The Student Fellowship of Philosophy, a.k.a. Philosophy Club, is a collaborative effort between Department of Philosophy faculty and students at UAB. The club is completely student-led — students run the meetings, pick the discussion topics, and organize events – while a faculty member serves an advisory role. All students, regardless of major, are welcome to attend Philosophy Club meetings and become members.
The club meets weekly (or bi-weekly) throughout the Fall and Spring semesters to discuss philosophical topics, watch movies with philosophical themes, and simply have a good time hanging out and enjoying snacks. Typically, the club organizes one talk per month, inviting external or in-house speakers to present on and discuss a philosophical topic.
Join our GroupMe and visit our Instagram page.
Ethics Bowl Team
The UAB Philosophy Department sponsors a team that competes each year in the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl under the auspices of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics. This Ethics Bowl Team is open to philosophy students and is coached by Dr. Keshav Singh. A separate Bioethics Bowl Team is only for students who had been admitted to the Early Medical School Acceptance Program (EMSAP) when they entered UAB. Coached by Dr. Gregory Pence of the Philosophy Department, this team competes for the Bioethics Bowl Championship held in conjunction with the National Undergraduate Bioethics Conference.
Philosophy Club
The Student Fellowship of Philosophy, a.k.a. Philosophy Club, is a collaborative effort between Philosophy Department faculty and students at UAB. The club is completely student led — students run the meetings, pick the discussion topics, etc. while faculty serve an advisory role. All students, not just philosophy majors and minors, are welcome to attend Philosophy Club meetings and become members.
The Philosophy Department offers two scholarships for Philosophy majors both of which may be applied for through the UAB BSMART scholarship system opens a new website.
Gregory Pence Scholarship
The Gregory Pence scholarship of up to $1,000 is available as a one-time award to a student selected from UAB students with Philosophy as their major. The winner is chosen annually from the pool of applicants by a committee in the Philosophy Department.
Marjorie Price Endowed Scholarship for Philosophy
The Marjorie Price Endowed Scholarship for Philosophy was created in honor of Dr. Marjorie Price, who taught Philosophy at UAB for many years. All Philosophy majors are eligible to apply for this $4,000-$5,000 scholarship. The Marjorie Price Endowed Scholarship for Philosophy is awarded annually with the winner being selected by a committee in the Philosophy Department. Recipients of this scholarship are eligible to reapply for the award and may be selected to receive it more than once.
"When I first enrolled at UAB, I didn’t expect that adding a Philosophy major would be the most transformative decision of my academic career. What started as a curiosity quickly turned into a passion, thanks to a department that not only encourages big questions but also genuinely cares about the people asking them.”
"I am now in law school at Alabama and my philosophy background has been a huge help. I am confident speaking up in my classes and articulating my opinions. My philosophy degree has also prepared me well to pull out meaning from complex readings and arguments. These skills, among others, have served me extremely well so far in law school.”
"Philosophy is unlike any other subject. There are no other fields of study in which you can discuss if a hot dog is a sandwich one day and the meaning of life the next. I would encourage students at UAB to take at least one philosophy class because everyone can find something they’re interested in.”
"Because of the engaging Professors and profound material, I have discovered my career dream: to take the deeply meaningful insights of Philosophy and apply them in a psychotherapy practice.”
"So many classes teach you what to think, but philosophy teaches you HOW to think through reading and analysis, an invaluable skill that can set you apart from your peers in any field.”
"In learning about the different areas of philosophy, I became really interested in ethics and moral philosophy and how it related to my studies in criminal justice. My goal is to research the ethics and morality of prisons and ways we can seek justice outside the carceral system.”
"Studying philosophy has made me a more curious and invested person. Where I could previously accept my thoughts and actions at face value, I now interrogate them in a way that makes me an asset in my professional life and makes my personal life rich and engaging.”
"For the girl who would not speak in class for fear of being wrong or asking the nonexistent foolish question, it feels as though philosophy gave me my voice back.”
"I believe that I can move forward in my career as a more thoughtful, ethical, and confident person as a result of the Philosophy major at UAB.”
"Philosophy has helped me to not only think critically about social policy and people’s ideologies, but to also conceive of potential tangible solutions to some of the major issues facing the world today.”
"I think everyone should study Philosophy because it will help you learn to critically evaluate things, which is a skill that everyone needs.”
Philosophy majors go on to flourishing career paths in a variety of different fields. The study of philosophy develops crucial transferable job skills — the capacity for reasoning, argumentation, critical analysis, problem solving, and the ability to consider issues from multiple perspectives. Acquiring these skills makes you a creative and nimble thinker, capable of adapting to the ever-changing demands of the contemporary job market and to life in a fast-changing world. In an environment in which most people will have multiple jobs over the span of a lifetime, such skills are, and will continue to be, in demand.
People with bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy tend to earn more over their lifetime than people with degrees in other humanities fields. Philosophy students have one of the highest starting salaries ($62,700) and mid-career salaries ($108,400), according to data gathered by PayScale from 2024.
Many of our students find that Philosophy pairs well with another major at UAB. Some of the most common second majors are: Psychology, Biology, Neuroscience, Political Science, Business, and Computer Science. Double majoring around the country has increased over the past two decades, and for good reason: in addition to providing resilience in changing labor markets due to a diversification of skills, some data suggest that double majoring is associated with significantly higher earnings.
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Philosophy and Medicine
Philosophy and Medicine
Many of our majors go on to study medicine. Philosophy courses can be a welcome addition to, or change of pace from, the many mandatory courses in the hard sciences. Additionally, the new MCAT emphasizes critical analysis and moral reasoning skills, so Philosophy majors are uniquely trained to excel.
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Philosophy and Law
Philosophy and Law
Philosophy provides an excellent preparation for the study of law. In fact, Philosophy majors earn some of the highest scores on the LSAT and have excellent rates of acceptance to law school. We offer a Philosophy & Law Minor as well as many applicable courses such as Philosophy of Law, Ethics, and Social/Political Theory to help students prepare for careers in the legal field.
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Philosophy and Computer and Informational Technology
Philosophy and Computer and Informational Technology
Our emphasis on logical analysis appeals to students who go on to find jobs in Computer and Informational Technology. Top IT employers want candidates who have more to offer than technical skills, and philosophy can provide an edge in the IT job market. Interested students can take courses in Logic, Philosophy of Mind, the Philosophy of Artificial intelligence, and other areas of philosophy.
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Philosophy and Writing
Philosophy and Writing
Some of our students go on to find careers which involve editing, publishing, or journalism. Philosophy courses facilitate the development of one’s ability to think and write with clarity and precision and thus serve as an excellent foundation for any job related to the printed word. Philosophy majors have gone on to earn advanced degrees in Library Science and Technical Writing.
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Philosophy and Graduate School
Philosophy and Graduate School
Philosophy majors do very well on all graduate admissions exams, including the GRE and the GMAT. There are many professional programs for which Philosophy majors are qualified to apply, and Philosophy majors have gone on to secure advanced degrees in Health Administration, Health Informatics, Public Policy, Public Health and Business Administration. These programs prepare students for administrative and leadership positions. While Philosophy majors find career opportunities in many areas, a small percentage of Philosophy majors go on to study philosophy at the graduate level with the goal of going into academia. If you are interested in such a career path, there are many faculty members who can advise you on how to proceed. Majors who are interested in graduate school in philosophy should contact their professors for further guidance.
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Additional Opportunities
Additional Opportunities
Most of our majors find rewarding careers that are just as varied as their interest and passions. We have alumni who work in the public school system, for the government, for major corporations, for public service organizations, and in many other capacities. Majoring in philosophy provides the sorts of skills that can enable the motivated student to find success. For additional information on philosophy careers both within and outside of an academic setting see the American Philosophical Association’s career resources page.
You may be asking: “But what do I actually do as a Philosophy Major?” For students, their friends and family members, and strangers they meet on planes, this is the most frequently asked question about being a philosophy student. You’ve taken a class or two in philosophy and you’ve loved the experience, but you’re not sure how far to go. Where do you find other people who also want to talk about paradoxes and dilemmas? And if you do become a philosophy major, how do you get more involved? And what plan should you be making for your future when you graduate with a philosophy degree?
Explore the resources here to find out about what life is like as a Philosophy Major at UAB. Do you like casual philosophical conversation? Check out the Philosophy Club! Prefer a more competitive atmosphere? Check out the Ethics Bowl! Want to keep up with department events, people, and philosophical humor? Follow @uabphilosophy on Instagram! Whatever your interests and wherever you are in your degree path, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved, share class recommendations, hear what others are doing with their time here and in their post-graduation lives, and generally get a feel for what philosophy looks like outside the walls of the classroom.
Student Testimonials
The UAB Philosophy Department sponsors a team that competes each year in the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl under the auspices of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics. The Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl team is open to undergraduate students and is coached by Dr. Keshav Singh. A separate Bioethics Bowl Team is only for students who had been admitted to the Early Medical School Acceptance Program (EMSAP) when they entered UAB. Coached by Dr. Gregory Pence of the Philosophy Department, this team competes for the Bioethics Bowl Championship held in conjunction with the National Undergraduate Bioethics Conference.
In preparation for competitions, students prepare analyses of 15 ethics cases during the semester. For the competition, they comment on the presentations of others and respond to judges’ questions about the positions they endorse. Competitive success requires knowledge of ethical theory, understanding practical details of cases, as well as succinct synthesis of the arguments and questions of others.
The Ethics Bowl team is reformed at the start of each Fall semester. If you are interested in trying out for the team, contact Dr. Singh (
Previous Ethics Bowl Teams
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2021
2021
The UAB Bioethics Bowl team took second place at the National Bioethics Bowl Championship, which was hosted by Oklahoma State University on April 10. The team qualified for the national championship along with teams from Georgetown, Baylor, Gonzaga, and Boston College.
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2019
2019
The UAB Bioethics Bowl team were crowned champions at the National Bioethics Bowl Championship. UAB defeated Georgetown University in the final match at the University of South Alabama to secure its third bioethics championship in eight years. The Ethics Bowl team competed in the Southeast Regionals in Fall 2018 and advanced to the Nationals. Hundreds of teams compete across the country in the regional competitions, but only 36 went on to Nationals. At the National competition in Baltimore in Spring 2019, the UAB team won 2nd place.
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2018
2018
After competing in the Southeast Regionals in Fall 2017, the Ethics Bowl team advanced to the National competition in Chicago in Spring 2018.
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2017
2017
In 2017, and the UAB Bioethics Bowl team participated in the Bioethics Bowl at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah and finished in the Final Four.
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2016
2016
In 2016, with new coach Dr. Josh May, the UAB Ethics Bowl team participated in the Southeast Regional in Orlando, Florida and the UAB Bioethics Bowl team participated in the Bioethics Bowl at Case Western University, where it came in 8th.
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2015
2015
UAB won the National Bioethics Bowl Championship in Tallahassee, Florida, beating a great team of pre-law students from Samford University by 1 point.
The Ethics Bowl team, after competing in the Southeast regional competition, advanced to the national Intercollegiate College Ethics Bowl competition in Los Angeles.
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2014
2014
UAB sent a Bioethics Bowl team to the National Undergraduate Bioethics Conference at Loyola University in Chicago. Several other UAB students also attended the conference and gave presentations on issues in bioethics.
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2012
2012
UAB sent two teams to the Southeastern regional. The senior team advanced to the National Championship, and the freshmen team won two of its three matches. At the National tournament, UAB lost in the quarterfinals to DePauw University. Although DePauw did not win the tournament, they won the 2012 National Bioethics Bowl Championship the next month.
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2011
2011
The team did not qualify for the national competition. Determined to debate, the team reformed itself and entered the National Bioethics Bowl Championship at Duke University. Composed of veterans Mallick Hossain and Rachael Rosales and newcomers Kevin Kiang, Majaliwa Mzombwe, and Aditi Jani, the team won the 2011 National Championship in Bioethics.
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2010
2010
Philosophy students have always played important roles on the UAB ethics debate teams. Philosophy majors Mallick Hossain, Christopher Graves, Rachael Rosales, and Ayushe Sharma comprised four of five members of the 2010 team. It was one of five teams from the Southeast Region to make the National Finals, in which 32 teams from 10 regions competed. The UAB team captured the National Championship, becoming the Cinderella team of the tournament.
Ethics Bowl Testimonials