Why do study philosophy

International students who have trained their minds to be extra-sharp will find themselves in a better position than many to find jobs and succeed in their careers. Many fields are looking for people who can think quickly, creatively, and from many perspectives, and that is exactly what philosophers are trained to do.

International students will also find themselves benefiting from philosophy's focus on writing and reading. Students of philosophy learn how to read critically, and are taught to write with a focused and well-thought-out style.

Any student, international or otherwise, who needs to brush up on their writing, will find that philosophy programs are an excellent place to improve and hone their skills. Not only will these writing skills help students in their chosen fields, it will help them get the jobs they seek, as they will be given the skills to write stronger resumes and cover letters.

The best answer to why international students, and all students, should study philosophy, is because it is the one field that is focused completely on helping the student better understand his or her place in the world. While most fields train students to do something outside of themselves, philosophy is about learning to do something for yourself. The skills philosophy teaches do not always seem as if they will lead to money-making immediately.

But what students find is that their self-reflection, critical thinking, and improved literary and communication skills make getting and excelling a job much easier.

Students find that once having studied philosophy, they look at the world with a new wonder, and have a much better idea of what really makes them happy. Over time we will be updating this section and including more information for those who want to study philosophy in the USA and for other countries, but please feel free to post your thoughts and comments on our Facebook fan page , and also follow us and post questions through Twitter.

Sign in to Your Account Done. Sign in. Don't have an Account? Register Now! Department Chair, Cody Gilmore - email: gilmore ucdavis. To reach individual faculty, the best way is email. See our faculty pages. Current Remote Office Hours - this document will be updated as necessary. Philosophy contributes to the liberal education of its students.

The department emphasizes an analytic approach to philosophical questions, thereby training students to understand and evaluate arguments and to think and write precisely and clearly. These skills are of immense value in a variety of careers. Philosophy students learn how to write clearly, and to read closely, with a critical eye; they are taught to spot bad reasoning, and how to avoid it in their writing and in their work. It is therefore not surprising that philosophy students have historically scored more highly on tests like the LSAT and GRE, on average, than almost any other discipline.

Many of our students combine studying philosophy with studying other disciplines. The most important reason to study philosophy is that it is of enormous and enduring interest.

Philosophical thinking emphasizes clear formulation of ideas and problems, selection of pertinent information, and the organization and communication of complex ideas. It also emphasizes development of a sense of the new directions suggested by the hypotheses and questions you might encounter in doing research.

Philosophy teaches students how to develop and support their own positions, interpretations, and analyses. It provides training in the construction of clear formulations, good arguments, and apt examples. Writing is taught intensively in most philosophy courses, and many regularly-assigned philosophical texts are unexcelled as literary essays. Philosophy writing emphasizes clear structure, good arguments, and original ideas.