Associate in Arts - Philosophy in Santa Barbara United States | Santa Barbara City College

Philosophy cultivates a rigorous, analytical grasp of foundational concepts like knowledge, reason, truth, and value. As these underpin all academic disciplines, philosophical study is crucial for a well-rounded education.

Philosophy also delivers measurable academic advantages. Research indicates philosophy students consistently outperform peers by at least five percentage points on U.S. graduate and professional school entrance exams—a record unmatched by any other field. In business and management school admissions, philosophy students rank second only to mathematics majors.

Career prospects for philosophy graduates are expanding beyond academia, with growing demand in healthcare consulting, government policy, biotechnology firms, and AI companies. This has spurred new philosophy journals addressing pressing issues like medical ethics, end-of-life decisions, nuclear waste management, and corporate ethics.

The Philosophy Department offers an introductory course covering major philosophical domains: logic, epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics, philosophy of religion, and political philosophy.

Specialized courses (Ethics, Logic, Comparative World Religions, and History of Philosophy spanning ancient to contemporary thought) provide deeper exploration of these areas.

These philosophy credits are typically transferable to four-year universities. (Confirm specifics with your academic advisor)

Santa Barbara City College philosophy majors must complete at least 18 units in the discipline. Prospective majors should meet with department faculty to design an optimal study plan.