Philosophy

Why choose philosophy at North Central College?

Students in this major become excellent writers, thinkers and speakers. You’ll be ready for anything after graduation, whether you attend graduate school or pursue a career ranging from law to business, religion to science. Why? Because the study of philosophy develops reasoning skills, which in turn enables you to argue effectively in writing and speech. You'll gain these skills by studying and discussing texts by philosophers and philosophy scholars.

You can also:

Enjoy small courses that are particularly insightful since they are led by full-time professors who encourage personal relationships and discussion.
Apply for research opportunities and internships in the Naperville area and throughout Chicago.

Szymon Kesek earns three awards at Honors Convocation

Szymon Kesek earned the outstanding major awards in political science, philosophy, and Human Thought & Behavior Division at North Central’s Honors...

North Central College earns White House recognition for community service

North Central College has earned a spot on the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

Students from any college may enroll in summer credit courses at North Central College

Students attending any college or university can enroll in summer credit courses at North Central College.

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Internships

Exhibitions intern, Oak Park Art League, Oak Park, IL

Graduate Schools

Recent graduates in philosophy have been accepted at:

San Francisco State University
Chicago Theological Seminary
Vanderbilt University
Southern Illinois University
Loyola University
University of California-San Diego

Careers

Recent graduates in philosophy include:

Philosophy professor
Technical writer
Executive-level administrator and management
Editor and publisher
Public relations and journalism
Philosophical counselor

Matt Rogers

Philosophy and Japanese double major

Matt first studied philosophy at a large university and learned two important lessons: he wanted to add philosophy to his Japanese major and he wanted to transfer to a small college. At North Central, he found he could easily access his professors and also explore his interests in East Asian culture. “Philosophy is good for your critical thinking skills even if you’re majoring in something else,” he says. “I’d like to pursue graduate school in the future and I see myself teaching some day.” During Matt's junior year, he researched and published a paper titled “Exclusivism in Hick’s Pluralistic Hypothesis" in Aporia, an undergraduate journal of philosophy.

Joshua Heyza

Philosophy major

“North Central’s professors care what you think and take pride in helping you develop your own research interests, and I love research,” says Joshua.

Majoring in philosophy has been a good springboard for research. His first independent study - about ethics after the Holocaust - paired him with a faculty member who he says, “taught me a lot about research techniques.” Another faculty member enhanced his writing and research skills on his next project about Native American storytelling.

That project was accepted for presentation at a national conference. “This was the best opportunity. I learned to present in front of people and the whole experience motivated me to present two research projects at...

Szymon Kesek

Philosophy and Political Science double major, History of Ideas minor

“If you want to be actively involved in the classroom and share and exchange ideas, North Central is a great place.” It’s also a better way to learn, says Szymon, especially when it comes to philosophy.

Szymon thrives on classroom discussions and hopes to pursue a Ph.D. “The philosophy professors stimulate fabulous discussions and know their subject really well. The opportunities to share ideas teach you how to think, formulate and express your thoughts. So, when you hear or read things, you know what to think and how to express yourself.”

Szymon expressed his ideas and opinions outside the classroom by writing for the student newspaper, participating with the Philosophy Club and being part of the...

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