Department of Philosophy
• The list of things you can't do with a philosophy degree would be much shorter than the list of things you can do with one.
• A great many employers actively seek out students who have demonstrated abilities in such areas as communication, analytic thinking, and problem-solving areas that receive a great deal of attention in the philosophy classroom!
• The great virtue of philosophy is that it teaches not what to think, but how to think.
• Because of this, a philosophical education is a valuable foundation for just about any career and just about any sort of life.
The Department of Philosophy at CSU Chico offers the following programs:
• The Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy
• The Minor in Philosophy
• The Minor in Ethics
• The Certificate in Teaching Critical Thinking
Philosophy Colloquium:
Speaker Series
Ethics Bowl:
An event designed to develop and demonstrate students' capacity for ethical analysis and judgment.
Writing Contest:
Held once a year to give philosophy majors a chance to show their argumentative skills and philosophical understanding in writing.
Reading Group:
Primarily for faculty of the philosophy and the religious studies departments, though students may be invited to join. We meet regularly each semester to read a book or works by an author
Phi Sigma Tau:
The Philosophy Honor Society and Philosophy Club
Quick Facts about the Philosophy Department:
1. Our Ethics Bowl team regularly attends the State, and sometimes the National, tournament.
2. Our students are going on to graduate schools in philosophy and law, and also getting good jobs in Silicon Valley.
3. Weekly meetings of the national philosophy honors society, Phi Sigma Tau, allow students to develop their own projects outside of classes.
4. A speakers series brings a number of nationally and internationally recognized scholars for public talks every semester.
5. Small sections allow students to develop a strong rapport with each other and faculty.
6. According to The Economist, "philosophy students do better in examinations for business and management schools than anybody except mathematicians", better even than those who study economics, business or other vocational subjects.
7. A recent study by the American Medical Association found that philosophy majors enjoyed the third highest acceptance rate into American medical school