What is Philosophy?
Philosophy is a discipline within the Humanities. It can be defined as the attempt to resolve mysteries: to answer the questions for which there is (at present) no clear method for answering. At UTSC, the Department of Philosophy approaches these questions by:
- First, we teach our students philosophical theories: what philosophers have thought about mystery X, Y, or Z.
- Second, we teach our students intellectual techniques such as sophisticated reading, reasoning and logic, modelling and clear writing.
Key courses at UTSC are intended to develop your writing and research skills – look for them!
Skills of Philosophy Grads
- Analyze concepts, definitions, arguments and problems; organize ideas and issues, deal with questions of value, and extract what is essential from masses of information;
- Distinguish fine differences between views and discover common ground between opposing positions; synthesize a variety of views or perspectives into a unified whole
- Build and defend one's own views, appreciate competing positions, and indicate forcefully why one considers one's own views preferable to alternatives
- Present ideas through well-constructed, systematic arguments and explain difficult or complex material
- Exercise interpretive writing through examination of challenging texts, comparative writing through emphasis on fairness to alternative positions, argumentative writing through ability to establish own views, and descriptive writing through detailed portrayal of examples
Key Source: American Philosophical Association
Entry-Level Jobs for Bachelor Grads
Common employment destinations include:
- Program Advisor in Education Services
- Junior Associate in Consulting Services
- Risk Analyst in Financial Services
- Intelligence Officer in Security Agencies
- Research Associate in Marketing Agencies
- Policy Analyst in Government Services
- Communications Analyst in Education
- Data Management Coordinator in Business
- Management Trainee in Support Services
Philosophy Grads from UTSC have gone on to:
- Thomson Carswell (Content Editor)
- Infor (Tech Writer)
- CEACT (Multimedia Tech)
- Oracle Direct (Account Manager)
UTSC graduates from Philosophy are working in Education, Research, Media and Communication.
Graduate & Professional Studies
Popular further education opportunities include:
- Philosophy – Master (of Arts)
- Religious Studies – Master (of Arts
- Law School – JD (Juris Doctor)
- Public Administration – Master (MPA)
- Labour Relations – Master
- Corporate Communications – Graduate Certificate
- Marketing – Graduate Certificate
- Research Analyst – Graduate Certificate
Examples of Fields that ‘Fit’ the Skills of Philosophy Grads
- Government (Federal, Provincial, Regional, City)
- Research & Consulting Services
- Think Tanks and Advocacy Organizations
- Software Development
- Marketing, Communications & Publishing
- Education
- Financial Services
- Legal Services
Your 4-Year Career Exploration Action Plan
1. Do Your Research
The databases below provide you with details about job prospects, nature of work, educational requirements, working conditions, pay and related career paths:
- Career Cruising: Log into cln.utoronto.ca, click on Resources, and click on Career Cruising to be logged in automatically
- O*Net: online.onetcenter.org (U.S. site)
Attend our workshop Discover Your Skills and Career Options, meet with a Career Counsellor, and use our resources to get to know your skills, values, personality and interests.
Use the advice on our tip sheets for gathering information:
- Information Interviews
- Working On-Campus
- Internships
- Volunteering
2. Explore Career Options & Get Experience
Gain exposure to your options in the world of work and make connections while you’re a student via campus events and programs listed on cln.utoronto.ca and ccr.utoronto.ca:
- Extern Job Shadowing
- In the Field
- Explore It! (course-based)
- Partners in Leadership (4th year students)
- iLead, uLead, weLead (Department of Student Life)
- Employer Information Sessions
- Career & Volunteer Fairs
- Departmental Student Association Events
Apply for Work Study jobs in CLN in Fall and Spring! You might also find work via the SCSU.
Find networking opportunities, internship programs and entry-level jobs via websites like TalentEgg and Charity Village.
As an upper year student (14+ credits), attend UTSC’s Get Hired conference and participate in Jobs for Grads.
As a graduate, explore internships and other trainee programs like Career Edge.
3. Build Your Network
Explore Professional Associations and get involved! Volunteer for their events and get to know people in your industry of interest. These are your future mentors, supervisors and colleagues!
- Association for Philosophy Students
- Society for Women in Philosophy
- Canadian Philosophical Association
- American Philosophical Association
- International Society for Philosophical Enquiry
- Human Resource Professionals
- Ontario College of Teachers
- Law Society of Upper Canada
- Canadian Public Relations Society
- Seek out opportunities to meet people from Think Tanks
- Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences
- Philosophy Graduate School Resources: Philosophical Gourmet
Please note: This information is a starting point for your further research into career options in this field of study. For more information on this program and course requirements, please visit the Department of Philosophy website.