Philosophy literally means the "love of wisdom." The contemporary discipline of philosophy seeks to help individuals live fulfilling and meaningful lives by teaching them how to examine their own values and beliefs. It also seeks to help society examine the ethical implications of its current dilemmas concerning whether to clone animals or humans, whether to prolong human life whenever it can, whether to allow physicians to assist in suicides, etc. The Philosophy Department at Cal Poly Pomona has organized its programs to meet both the abstract and the practical philosophical interests of its students. Our programs allow students to pursue the traditional questions about the nature of truth, knowledge, justice and reality while examining the relevance of these questions to the problems of contemporary society.

Training in philosophy develops one's ability to think and write clearly, to express one's ideas verbally in an effective way, to see both sides of a controversial issue and to analyze complex data. In short, philosophy train to be a reasonable and articulate person. Studying philosophy also promotes intellectual versatility and cultural literacy. Because our students develop strong analytical and communication skills, the Philosophy major prepares students for careers in education, law, environmental management, the ministries, business and public health. The Philosophy major also prepares students for lives as thoughtful citizens and leaders.

Why Study Philosophy?

• Philosophy majors applying to law school in recent years have scored higher on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) than any other humanities MA, better than all social science majors except economics, better than all natural science majors except mathematics, and better than all business and applied fields, including engineering.
  
  
• On the verbal portion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), philosophy majors outperformed all other humanities majors, including English majors.
  
  
• Philosophy majors recently scored higher than all business majors and second only to mathematics majors on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) for students applying to graduate business schools.

What Do Philosophy Majors Do?

A survey of recent graduates reveals that they have pursued careers in such diverse fields as journalism, advertising, teaching, architecture, law, business, human services, and government. In recent years, nearly all graduates who have applied to graduate and professional schools (e.g., law school) have been accepted.

Programs. The Philosophy Department at Cal Poly Pomona offers both major and minor programs. Emphases within the major are designed to promote interdisciplinary inquiry and to focus students' coursework around particular areas of inquiry.

The Law and Society Emphasis allows students to concentrate on courses exploring current social and ethical issues. The study of moral and political philosophy, especially, equips students with the tools needed to analyze legal concepts and arguments, and to work toward reasonable solutions to social problems. The emphasis offers excellent preparation for those planning careers in law, business, education, environmental management, and human services, and for students planning graduate work in philosophy.

The Science and Society Emphasis is designed for those students who seek to understand the methodological, historical, and philosophical dimensions of contemporary science and technology. This emphasis is especially useful for those planning further study in the sciences, environment students, medicine, public policy, the health professions, or philosophy.

Philosophy as a Second Major. Having a double major has real advantages. Employers frequently say that they look for graduates with energy, creativity, and commitment. Employers and professional schools invariably are impressed with double majors. The flexibility of its options make Philosophy an ideal second major. Those who combine a degree in Philosophy with a major in business, science, or engineering will give themselves a distinct competitive edge. Not only will their analytical, communication, and writing skills set them apart from those with only the technical training of the first major, they will also be more marketable should demand in their technical field change.

"It seems to me that philosophers have acquired skills which are very valuable to a member of Congress. The ability to analyze a problem carefully and consider it from many points of view is one. Another is the ability to communicate ideas clearly in a logically compelling form. A third is the ability to handle the many different kinds of problems which occupy the congressional agenda at any time."
-Lee H. Hamilton, Representative, 9th District, Indiana