Undergraduate Students

Getting started

PHIL 100 (Introduction to Philosophy) is a great place to start taking classes with us. By taking this course, you can get a sense of what philosophy is all about.
 
If you would rather start with a class that will help you prep for the LSAT, GRE, or GMAT, you might want to start with PHIL 201 (Critical Thinking) or PHIL 203 (Symbolic Logic). If you decide to major in philosophy, you will have have already satisfied some pre-requisites.

Why study philosophy?

In philosophy, you'll explore the most fundamental questions of life, the questions that people across all ages and cultures have always asked themselves about the world and their place in it:
  • What is the meaning of life?
  • Are there objective standards of right and wrong?
  • Is there life after death?
Studying philosophy improves your writing, sharpens your critical thinking and helps you communicate your thoughts about challenging and inspiring questions. The skills you gain in philosophy can give you the edge in earning potential and standardized tests such as the LSAT and GRE.  By studying philosophy, you equip yourself for a variety of careers in academia and beyond. 
 
In our popular Minor in Applied Ethics you’ll gain the practical and theoretical resources to deal with the wide-range of ethical challenges you may encounter in your personal and professional life.
 
See our program overview for more information; look for answers to frequently asked questions; or see what kind of courses you can take in philosophy. Whether you want an honours, major, or minor degree, or just want to take some of our courses, we're here to answer your questions. 
 
Learn more about applying to UVic. 

Career preparation and skills 

The special attention in philosophy to reasoning, good argumentation, logic, conceptual analysis, and clarity and precision in communicating ideas makes for a discipline that fosters skills 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.

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

How Philosophy compares to other majors 

LSAT
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GMAT

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