About

Who am I? What is justice? What is beauty? Students of philosophy study these questions and more as Appalachian State University’s Philosophy (BA) degree develops skills in critical thinking, argumentation, communication, public speaking and research.

Students often choose to major in philosophy because they are already critical thinkers and want to expand their analytical abilities.  Career options include law, medicine, business, writing, civil service, teaching and politics. This degree’s foreign language requirement enhances career possibilities.

Appalachian’s philosophy program focuses on undergraduate scholarship. With small class sizes, you will get individualized attention from professors who are experts in topics such as philosophy of music, philosophy of disability and the philosophy of language. The department values practical experience and encourages internships. The department’s internship coordinator will assist as you in researching and securing a host site that is applicable to your career interests.

After Graduation

Employment: Career options for students with a background in philosophy include law, medicine, business, writing, civil service, teaching and politics.

Graduate school: Students often pursue graduate studies at schools such as Boston University, DePaul University, Cornell University, Emory University, University of Chicago and UNC-Chapel Hill.

Career Exploration website

People

• 

  Student Profile: Jordan Venditelli

  Philosophy major and religion minor Jordan Venditelli, from Raleigh, is a campus leader as president of the philosophy club. She also has become a prolific presenter at professional conferences, including the Southeastern Women’s Studies Association Conference.

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  Alumnus Profile: Jalyn Howard ’17

  Jalyn Howard ’17 added a philosophy minor to his health care management major, which set him up “to consider ethical approaches to topics in health care such as insurance — thinking about them from a philosophical point of view instead of simply an administrative point of view.”

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  Alumnus Profile: Todd Atchison ’01

  Todd Atchison, a poet and prose writer, says he believes his time at App State as an English and philosophy major prepared him to be a writer. He recently published his grandfather’s memoir during the coronavirus pandemic.

  Meet more alumni

• Alumni Profiles: What past students are doing now

  Many of our graduates pursue advanced degrees. Check out their research interests.

• Faculty Profiles

  Faculty members are engaged researchers as well as expert teachers. Read about their research interests, from the metaphysics of mash-ups to environmental ethics and political power.

Related Program

• Religious Studies (BA)

Minors

A minor is required. Popular minors include:

• Religion
• Psychology
• Criminal Justice
• Political Science

View all minors

Engagement Outside the Classroom

Philosophy and Film Society - Students and faculty watch films together and discuss philosophical elements.

Ethics Bowl - an opportunity to debate ethics and ethical issues with other schools’ teams

Philosophical Society/ Philosophy Club - an organization open to all majors. Students meet and discuss everything from Descartes and normative ethics to anarchy and Harry Potter.

Department coffee hour - Each Wednesday from 11 a.m.- 2 p.m., students can meet with fellow philosophy majors, minors and faculty with coffee and refreshments in I.G. Greer 110A.

SASS (Secular Appalachian Students Association) - an organization whose goals are to help remove the negative stereotypes of atheists/agnostics/secularists and to create a strong, open-minded community of non-believers who socialize, learn and perform community service together.

Global Learning

Appalachian is committed to introducing students to different cultures and teaching them how to live and interact in a global society.

Each summer, religious studies professor Randy Reed and philosophy professor Jack Kwong take students on a 6-credit hour study abroad program to Paris and Rome for a class titled “Love, Sex, and Power in the History of Christianity and the Meaning of Life.”

Admission Requirements

There are no admission requirements beyond admission to Appalachian State University.