Philosophy in Practice

While philosophy exercises your mind, you can take your studies to a deeper level be getting active in the local and professional philosophical community.

High School Workshops
Usually twice a year, area high school students participate in an all-day workshop designed to examine specific issues. Interested FHSU philosophy majors help faculty members guide discussion and teach critical thinking skills. In addition to valuable teaching experience, the high school workshops let you pass your enthusiasm for philosophy on to others.

Apprenticeships
Our apprenticeships give you the chance to work with a professor to sample what it is like to teach or conduct philosophical research. If you enroll in a teaching apprenticeship, you will shadow a professor, prepare lectures, and actually teach a class. In a research apprenticeship, you will learn what it takes to get a paper published, while submitting your own work. If you have a project in mind, speak with a faculty member to find the best way to develop your professional skills.

Senior Thesis
In your last year in our program, you will work on a one-on-one basis with a faculty member to develop a paper on a subject of your choice, which you will defend before students, faculty, and community members. This rigorous process gives you the opportunity to present and defend your ideas while you gain insight into the life of graduate students in philosophy. Check out some of the senior thesis presentations from the past few years. Current: http://www.fhsu.edu/philosophy/presentations.shtml

Conferences
In addition to opportunities within our department, we post announcements for undergraduate philosophy conferences and encourage our students to participate. Our students have traveled to other states to present their ideas and engage in the greater American philosophical community. Experiences like these prepare you to tackle nearly any public speaking situation you may encounter in the future.