Philosophy
(Printable version)
What is the nature of reality? What is knowledge? Is my will free? What is the difference between right and wrong? What is the relation between the mind and the body? What is the meaning of life? Philosophers use reason and argument in the attempt to answer these questions. If this interests you, then explore a major in philosophy at UW-Eau Claire.
Get great skills
As a philosophy major, you’ll develop strong analytical and synthetic reasoning skills along with problem solving and organizational abilities that will make you extremely valuable to employers in the 21st century. It can broaden your intellectual horizons and enhance your capacity for self-expression. In addition to preparing students to become philosophers, this major can lead to other fields including law, journalism, publishing, ministry, government, teaching, medicine, business and public health.
Score!
The major is an excellent background for graduate study in a variety of areas. In fact, philosophy majors consistently score in the highest percentile of the LSAT, GMAT and GRE exams (exams often required for graduate school admission) and go on to study in first-rate graduate and professional programs.
Applied student experience
Students have the opportunity to publish articles in the department’s journal, Prism. They can also gain apprenticeship courses within the department, the most popular
being the teaching apprenticeship courses. They can also work as student interns and assist in philosophy courses at local high schools.
High caliber faculty
The faculty of the philosophy and religious studies department is of a high caliber. They are professors who graduated from Iowa, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Syracuse, Northwestern and Marquette Universities. They are proud of the personal attention they give their students, and are driven to help you learn and succeed.
Published faculty
Faculty are well published and are involved in numerous faculty-student research projects. Some examples include: Dr. Ned Beach’s “Der Metaphysische Empirismus in seiner Beziehung zu Schellings Gottesbeweis,” book chapter in Negativität and Postitivität als system. Berliner Schelling Studien, Volume 9, edited by Elke Hahn (Berlin: Total Verlag, 2009), pp. 33-55; and Dr. Sean McAleer’s The Virtues of Humor: What the Office Can Teach Us About Aristotle’s Ethics: in Philosophy and the Office, ed. Jeremy Wisniewski (Blackwell Publishing 2008).
- Medieval and
Renaissance Philosophy
- Seventeenth and
Eighteenth Century
Philosophy
- General Electives
More advising information
Special admission requirements
In addition to a variety of general education courses, the department would like students to complete Phil 101, Basic Philosophy, Phil 235, Ancient Philosophy or one general course in philosophy before taking upper level courses.Our graduates
Typical positions held by philosophy graduates include researcher, policy analyst, youth minister, teacher, development or program manager, or continued education at law school or graduate school in religious studies.
More career information
Places you’ll find recent graduates:
- Judicator, State of
Wisconsin, Madison, WI
- Continued Education,
John Marshall Law School
- Programmer Analyst,
Compuware Corp,
Madison, WI
- Community Relations
Coordinator, United Cerebral
Palsy, Eleva, WI
- Organizing Director,
The State PIRGs
Department contact information
Joane Erickson
erickjoa@uwec.edu
715-836-2545
