Most of us are drawn to philosophy for the same reason we are drawn to music, art, or literature: because we love it. One obvious choice is to go on to graduate studies in philosophy. Students getting into good graduate philosophy programs these days typically have consistently done ‘A’ or ‘A-‘ in their upper level philosophy courses and have high Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores. Unfortunately, the hard truth is that there are many more qualified philosophers than academic philosophy jobs today, and the situation seems unlikely to improve any time soon.

With the market for new philosophy Ph.D.s so tight, the decision about investing five to eight years for a doctorate is a difficult one. If you know that the advanced study of philosophy will be intrinsically valuable to you even if do you not find a college or university position after graduation, then the decision is easier. If, however, you would find it worthwhile to pursue the Ph.D. only if you secure an academic job after graduation, then you are taking a risk. The risk of not finding academic employment following the Ph.D. is lower the higher your ability in philosophy. If you are unsure about your abilities, your philosophy advisor might help. (She could email your instructors, and then present their impressions.) Individuals vary quite a bit in their comfort levels with risk and in the degree to which they value the prospect of an academic career in philosophy. If you are in this last group, then we suggest some serious thinking and introspection about how much risk you are willing to accept given the value you place on a successful outcome. If you are unsure about how your values and goals can translate into a job, you might consider taking LAS 104 – Personal Career Development. This two-credit course provides an opportunity for self-exploration and clarification of personal and career goals.

There are a variety of types of academic jobs. To oversimplify, in the first group are community colleges and small, regional colleges and universities. Professors at these schools tend to have high teaching loads (typically eight to ten courses over the academic year) and the emphasis for faculty members is often weighted towards teaching rather than research. (With a high teaching load, it is extremely difficult to find time to do research.) The second group is comprised of private and public research institutions (like ISU), and some prestigious smaller colleges. Professors at these schools tend to have lower teaching loads (typically four to six over the course of the academic year) and there are serious research expectations. If you are interested in the second sort of job, getting into a top graduate program is important; indeed, if you do not get into a top program, you might consider going to a good M.A. program, and using that training as a stepping stone into a top program for the Ph.D. If, however, you are interested in the first sort of job, getting into a top program is not as important.

A very useful resource on graduate programs in philosophy is The Philosophical Gourmet Report, which ranks graduate programs in the English-speaking world.

Back to Career Options