Learn to think rigorously about the deepest questions of life, knowledge, and reality.
Philosophy challenges you to explore life’s biggest questions: What is knowledge? What is justice? What makes an action right or wrong? By studying philosophy, you’ll develop critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and clear communication skills that apply across disciplines and careers. Whether dissecting arguments, uncovering hidden assumptions, or grappling with dilemmas, philosophy equips you to think deeply and systematically about complex problems. It’s not just an academic pursuit—it’s a way of engaging with the world, empowering you to ask better questions, make better decisions, and tackle the challenges facing humanity today and tomorrow.
UC Berkeley offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy through the College of Letters & Science, as well as minor programs in Philosophy and Logic that are open to students from all colleges.
Highlights
- Learn philosophy directly from scholars shaping the field today.
- Attend lively philosophical events hosted by the department.
Curriculum
The course requirements for completing the Philosophy major are structured to ensure that students get a broad education. At least twelve courses must be completed in total, including introductory courses in logic, early modern, and ancient philosophy. Students will select upper division courses within the Department of Philosophy in core areas of ethics, history, epistemology, and metaphysics. They will also have the opportunity to choose three electives relating to a topic of their choice within the major.
Learn more at philosophy.berkeley.edu/undergraduate
Study Options
In addition to the major, the Department of Philosophy offers two minors:
- Minor in Philosophy consisting of six courses across history, ethics, epistemology/metaphysics, and elective topics
- Minor in Logic featuring three core courses in symbolic logic, which may be pursued within Philosophy or Mathematics, plus a choice of three upper division electives from courses in Philosophy, Mathematics, Linguistics, and Computer Science
Declaring the Major
Upon acceptance to UC Berkeley, you are admitted to the College of Letters & Science as an undeclared student. To declare the Philosophy major, complete the major prerequisites and submit a Major Declaration Form to the Student Affairs Officer in 314 Philosophy Hall.
If you entered UC Berkeley as a freshman: complete Introduction to Logic (PHILOS 12A), Ancient Philosophy (PHILOS 25A), and Modern Philosophy (PHILOS 25B) prior to declaring.
If you entered UC Berkeley as a transfer: declare the major before you begin your second semester at UC Berkeley. You do not need to have taken any Philosophy courses at Berkeley to declare the major.
Philosophy students develop rigorous analytical, research, and communication skills that are highly valued across a wide range of professions. Alumni pursue careers in law, education, journalism, technology, public service, and business, and many go on to graduate and professional programs. Philosophy majors consistently perform well in law school admissions and other competitive early-career pathways, reflecting the versatility and practical value of philosophical training.
UC Berkeley offers a number of career resources for students studying Philosophy. The College of Letters & Science spotlights career pathways for students in the Arts & Humanities, and offers advising for undergraduates pursuing medical or health professions programs, law school, or masters and PhD programs. Additionally, Berkeley Career Engagement provides career counseling, professional and graduate school advising, job and internship listings, and events such as career and graduate school fairs.
Employment
Alumni find employment in a variety of positions after graduation. Examples include:
- Human Rights Advocate
- Journalist
- Lawyer
- Legal Researcher
- Legislative Analyst
- Management Consultant
- Product Manager
- Quantitative Analyst
- Research Scientist
- Speechwriter
- Teacher
- Tech Policy Analyst
- Technical Recruiter
- Think Tank Researcher
- Volunteer Coordinator
Graduate Study
Alumni pursue graduate education to gain more depth of knowledge in their field as well as prepare for jobs that require advanced degrees. Examples include:
- Business School
- Journalism
- Law School
- Medical School
- Philosophy PhD
Benjamin, class of 2014
Benjamin Parker graduated with a BA in Philosophy and is a sports journalist and teacher.
Favorite courses at Berkeley: Philosophy of Mind, Aesthetics, Spinoza, and Plato.
Favorite professors: Niko Kolodny, Alva Noë, Geoffrey Lee, and Tim Crockett.
How has your philosophical training influenced your life and career? Philosophy taught me how to write and critically think. I've found it to be one of the best majors to study for journalism. In education, I feel like I've been able to better connect with the students I've taught because of the great professors I had at UC Berkeley. A lot of the methods they used with me have been effective with my students as well.
First Year
Plan Your Studies
- Start exploring with L&S 1 and first-year guides from L&S and Arts & Humanities.
- Visit L&S Advising for help with major exploration and breadth requirements.
- Familiarize yourself with the Philosophy major; start taking lower division requirements such as PHILOS 12A, 25A, and 25B.
- Join Berkeley Connect for 1:1 mentoring and to meet peers with shared interests.
- Discover new interests in a Freshman Seminar, Berkeley Changemaker, or A&H Compass or Gateway course.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Get involved with a Philosophy student group or other student organization.
- Visit Berkeley Discovery to get started with research, entrepreneurship, public service, and creative projects.
- Learn how to prepare for office hours and build relationships with faculty.
- Attend a department event such as the Howison Lecture in Philosophy and Townsend Visitor talks.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Visit UHS Career Counseling and Berkeley Career Engagement.
- Start exploring career paths for the major; check out career resources on the Arts & Humanities website.
- Begin making a plan to get career ready.
- Create or update your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- Use Handshake to start connecting with career events and opportunities.
Second Year
Plan Your Studies
- Meet with your major and college advisor to discuss your academic plans.
- Continue exploring with a Sophomore Seminar or Big Ideas course.
- Look into study abroad and learning a foreign language; see options for Philosophy abroad.
- Enrich your studies with a certificate or minor such as Logic or Politics, Philosophy, and Law.
- Verify you have completed all major prerequisites and declare the major.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Join local discussions in the Berkeley Philosophy Reading Group.
- Check out the Public Service Internship, College Corps, and Haas Public Service Leaders Program.
- Develop your skills in the Berkeley Student Leadership Academy.
- Explore research opportunities on the OURS website; apply to URAP to work on a faculty research project.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Meet with a BCE career educator to discuss career options and goals.
- Build your network and explore career fields via job shadowing and informational interviews.
- Pursue an internship to build skills and explore fields.
- Browse graduate school resources from the Graduate Division, L&S Advising, and BCE; look into the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship.
Third Year
Plan Your Studies
- Begin taking upper division requirements in methods, ethics, history, and epistemology/metaphysics, starting with PHILOS 100.
- Review your degree progress with your major and college advisor.
- Develop your writing and critical thinking in an Art of Writing seminar.
- Spend a term off-campus with UCDC or the Intercampus Visitor Program.
- Consider applying to the Philosophy Honors Program; look into the Haas Scholars and SURF programs.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Help other students as a Philosophy Peer Tutor or member of the A&H Dean’s Leadership Team.
- Browse grants from the Center for Race and Gender and Center for Interdisciplinary Critical Inquiry.
- Welcome new students to Berkeley as a Golden Bear Orientation Leader.
- Check out the Townsend Center for the Humanities.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Speak with faculty, advisors, and career educators about post-graduate options.
- Interested in public service careers? Consider applying to the John Gardner Fellowship, Huntington Award, or Truman Scholarship.
Fourth Year
Plan Your Studies
- Consider enrolling in PHILOS 117AC if you need to satisfy the American Cultures requirement.
- Finish all upper division requirements and electives.
- Join a thesis writing workshop at the Townsend Center or Student Learning Center.
- Challenge yourself by taking a graduate seminar on a philosophical topic you have studied previously.
- Complete any remaining degree requirements and prepare for graduation.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Interested in teaching? Give it a try by facilitating your own DeCal course.
- Submit a course research project for the Library Prize, American Cultures Student Prize, or other awards.
- Get published! Submit your work to the Berkeley Undergraduate Journal.
- Pursue a special project after graduation with the Stronach Prize.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Check in with a BCE career educator.
- Connect with alumni groups and events.
- Apply to graduate school or post-graduate programs.
- Meet employers at info sessions, on-campus recruiting, and career fairs.
- Utilize job search tools from BCE and apply for job opportunities.
- Learn about alumni career services.
Summer
- Make progress on degree requirements with a Summer Sessions course such as PHILOS 12A, 25A, or 25B.
- Go abroad through Berkeley Study Abroad or UCEAP.
- Look into a summer internship with Cal in the Capital, Cal in Sacramento, or Berkeley Global Internships.
- Pursue a summer minor or certificate—check out programs in Digital Humanities, Teaching English, and Journalism.
- Apply to the GiGS program to learn about graduate school.
First Semester
Plan Your Studies
- Get your bearings with L&S 198 Transitioning to Cal and transfer guides from L&S and Arts & Humanities.
- Meet with your major and college advisor to discuss your academic plans.
- Enroll in PHILOS 12A, 25A, and/or 25B if you still need to satisfy these major prerequisites.
- Join Berkeley Connect for 1:1 mentoring and to meet peers with shared interests.
- Verify you have completed all major prerequisites and declare the major.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Get involved with a Philosophy student group or other student organization.
- Connect with the Transfer Student Center or Re-entry Student Program.
- Visit Berkeley Discovery to get started with research, entrepreneurship, public service, and creative projects.
- Learn how to prepare for office hours and build relationships with faculty.
- Attend a department event such as the Howison Lecture in Philosophy and Townsend Visitor talks.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Get involved with a Philosophy student group or other student organization.
- Connect with the Transfer Student Center or Re-entry Student Program.
- Visit Berkeley Discovery to get started with research, entrepreneurship, public service, and creative projects.
- Learn how to prepare for office hours and build relationships with faculty.
- Attend a department event such as the Howison Lecture in Philosophy and Townsend Visitor talks.
Second Semester
Plan Your Studies
- Begin taking upper division requirements in methods, ethics, history, and epistemology/metaphysics, starting with PHILOS 100.
- Look into study abroad and learning a foreign language; see options for Philosophy abroad.
- Enrich your studies with a certificate or minor such as Logic or Politics, Philosophy, and Law.
- Consider applying to the Philosophy Honors Program; look into the Haas Scholars and SURF programs.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Join local discussions in the Berkeley Philosophy Reading Group.
- Explore research opportunities on the OURS website; apply to URAP to work on a faculty research project.
- Check out the Public Service Internship, College Corps, and Haas Public Service Leaders Program.
- Browse grants from the Center for Race and Gender and Center for Interdisciplinary Critical Inquiry.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Build your network and explore career fields via job shadowing and informational interviews.
- Pursue an internship to develop skills and explore fields.
- Browse graduate school resources from the Graduate Division, L&S Advising, and BCE.
- Speak with faculty, advisors, and career educators about post-graduate options.
Third Semester
Plan Your Studies
- Review your degree progress with your major and college advisor.
- Consider enrolling in PHILOS 117AC if you need to satisfy the American Cultures requirement.
- Develop your writing and critical thinking in an Art of Writing seminar.
- Spend a term off-campus with UCDC or the Intercampus Visitor Program.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Help other students as a Philosophy Peer Tutor, Transfer Peer Advocate, or member of the A&H Dean’s Leadership Team.
- Develop your skills in the Berkeley Student Leadership Academy.
- Interested in teaching? Give it a try by facilitating your own DeCal course.
- Welcome new students to Berkeley as a Golden Bear Orientation Leader.
- Check out the Townsend Center for the Humanities.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Check in with a BCE career educator.
- Interested in public service careers? Consider applying to the John Gardner Fellowship, Huntington Award, or Truman Scholarship.
- Apply to graduate school or post-graduate programs.
Fourth Semester
Plan Your Studies
- Finish all upper division requirements and electives.
- Join a thesis writing workshop at the Townsend Center or Student Learning Center.
- Challenge yourself by taking a graduate seminar on a Philosophy subject you have studied previously.
- Complete any remaining degree requirements and prepare for graduation.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Submit a course research project for the Library Prize, American Cultures Student Prize, or other awards.
- Get published! Submit your work to the Berkeley Undergraduate Journal.
- Pursue a special project after graduation with the Stronach Prize.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Meet employers at info sessions, on-campus recruiting, and career fairs.
- Utilize job search tools from BCE and apply for job opportunities.
- Connect with alumni groups and events.
- Learn about alumni career services.
Summer
- Get ready for Berkeley with RHETOR 100 Writing at the University.
- Thinking about a PhD? Apply to the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship before your first semester.
- Make progress on degree requirements with a Summer Sessions course such as PHILOS 12A, 25A, or 25B.
- Go abroad through Berkeley Study Abroad or UCEAP.
- Look into a summer internship with Cal in the Capital, Cal in Sacramento, or Berkeley Global Internships.
- Pursue a summer minor or certificate—check out programs in Digital Humanities, Teaching English, and Journalism.
- Apply to the GiGS program to learn about graduate school.
Undergraduate Advising
Have questions about Philosophy or the College of Letters & Science?
The Department of Philosophy offers undergraduate advising for students interested in Philosophy. The Undergraduate Student Affairs Officer is located in 314 Philosophy Hall and can answer questions about declaring the major, registering for classes, checking progress to the degree, and getting put on the degree list. Contact the Faculty Undergraduate Advisor for help with transfer courses, study abroad, advice on courses, and other questions. For advising contacts, visit philosophy.berkeley.edu.
The College of Letters & Science helps students with non-major-specific academic topics, including major exploration, general program planning, finding campus resources, and pre-professional graduate programs. L&S College Advisors are available for in-person and virtual meetings. Visit lsadvising.berkeley.edu or email asklns@berkeley.edu.
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