover links between philosophy of mind and cognition and behavior. Broaden your conceptual grasp of important psychological research topics. 

Political Science: Read the classic texts of political thought from a philosophical perspective. Explore the foundational connections between ethics and government as they pertain to rights and social justice. 

Natural Sciences: Which comes first: facts, theory, or methodology? The answer will determine how you understand your own scientific work. 

Mathematics: Do you like abstract reasoning? Try investigating the foundations of mathematics, logic, and semantics. Use your analytical skills to solve philosophical puzzles and paradoxes. 

English: Great literary authors have expressed some of our most inspiring philosophical ideas. Gain a systematic appreciation for those ideas by looking at the philosophers who influenced them and were influenced by them. 

Journalism: Practice your critical thinking skills on the key topics of our times. Become knowledgeable about the ethical and political structures that control communication. 

Alumni Interviews