What can you do with a bachelors in philosophy?

[Gamma Male]

So, I've been think about college a lot in the last...uuuuhh...decade. :) And I really still can't decide what I want to do. An engineering degee would be really useful especially if I ever plan on starting my own company or inventing, but I'm not really sure that's where I want to go with my life. Being a physicist would also be nice, but earning a phd in physics takes a REAAALLY long time(8-12 years) and I'm not sure I'd be able tp handle that much college, either financially or mentally. Nor, do I think I would want to wait that long to get started on my career as a inventer...entrepreneur....physicist......uuuhbhhh space ship captain....whatever I end up doing. But recently, I've also been thinking about a philosophy degree. The problem is, besides teaching and writing books I can't really think of any way I could immediately support myself and earn a living with it. I know a philosophy degree is an excellent complimentary degree if you also have a law or science degree and that it looks great on a resume, but on it's own it isn't really worth much is it? I mean, are there any ways I could actually start making money with it after college? Or is it best to just take another major at first and perhaps go back for it later?

[ksdnfkfr]

Seems like a philosophy degree would only be useful if you're going to become a teacher. I'd think a bachelor of science would be more useful. A lot of jobs I guess don't care what the degree is for, just as long as you have one.

[DiamondsGirl]

I disagree. Philosophy degree doesn't look good on resume IMO because there's not really a job that is directly connected to it. If you want to teach, be an education major.

[workingatperfect]

There's honestly like... next to nothing you can do with it -sorry. Aside from teaching it and write about it, it's just a complimentary degree. And even with teaching, you have to get THAT degree. So yeah. Become an author, or go for something else.

But really, you have years to figure it out. I know your teachers are going to pressure you over the next few years to pick something but people rarely stick with their original ideas. Especially as you take more classes and learn about new things. When I was your age, I was sure I wanted to study psychology. Surprise, surprise, I'm not studying psychology. A year ago I was going to be a chemist. 6 months ago I was considering psychology again. Hell, I a month ago I was going to be a nurse! What have I finally landed on - for sure this time? Accounting. It was something that was always in the back of my mind.I never even considered it though until I took an Economics class in high school. And I some point I thought Sociology would be fun, but it's another degree like philosophy that doesn't have a direct career field.
Half the people I know who started college recently decided their major at the last minute. My brother went through 2 or 3 majors in one year.

Anyway, my point in all this rambling was..... Don't stress it. As you take more classes and are introduced to new subjects and jobs you'd never even heard of, something will come to you. Eventually. You have a lot of time left.

[Mushin]

I disagree. Philosophy degree doesn't look good on resume IMO because there's not really a job that is directly connected to it. If you want to teach, be an education major.

Historians can benefit from philosophy minors depending on their career specifics. I wouldn't say there aren't any directly connected - just none that are a rapidly progressing field.

My opinion is that if you're getting a philosophy degree for a pecuniary benefit you will no doubt be wasting your time. People obtaining philosophy degrees should be doing it because they have a genuine interest in the study. Honestly, if you found someone taking a philosophy course who was in it only for the money, I would be shocked. In that same sense if you do have an interest in philosophy that's strong enough to want to take some college courses on the field, go for it.

Also I'm not sure if you were being serious - but your career goals don't seem very practical. The statics of people who are financially secure under those fields is a very small percent. You may want to think of a few back up plans.

[Ethe14]

Unfortunately having a philosophy degree won't be of much help to you, if you wanted to be a entrepreneur a business and management degree might be a good idea for you. That and you can do so much with that degree.