Enhance Your Education

Distinctive Programs in Philosophy

There are ample opportunities to enhance your studies in philosophy through independent research, off-campus study, and internships. These programs are integral to a Knox education, teaching you how to apply your skills in real world situations.

Student Research and Creative Projects
Knox is a leader in promoting top-notch undergraduate research. In fact, more than 90% of all Knox students complete an independent research or creative project by the time they graduate. Many students' projects are supported by an unusually rich array of Knox College funding programs that together provide students more than $200,000 each year in support of their work. These sources include: Richter Memorial Scholars Program, Ford Foundation Research Fellows Program, Ronald E. McNair Fellows Program and departmentally supported independent studies. In addition, special fellowships awarded to Knox through national competitions and through the research grants of Knox faculty make Knox a leader in promoting top-notch undergraduate research. An example of a recent student research projects is:

• "Vagueness: A Failure of Communication," Shuy Chen '10, philosophy major.
• "G.E.M Anscombe's "Modern Moral Philosophy," Adrienne Anderson '06, philosophy major, independent study/senior research funded by Ford Fellowship program.

College Honors
Outstanding students may elect to undertake College Honors in their senior year, carrying out an advanced research project presented and defended to a faculty committee that includes a distinguished outside examiner. Examples of recent Honors projects include:

• "Compatibilism and Counterfactuals," Nathan Lubchenco, '04.
• "How Does Pure Music Have Meaning?" Brandon Polite, '03.
• "Social Constructivism, Objectivity, and the Mind-Independent World," Sean Bulthaup, '02.
• "The Fetus's Right to Life: Why Species Membership Matters," Nicole DeHart, '02.

Off-campus Study
Knox offers more than two dozen off-campus study programs offering new environments that prompt exhilarating intellectual and personal experiences. Some of the programs, such as those in Spain and France, provide broad cultural experiences that can be tailored to many general student interests. Others, such as the programs in Freiburg, Germany; Pune, India, or Chicago's Newberry Library, easily enhance the specific goals of philosophy majors.

Internships
As a student at Knox, you'll have the opportunity to expand your education -- to get that valuable experience you hear so much about -- by completing an internship. Internships provide an opportunity to explore and test career options, to gain experiences and skills needed to succeed as a professional, to build a resume, to network and make critical connections, and to experience a work environment. More and more employers are looking for college graduates with career-related experience. Knox's Center for Career and Pre-Professional Development specializes in helping you find an internship that best matches your goals and interests. Philosophy majors have held internships at the Newberry Library in Chicago and Habitat for Humanity International in Americus, Georgia. Recent internships by philosophy students include:

• Summer Employment, Blooming Hill Farms, Blooming Grove, New York. Emily Myers, '05, philosophy major.
• Wetland Intern with V3 Companies in Woodridge, Illinois. Tim Quirk, '05, philosophy major.