The Penn State College of the Liberal Arts seeks to offer students a transformative educational experience that combines core liberal arts values—communication, analytic thinking, ethical decision-making, and appreciation for other cultures and other times—with internships, research opportunities, and global experiences that allow students to apply their skills in real-world contexts and grow personally and professionally. That educational experience also includes providing students opportunities to learn from, and work with, the leading liberal arts scholars within their respective disciplines; and connecting students with the vast network of college and University alumni who can serve as mentors and otherwise assist students as they begin building their professional networks.
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We are offering on-campus visits on Mondays and Fridays. Please note, these visits do not include a campus tour. For those who are not able to visit Penn State University Park in person, please register for a virtual meeting, which will be offered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Our on-campus and virtual appointments give students and families a better understanding of our programs and the resources and opportunities available to Liberal Arts students. Use the buttons below to schedule an appointment.
If you have any questions, please contact Recruitment Manager Chantel Harley at 814-865-7141 or cuharley@psu.edu.
Schedule a Virtual One-on-One Meeting
Attend an On-Campus Accepted Student Program
- History
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Philosophy Major and Minor
Program Spotlight
The Department of Philosophy offers a bachelor of science, a bachelor of arts, and two minors for undergraduates. The bachelor of arts has six options: General Philosophy; Justice, Law, and Values; Professional Studies; Humanities and Arts; Philosophy of Science and Mathematics; and Social Sciences.
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Internships
Program Spotlight
Students in this major have interned with companies such as:
• Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
• The Harwood Institute
• Dispute Resolution Institute
• Penn State’s Office of Government and Community Relations -
Education Abroad
Program Spotlight
Popular destinations for students in this major:
• France
• Netherlands
• Spain
• United Kingdom
• Australia -
Post-Graduation Opportunities
Program Spotlight
Continuing Education
• Law school
• Medical school
• Graduate school to study philosophy, data science, history, or international affairsAlumni Industries
• Consulting
• Business analytics
• Human resources
• Finance
• Politics -
Lewis Richardson
Student Spotlight
Lewis is majoring in Philosophy and Political Science with a minor in History. Lewis spent a summer interning at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE). He said the internship allowed him to attain a “class-applicable understanding of the laws that enable our democratic process.”
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Pam Dorian
Alumni Spotlight
Pam ’12 Philosophy, Political Science, and Communication Arts and Sciences is an associate attorney at Cozen O’Connor in Philadelphia. Pam advises current students to take advantage of the large Penn State alumni network and utilize the Career Enrichment Network.
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Samuel Pickerine
Alumni Spotlight
Samuel ’13 Philosophy and Political Science works as a sales director for Educere, a virtual education services provider. During his time at Penn State, Samuel completed an internship for the Penn State Justice and Safety Institute.
Explore Philosophy, our featured major of the month
- Liberal Arts by the numbers
Social Sciences
The social sciences examine the relationships between individuals and societies, as well as the development and operation of societies. The critical thinking, research, and analytical skills gained in a social science major help prepare graduates for diverse job titles, including economist, psychologist, political scientist, and historian, postsecondary teachers, museum curators, and social workers.
Languages
Intercultural communication, critical thinking and reasoning, cultural adaptability, information and trend analysis, and the other skills that drive the global economy, are in high demand today. Language graduates find jobs in tourism, international development, marketing, policy making, journalism, government, and more.
Humanities
Students in the humanities study how people process and document the human experience. Most majors in the humanities build widely transferable skills that employers appreciate and go on to be writers, counselors, event organizers, social media managers, fundraisers, travel bloggers, and more.
- African American Studies
- African Studies
- Asian Studies
- Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies
- Communication Arts and Sciences
- Comparative Literature
- English
- French and Francophone Studies
- German
- Global and International Studies
- History
- Italian and Portuguese
- Jewish Studies
- Korean
- Medieval Studies
- Philosophy
- Russian
- Spanish
- Women’s Studies