What to do with a Philosophy degree

Explore the careers you might be interested in going into after studying a Philosophy degree.

Students debating in a lecture

What can you do with an undergraduate Philosophy degree?

Our Philosophy degrees train you to analyse, organise, communicate, collaborate, and think. You’ll develop the skills that will be essential in your future career by working with professional philosophers and industry partners from your first day. Find out more about our courses and course content.

.

What jobs can you get with an undergraduate Philosophy degree?

Recent Sussex Philosophy undergraduates work across the globe in:

  • politics
  • law
  • business
  • journalism
  • tech companies
  • marketing
  • policy-making
  • the media
  • schools and colleges
  • health and social care
  • the civil service
  • the UK Parliament
  • the United Nations
  • museums
  • television
  • the arts.

A degree in philosophy from Sussex provides you with all the skills you need to succeed, whatever career you decide to pursue.

If you haven’t studied a degree yet, and you’re considering a Philosophy course, you may want to browse our:

Skills

You'll develop skills including:

  • critical analysis
  • organisation
  • communication
  • collaboration
  • creative problem-solving
  • flexibility
  • confidence
  • self-reliance
  • independent thought.

At Sussex, you can further develop your  by signing up for a range of workshops, tutorials and online resources.

Work experience and placements

You can gain work experience by doing a placement with an organisation. 

Opportunities for work experience as a philosophy student include:

  • a professional placement
  • a school placement
  • consultancy with an industry partner

This will help you gain skills and work experience before you graduate. You’ll be responsible for applying for and securing your placement. Find out more about placements and internships at Sussex. 

You might also want to look for work experience opportunities in your own time at:

  • charities
  • the civil service
  • local government
  • marketing agencies
  • public relations agencies
  • secondary schools, colleges or universities.

What can you do with a Masters in Philosophy?

You might want to pursue a career in any of the above jobs. Or you could think about continuing your education further. At Sussex, we offer research (PhD) degrees in Philosophy.

Our philosophy courses will train you to be a confident, independent researcher, capable of creative problem-solving in a wide range of contexts. You’ll develop your ability to analyse, organise, communicate, collaborate, and think. You’ll gain the skills essential to a fulfilling future career by working with professional philosophers and engaging with industry partners.

Recent Sussex Philosophy Masters students, have also gone on to work as:

  • researchers
  • professors
  • entrepreneurs
  • business chief executives.

For more information about careers after a Philosophy degree, see the  website. 

If you’re a current Sussex student, see more advice from our .

What do you want to do next?