Unlike some other subjects, philosophy’s abstract and complicated subject matter can cultivate a range of transferable skills which students can use across a variety of academic paths and careers.

Take a look below at just some of the ways that attending a philosophy summer course could benefit you in your future education and career paths.

Master ‘how to learn’

Philosophy can be a challenging and complicated subject to study, but one which can help you to ‘learn better.’ It’s likely your course content will have you tackling a variety of difficult matters and challenging ideas. As you dissect and begin to understand them, you will, over time, become a better learner as you discover how to analyse and simplify tough subjects in a way that makes sense to you.

What’s Included in an Oxford Summer Course?

Our tailored summer courses for ages 9-24 include all teaching and academic content, accommodation, meals (including Friday night formal dinners), a prize-giving ceremony, all-day trips and activities, airport transfers, access to Oxford Summer Courses Foundations, travel and medical insurance, and a welcome pack. Apply now to secure your spot in one of our comprehensive summer courses.

Understand others’ perspectives

When you study a philosophy course, you’ll be engaging in regular debates and looking at different opinions that surround a range of moral and ethical questions. This will broaden your perspective on different topics and help you to develop the empathy needed to understand other people’s perspectives and opinions.

These skills will help you both in your academia and in the workplace as you meet and work with a variety of people from around the world, all who come from different backgrounds and cultures, and will share different perspectives on ideas that are different to your own.

Critical thinking

When you study a philosophy course, you’ll be analysing philosopher’s arguments around important topics and what information they use to construct arguments and persuade. You’ll also be given topical questions and have the opportunity to build your own opinions around them. As you do, you’ll be analysing and evaluating past experiences, evidence, other philosopher’s ideas, as well as a wealth of other sources – developing your critical thinking skills.

Critical thinking is an essential skill in helping you to build arguments and make judgements about any situation – about people, your political views, everything in life. Working on these skills will help you to make better judgements throughout your life, and will also be essential for your academia, such as when forming arguments for essays or exams.

Research skills

Tying in with your critical thinking skills, when you join us on a philosophy course you’ll also be developing your research skills. As you look to form your arguments around topics, you will learn how to search for and employ legitimate sources of information and knowledge, which are valuable skills for your education and the workplace. From using reliable sources to construct academic essays, to relying on trustworthy news outlets to form and gauge your own opinions on the world, research skills will be used throughout your life.

Leadership skills

If you have ambitions to one day lead a team, then participating in a philosophy summer school could provide you with the skills necessary to master and inspire them. Once you have developed your research and critical thinking skills, you’ll have an enhanced confidence in producing and articulating your own judgement on situations.

By being able to construct your thoughts logically, you’ll also have an enhanced ability to articulate your ideas and visions to others, skills which are essential for making a great leader.

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Want to find out more about our philosophy summer courses? Or further discuss the benefits? Contact us today to speak with an advisor.

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About the author

Rhys Mackenzie is the Website Marketing Manager at Oxford Summer Courses. With extensive experience in SEO and digital content management, they are passionate about showcasing the best that Oxford has to offer. Their previous role at Experience Oxfordshire gave them a deep appreciation for the city's unique cultural and academic offerings. Learn more about Rhys here.