Philosophy teaches you to explore fundamental questions while sharpening practical skills like critical thinking and communication. Here, you’ll learn to reason clearly, write and argue persuasively and engage with ideas that prepare you for many career paths or graduate study.
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Why Study Philosophy?
At USC, philosophy students explore life’s big questions while sharpening critical thinking, communication, and analytical skills—preparing for careers or advanced study in fields like law, medicine, business, and beyond.
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Undergraduate
Major or minor in philosophy to develop in-demand skills for many professions. We teach you to analyze complex problems, challenge assumptions and communicate with precision.
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Graduate
Dig deeper into philosophical study with a post-graduate degree where you can grow your teaching and research expertise in an area of intellectual specialization.
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Liberatory Systems Talk
Liberatory Systems, Not Structural Domination A philosophy talk by Matthew Noah Smith (Northeastern University). 📅 Friday, October 3, 2025 🕞 3:30 PM 📍 Close-Hipp 791, University of South Carolina 🍴 Reception to follow
Learn more about this talk. -
My time in the philosophy department at USC has taught me to focus on a text’s underlying logical structure whenever I’m reading or writing. This was likely the most important skill I learned for the LSAT, and I have no doubt it will continue to serve me well in law school.
Department News
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Philosophy Major Boosts Critical Thinking
A study shows majoring in philosophy improves thinking skills—even when controlling for prep like SATs.
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New Environmental Ethics Postdoc Fellowship Funded
USC gets $200K from the Henry Luce Foundation to support a two-year postdoc in environmental ethics.
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New Opportunity for Scholars to Publish
The Ann Johnson Institute for Science, Technology & Society (AJI) announces new partnership that allows students to work alongside professional editors to author and publish articles on different topics.
