Major in Philosophy

At Clark, your education extends beyond the classroom. LEEP Center advisers can help you choose from a range of opportunities that complement your coursework and put your philosophy knowledge into practice.

The philosophy major is designed to help you learn outside the classroom. Many students take advantage of internship opportunities during the academic year or over the summer to connect what they’re learning with their professional development.

Other opportunities include:

Clark is committed to action-based learning, which means that as an undergraduate you can join faculty and graduate students in their research. Our faculty members have research interests in these subfields of philosophy: social and political philosophy, the philosophy of culture, philosophy of science, environmental ethics, biomedical ethics, metaphysics, philosophy of religion and more.

The philosophy major is designed to give you the frameworks you need to conduct research. Research topics have included privacy issues in the law, the concept of futility in medical ethics, and equity issues related to the management of nuclear waste.

You also can apply for funding to support your own research on a project of your choice during the academic year or during the summer.

Present Your Research

Some students present their work and interact with philosophy majors and faculty from other colleges at conferences. Examples include:

• Celebrating Philosophy Conference at the College of the Holy Cross: “The Contribution of Theater to Public Moral Consciousness”
• 8th Annual Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Undergraduate Philosophy Conference: “Kantian, Too Kantian: Nietzsche’s Critique of Kantian Philosophy and Beyond”
• Ohio State Undergraduate Philosophy Conference: “Nihilism, Happiness, and Ancient Greek Philosophy”
• Northern New England Philosophical Association at Dartmouth College: “Ethical Game Design”

Clark’s annual Fall Fest and Academic Spree Day are opportunities to share your research or creative work with the Clark community while you hone your presentation skills. Some projects philosophy students and recent alumni have presented are:

• Stress Reduction Through Forgiveness with Tibetan Monks
• Right to Die: The Case of Dolores Heston
• Village of Skokie v. National Socialist Party of America
• On the Incompatibility of Kant and Capitalism
• The Divine and Infinite: Exploring the Sublime in Religious Philosophy

You also can submit your research results for publication in our student-run Scholarly Undergraduate Research Journal.

At Clark you’ll get more than a great education; you’ll also be prepared for a long, productive career and life of consequence. And once you’ve completed your degree, you can join other Clark alumni who have gone on to work for great organizations and attend some of the best graduate schools in the world.

A major in philosophy will prepare you for almost any professional pursuit you may choose, including careers in business, law, science, health care, education, the media, and nonprofit organizations.

Graduate School Placement
Graduate schools attended by philosophy graduates from Clark include:

• Boston University, Graduate School of Management
• University of California at Berkeley, physics and law
• University of Pittsburgh, philosophy
• New York University, law
• Harvard Medical School
• Cornell University, mathematical logic
• Columbia University School of Journalism
• University of Minnesota, J.D./MPH  program
• University of Pittsburgh, neuroscience
• Minnesota School of Professional Psychology