Philosophy

Welcome to the EMU Philosophy Section!

We are here to help you. Our office is open to walk-in visitors Monday through Thursday, 9am to 5pm. You can also reach us by phone or email. Please call us at 487-1018, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. If we are unable to take your call, please leave a message and we’ll get back to you soon. Find the email addresses of Advisors on our Advising page, and find the addresses of Instructors, Secretary, and Department Head on our Contact page. 

Why Study Philosophy?

Studying philosophy can help you develop the habits of thinking, writing, and communicating needed to navigate successfully the complex realities of professional, social, and personal life. Our students learn to critically analyze prevailing values, norms, and institutions, and to imagine and create flourishing lives and communities. Learn more here.

Philosophy builds timeless, career-ready skills, including critical thinking and problem solving, communication, leadership and teamwork, self-development, and professionalism. Further, a major or double major in Philosophy offers career versatility, essential skills, and opportunities to explore what matters, including social and environmental justice, cognition, gender, global philosophies, and ethics. 

Philosophy majors rank among the best (or best) for scores on professional degree testing, including the LSAT, GMAT, and GRE. And, according to recent market research, philosophy majors do well on early career median pay and on employment rates.  

Philosophy is transfer and double major friendly! Philosophy is a discovery major – many students find their passion for it later in their academic journey. We warmly welcome students transferring from other colleges and community colleges. Your previous academic work is valuable and provides a strong foundation for your studies here, and you will find many students with similar educational journeys and backgrounds. At just 33 credit hours, the Philosophy major is designed to be easily paired with other majors, making it an excellent choice for students seeking a robust double major to enhances their career readiness and intellectual breadth.

Five New Concentrations Added to the Philosophy Major

Philosophy majors now have the option to select one of five concentrations, each of which is tailored to prepare students for different career fields: Environmental Justice; Law and Justice; Professional and Applied Ethics; Mind and Cognition; and Global Philosophy. Concentrations appear on your transcript so that you can demonstrate your credentials to employers. Learn more in the Catalog.

Philosophy Master's of Arts Placement Into PhD Programs

While many of our MA students aren't here for a PhD track, those who are interested in moving on are heading to terrific programs, including Wisconsin - Madison, Loyola (Chicago), Michigan State, Kansas, Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, Duquesne, Cincinnati, Tennessee, Arizona State, Minnesota, Marquette, Arkansas, and British Columbia. Additionally, a number of our graduates head on to law school and graduate programs in other disciplines.