Careers in philosophy

Stewart Butterfield in conversation with Shelagh Rogers
Stewart Butterfield (BA 1996) has gone on to found Slack and Flickr. He received a Distinguished Alumni award in 2008 and is seen here in conversation with Shelagh Rogers as part of Alumni Week 2015.

The special attention in philosophy to reasoning, good argumentation, logic, conceptual analysis, and clarity and precision in communicating ideas develops skills that are of enormous value to students both as participants in the economy and as active citizens and community members.

A degree in philosophy is an excellent preparation for further studies—our alumni have pursued degrees in law, education and business.

Co-op for philosophy students

Co-op helps you start building your career while you're still at university. It's designed to work around your academic courses, so you'll complement what you're learning in class with practical workplace experience.

Co-op enables you to try out a range of jobs before you graduate; gain work experience and skills; and make connections with employers. And you get paid for the experience! 

Learn how to join the co-op program.

Some career options for philosophy graduates:

  • Communications coordinator
  • Community worker
  • Entrepreneur
  • Human resources coordinator
  • Immigration/intelligence officer
  • Labour relations officer
  • Legal professional
  • Librarian/archivist
  • Logistics coordinator
  • Policy analyst
  • Program manager
  • Risk analyst
  • Software programmer
  • Teacher/instructor
  • Technical writer

Additional education and training may be required.

More information from UVic Co-op + Careers

What can you do with a Masters in Philosophy?