Philosophy Major

Students from across the nation and 39 countries contribute to Pitzer’s community in Claremont, California. International students make up 9.6% of the student population. Campus life includes four student-run spaces, a student senate with 54 representatives, and opportunities to influence academic policy, faculty hiring, building design and campus artworks. Every student completes a social responsibility praxis course with a service-learning component before graduation, while most complete more than 40 community engagement hours through that course. Six mixed-use residence halls include solar panels, green roofs, living walls, gray-water systems and water-efficient fixtures.

Since 1963, Pitzer has organized its education around social responsibility, interdisciplinary learning, environmental sustainability, intercultural understanding and student engagement. Students can choose from more than 60 majors and minors across the arts, humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and interdisciplinary studies, while more than 2,000 courses are available across Pitzer and The Claremont Colleges. A 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio supports close academic work. Faculty from different fields often influence one another’s work and co-teach, and students can create their own major. International and globally minded students can take part in study abroad programs; 53.1% of the Class of 2026 participated in study abroad. The college’s community includes students with connections from Los Angeles and New York to Nepal, and its programs connect academic study with community engagement.

This Bachelor of Arts program explores timeless questions and problems in philosophy, honing critical thinking skills through coursework on its history, traditional problems, and connections to other disciplines. Students engage with philosophy's interdisciplinary atmosphere and can take courses at all five undergraduate Claremont Colleges and at Claremont Graduate University. The major is offered in cooperation with Pomona College.

The major requires nine philosophy courses, comprising five core courses and three electives, plus a senior capstone project, which can be a senior thesis or a senior seminar.

Graduates are prepared for a wide variety of career paths, including professions in law, medicine, the humanities, and the natural and social sciences.

For international students, tuition is well above the median for US programmes. The institution admits about 17% of applicants.