Department of Philosophy

The four career counselors in the Career and Professional Development office (Moody Hall 134, phone 512-448-8530) can help you find an internship that works for you! Your skills as a philosophy major--i.e. critical and analytical reasoning to provide clear and compelling arguments--are in demand by non-profits, for-profits and government employers. So, go to Moody Hall 134 and talk to a career counselor to get an internship. After that, go talk to your philosophy faculty about how that internship can become a philosophy course under their supervision.

Juniors and seniors majoring in either Philosophy or Religious and Theological Studies may receive the Lillian Cervenka Scholarship and Arthur Kinsella Scholarship. These two departments alternate every other year giving this scholarship and recipients are selected by the faculty in Philosophy or the faculty in Religious and Theological Studies. Recipients are announced at St. Edward's University Honors Night.

• Austin Community College: take two years of philosophy at ACC and then transfer to St. Edward's to get a B.A. in philosophy.
• ​American Philosophical Association: the main U.S. organization for philosophers
• Philosophy Matters: a Facebook page of articles, news, editorials and cartoons
• Philosophy Now: a magazine of ideas
• St. Edward's University Department of Philosophy Facebook page
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: professional philosophers share interesting articles

Two alumni have been Fulbright scholars and many others have been admitted to graduate studies at American University, Baylor University, Boston College, Brandeis University, DePaul University, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS, Paris), École Normale Supérieure (ENS, Paris), Emory University, Harvard University, the University of Houston, the University of Kansas, Louisiana State University, Loyola Marymount University, the University of Missouri, Loyola University, the New School for Social Research, University of Northern Colorado, the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po, Paris), University of Pennsylvania, Purdue University, Stanford University, St. Mary's University, the University of Texas, Texas State University, Texas Tech University, Texas Women's University, University of the Arts (Berlin), Williams College and William and Mary.

Our alumni work as lawyers and police officers and philosophy professors and art history professors, as cultural critics and journalists and musicians and artists, as employees for Apple and Airbnb and as  K-12 teachers and social workers and as USDA Forest Service firefighters, and one of our alumni is the head brewer at Strap Tank Brewery in Utah.

Philosophy is an intriguing discipline that uses logic and reason to analyze the world and ourselves. Students of philosophy bring critical and creative thinking, ethical reasoning, and uncommon wisdom to any career they choose. Here's a list of helpful resources that gives you an overview of the many benefits of majoring in philosophy.

• Study philosophy to learn how to live, to get a top LSAT and GRE score, and a great job.
• The importance of philosophy today: Don’t Dismiss the Humanities, by Nicholas Kristof, The New York Times
• John Cleese:  Why Philosophy is Nothing to Laugh About
• Philosophy's role in shaping leaders: How Philosophy Makes You a Better Leader, by David Brendel, The Harvard Business Review
• How philosophy helps in business: The Unexpected Way Philosophy Majors Are Changing the World of Business, by Carolyn Gregoire, The Huffington Post
• And don't just take it from professors on campus. The Philosophy is a Great Major website spells out all the reasons to become a lover of wisdom.
• Even the editorial page of Forbes magazine thinks majoring in philosophy is well worth it.
• And here is a poster of famous philosophers to hang on your wall — unless you’d rather just read a long list of famous philosophy majors.

Skeptical about all these claims? 
Excellent! You’re ready to be a philosophy major! And don't just take our word for it. Ask members of our faculty and staff — Professor of English (and lawyer) Drew Loewe, Professor of French (and Department Chair) Philippe Seminet, Professor of University Studies Cory Lock, and Vice President of Admission Tracy Manier — if their BA in Philosophy degrees have enhanced their life and work. They’re sure to tell you it helped them prepare for careers and more. 

Don’t hesitate to contact our faculty in the Philosophy Department for more information!