Philosophy Major & Minor

Where degrees in philosophy can take you.

Hartwick’s philosophy major acquaints students with issues of contemporary philosophical inquiry, as well as the thinking of the great philosophers of the past. Major areas of study include epistemology (how we come to know), metaphysics (the study of reality), and ethics (the study of moral ideals and practice).

  • Typically, graduates pursue careers as:
  • Public relations specialists
    Human resources specialists
  • Paralegals and legal assistants
  • Media and communication specialists
  • Lawyers

Alumni

Giovanni Scarimbolo ’19

Jen Lunsford ’04

Theo Malone ’20

Robert Tracey ’14

Putting philosophy to work.

Philosophy is never studied just for the sake of acquiring credentials. But along the way, philosophy students become qualified for a wide range of career opportunities and graduate study.

Hartwick Alumni at work

Hartwick alumni work for:

  • AmeriCorps VISTA Reading Partners
  • Segar & Sciortino PLLC
  • Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)
  • New York State Department of Public Service
  • Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Alumni in Graduate school

Hartwick graduates have been accepted to:

  • William and Mary Law School
  • Purdue University
  • New York University
  • Cornell University
  • Boston University

Beyond the Basic.

Hartwick is a member of Phi Sigma Tau, the international honor society in philosophy. Qualified students are inducted every spring. Phi Sigma Tau organizes and sponsors annual philosophy-related events, such as a speaker series or student conferences. The student philosophy club meets regularly and chooses discussion topics, events, and films according to student interest.

A closer look.

The major program culminates in a senior capstone seminar, in which students take their skills of interpretation and analysis to greater depths. Recent capstone projects have explored:

  • Sartre on self and other
  • Nietzsche’s Birth of Tragedy
  • Dewey’s theory of education
  • Chomsky and Kripke on natural languages
  • Kierkegaard on faith, feminism, and philosophy; animal consciousness

Faculty

Stefanie Rocknak

Professor and Chair of Philosophy & Cognitive Science Program Coordinator
607-431-4391

Arthur Carlyle ’14

Lecturer in Philosophy
607-431-4872

Matthew Chick

Assistant Professor of Political Science & Pre-Law Program Coordinator
607-431-4611

J. Jeremy Wisnewski

Professor of Philosophy
607-431-4671

Nick Boles

Philosophy Lecturer

Marla Hasin

Philosophy Lecturer

Three-Year Bachelor’s Degree Program.

Ready to move faster? Get the full Hartwick philosophy experience in three-quarters the time at three-quarters the cost.

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