Philosophy Careers

Primum vivere deinde philosophari. First live, then philosophize. Though you love truth, the truth is: you also need to eat—not to mention care for yourself and your loved ones, as well as (hopefully) enjoy some of the finer things in life. Is the philosophy major a good investment? According to PayScale’s annual survey of 1.4 million college graduates, philosophy and politics majors earn more than any other humanities degree through all stages of their careers. Moreover, philosophy majors outperform business majors in earning power later in their careers, and they outperform biology majors at all stages of their careers. So, on top of everything else, it turns out that a philosophy major is a great investment! 

   
 
Does a philosophy degree pay off?

bridgetInterested in grad school?

See what courses prepared Javier for law school. javier

graceLearn what Grace studied for her business career.

How did philosophy prepare Martin for medical school?
martin

What exactly can you do with a philosophy major? Or, more specifically, what exactly have UD philosophy majors done? The following are just a few of the diverse careers paths taken by our philosophy alumni.

  • Medicine
    • Daniel Fiedorek, ’12 — completing M.D. in Arkansas
    • Martin Sentmanat, ’17 — studying medicine at Texas A&M
  • Business and Finance
    • Eddie Accomando, ’92 — Principal Consultant at Anthroconsulting
    • Grace Hernandez, '17 - Assistant Broker for Burns & Wilcox Brokerage
  • Law
    • Robert Weisenburger, ’12 — completed J.D. as University of San Diego; working for Golub & Associates Law Firm in San Diego
    • Cody Combs, ’15 — studying law at UT Austin
    • Mike Woodrum, ’17 — studying law at UT Austin
  • Clergy
    • John Stein, ’16 — seminarian for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
    • Charlie Archer, ’16 — seminarian for the Archdiocese of St. Louis
    • Connor Rhodes, ’16 — seminarian for ...
    • Four former philosophy majors are currently Cistercian monks at Our Lady of Dallas Abbey across the street from UD!
  • Academia
    • Michael Hayes, ’12 — completing Ph.D. in philosophy at Kansas
    • Juan Solares, ’12 — director of Michael Polanyi College (Guatemala)
    • Camille (Pecha) Kennedy, ’14 — completing Ph.D. in French at Rutgers, named a Lilly Graduate Fellow
    • Andrew Shafer, ’15 — completing Ph.D. in philosophy at Fordham
    • Bridget Safranek, ’17 — completing Ph.D. in philosophy at Catholic University of America, named a Lilly Graduate Fellow
  • Teaching
    • Michael Reardon, ’15 — teaching for Great Hearts Irving
  • Politics
    • Emily Wilson, ’16 — aide to U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (Kansas)

And so the real question really is: What can’t you do with a philosophy major?

News

UD Welcomes New Generation of Crusader Alumni

Outdoor chairs filled up quickly as droves of graduates, professors, families and friends arrived on the Braniff Mall the morning of Sunday, May 12, to participate in the 59th annual Spring Commencement Ceremony in honor of UD’s new generation of Crusader alumni.

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Board of Trustees Names John G. Plotts as Interim President

The University of Dallas Board of Trustees has announced the appointment of Executive Vice President John G. Plotts, Ed.D., as interim president of the university. Plotts joined the university in December of 2008, initially serving in the roles of associate provost and dean of undergraduate admissions.

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Professor of English Eileen Gregory, PhD, Named 2018 Piper Professor

"That's what our teaching, and all our talk about the reflective life, boils down to -- efforts to keep brilliance in our hearts, to remember the lightness that is native to our spirit," said 2018 Piper Professor Eileen Gregory, Ph.D, professor of English. The Piper Award honors 10 professors annually in Texas colleges and universities for outstanding achievements in their profession and is widely regarded as the most prestigious award of its kind in the state.

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