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Philosopath

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  • Gender
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  • Location
    Massachusetts
  • Interests
    Philosophical interests: Philosophy of psychology, ethics, epistemology (especially disagreement), philosophy of film

    Other interests: Football (American & international), screenwriting, dark comedies, psychological thrillers, beer
  • Application Season
    2013 Fall
  • Program
    Philosophy

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  1. This is just conjecture, but is it easier to make decent money teaching with just a Masters in philosophy in England?
  2. Right. I have family that has made the move out west to Arizona and so I've been there a few times. Honestly, I don't like Arizona that much, but for two years I could do it. I agree completely on the placement concerns. Not only is it unimpressive, but there also appears to be a dearth of applicants. From what I've heard, ASU's had some financial trouble generally. Just don't like the vibe I'm getting from the program. I feel if they had good word about the availability of their 13k assistantships, then they'd relay it. I imagine at this point, they have no such news. That said, they have a strong faculty. But any graduate program you apply to should.
  3. I see. I'm il_brontolone on WGI. What made you turn it down without learning about funding? (Admittedly, the funding prospects look poor.)
  4. UCLA's got a strong philosophy program. Is it possible to audit courses? Maybe take some as a non-degree student after you graduate? If you can delay your graduation, and have the money sufficient to do so, then take the minor. A minor with some serious coursework in philosophy (I'm thinking courses in contemporary metaphysics, ethics, epistemology, as well as an ancient philosophy course and modern philosophy course) and with solid recommendations to complement it, could get you into a M.A. program. Also, have you looked into philosophy of art? You say you're not enamored with the film profession, but maybe you'd like checking out neat sub-areas like philosophy of film. Or philosophy of art more broadly. That's an area in which you're qualified to check out. And I'm not saying to misrepresent yourself, but in your applications to graduate school, if you DO have a genuine interest in philosophy of art and its subfields, then your transition to philosophy may 'make more sense' to admissions committees. Something to keep in mind. It's funny you've majored in screenwriting and want to switch to philosophy. I'm a philosophy major that's interested in screenwriting and perhaps someday trying to make a sale. I'm working on a screenplay right now, but for all intents and purposes, I still aim to attend grad school for philosophy. That said, screenwriting is a hobby I've been trying to self-learn and cultivate. I'd be interested in hearing more about your experiences with the film industry, but if you're so inclined, this could be done in a PM, as it's not relevant to this thread. Also - I don't suggest asking for recommendations from professors of intro classes. The work required for those types of courses is not the work that's required of an advanced philosophy major, and that's the type of work that admissions committees want your recommending professors to be familiar with. So again, I'd say do your best to go for the minor if it's financially feasible. Get a couple letters from professors in upper-level undergraduate courses. I don't think letters from intro professors will be worth much. One more thing. While I don't think it's the best idea, maybe ask for a recommendation from a film professor. At the very least, they can comment on the quality of your work and you as a person better than your new philosophy professor can. Or so I'd think.
  5. Anybody else still waiting on their implied rejection from Tufts? Particularly those who got their email the other day about looking for their application status to be updated?
  6. Any word? I'm considering emailing Tom Blackson regarding the availability of grad assistantships.
  7. Yeah, I got the same email today. It's bound to be a rejection. Has anyone else gotten accepted to ASU's MA program? There's no word about funding, though it says on the philosophy department's page that assistantships are available for about 13k per year, and you get to pay in-state tuition rather than OOS. But I wonder how many are really available. Any other general word on the department? My advisor urged me that it was a strong, reputable program, though it does seem like it's still getting back on its feet (having gotten rid of the PhD program fairly recently).
  8. I'm regretting that I even applied.
  9. Indeed. One thing that makes me so hesitant about actually going through with graduate school is the prospect that I'll be forced to stand in front of a classroom and teach on a regular basis. Many of us, I assume, are 'doomed' to be socially awkward introverts. And if we could just make a living off research and publishing, I bet we would do that way before teaching.
  10. "I think philosophy has a tendency to attract smart people that haven't learned how to excel outside the classroom, because they were always so good inside it." Well said.
  11. I was talking to a theater major friend. He's had some serious problems marketing himself (not that he's too good at it to begin with...), and some of the blame may be pinned on employers viewing 'artsy' majors as strange, haughty, not demanding and so on. I think there are a fair amount of employers that look favorably upon a philosophy major. But I speculate that the vast majority of employers don't really understand what it entails. Let's face it -- philosophy is an esoteric field.
  12. For me, the realities of studying philosophy in graduate school are finally sinking in. One can make 40,000 with some luck straight out of college. However, one may not even make anything after completing a PhD in philosophy. And one needs A LOT of luck to score a good job in the field. So I wonder if it's better to work for a few years, save money, and then do graduate school. But that strategy certainly has its negative aspects. Your letters are bound to be a little weaker. Your philosophical writing will be rusty. And so on. So if you opt for a strategy like that, you've got to manage to stay active in the field in your spare time. That's difficult to say the least.
  13. I anticipate either not getting in anywhere or getting an offer, maybe two offers, that aren't sufficiently funded (think Brandeis and Tufts, possibly). Assuming these thoughts are warranted, I've been scouring job search websites. Indeed, as it's been pointed out in the thread, many entry-level jobs just require a B.A. degree. However, it does seem that said jobs have preferred qualifications that are more difficult to meet as someone with a philosophy degree. I'm someone that's tinkered with the idea of law school. But of course, I know it's not something I should commit to unless I really want to do it. And let's face it, those law loans add up. At least when you get a good philosophy offer, it's funded. But I am still interested in working in the legal industry. So I've applied to some entry-level paralegal jobs in the area. It seems to me that certain firms are looking for people that have the skills that one generally develops as a philosophy major (meticulous attention to detail, sharp analytical skills, sufficient self-motivation and so on). Obviously, though, these skills can be attained through many different majors. I've also looked at entry-level jobs in college admissions (admissions counselor, admissions officer) that are open to all college graduates. So there's stuff out there. It's no doubt competitive, but crap, I doubt it's more competitive than ultimately getting a (good) job in philosophy.
  14. Philosophy admissions people don't seem to care about interviews. The other programs at prestigious schools? Probably.
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