What Our Alumni are Doing
Our philosophy program prepares students for graduate study in philosophy, in particular, as well as in law and other fields. Graduates of our program have gone on to pursue an MA and/or PhD in fields such as philosophy, law, counseling, creative writing, interdisciplinary studies, english and public administration, and have been accepted to graduate programs at:
- Stanislaus State
- University of Oregon
- Penn State
- Emory University
- Texas A&M
- San Francisco State
- San José State
- Fresno State
- SUNY Stony Brook
- Duquesne University
- Loyola Marymount University
- University of Texas at Dallas
- University of Missouri
- Dominican School Philosophy and Theology
- Pepperdine University
Graduates from the philosophy department are also well prepared to pursue careers in a variety of different fields where their reasoning and critical thinking skills, abilities to analyze complex problems, conceptual systems and texts, and training in communicating with precision and clarity are valued.
Alumni of our program have gone on to work in fields like Law, Asset Management, Library Services, Consulting, Government and Public Service, Compliance, Business, Pastorship, K-12 Education, Higher Education and others.
Are you an alum of our program?
We’d love to hear about where life has taken you since your time at Stan State — both professionally and personally! Update your contact information and share what you’ve been up to by filling out this form, or just email any faculty or staff member. You can also join our mailing list to hear about department news and upcoming events.
Testimonials
Ricardo Friaz
B.A. Philosophy, Class of 2011
Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Central Connecticut State University
"I was a student in the philosophy program at Stan State from 2006 to 2011. I changed my major to philosophy in my first year when I took an Introduction to Philosophy class where I realized that philosophy was a discipline where I could think seriously about important questions. The philosophy program at Stan State wasn’t just a great academic space but also supported me as a student. My professors at Stan State taught me what it means to look out for students, to take them seriously as complex beings with needs beyond the classroom and to treat education not just as a job certificate, but a practice of learning to think deeper even when modern life pushes us to become shallower."
Hannah Coles
B.A. Philosophy, Class of 2024
Pursuing an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy
"This program gave me a strong intellectual foundation that supported my transition into my graduate studies in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT). Each theory and therapeutic modality is deeply saturated in philosophical roots. One of the most lasting gifts of this program was how it gave me the intellectual tools to see — which is invaluable in a therapeutic setting. Likewise, philosophy gave me the ability and capacity to recognize the often-invisible structures and systems that often hinder our growth and ability to connect with others. I am a better person because of this program. I will be a more impactful therapist because of my time at Stan State. This program has shaped the way I move through and interact with the world, and I am forever grateful for it.”
Iziah C. Topete
Double Major in Philosophy and Physics, Class of 2016
Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Boston College
“I did not know about philosophy until I arrived in college, only having ruminated upon questions in a muddled way before in high school. As I tell my current students, philosophy is not synonymous with believing in a set of doctrines but about learning the value of questioning itself and exploring values that are not reducible to the current demands of a skills-driven economy. My experience with the philosophy faculty at Stan State exposed me to values such as the value of philosophical texts and the stakes in the questions posed by these texts about the nature of wonder, time, religion, and morality. The classes and independent studies I took challenged my intuitions and the beliefs I had inherited without questioning, foregrounding the ideal of intellectual rigor. Reflecting on these experiences a decade later, I can see how they prepared me to appreciate the ongoing conversation of philosophy — a conversation that has spanned thousands of years, transcending the present while also speaking to it. As a current professor of philosophy, it is not an overstatement to say that my encounter with philosophical practice at Stan State shaped my life.”
Alexander Ayers
Double Major in Philosophy and Geography, Class of 2025
Pursuing an M.F.A. in Creative Writing
“I came to Stan State with a purely pragmatic, ends-oriented mindset. I was going to study GIS to arm myself for a career change. Due to the Honors Program requirements, I took Dr. Nagel’s ‘Power of Information’ course, and after 4 months of talking about knowledge, connection and education, I was piqued enough to declare a minor. After that, I took an Eastern Philosophy class where we discussed Indian metaphysics and Chinese ethics, and another class where we discussed the Enlightenment, critiques of metaphysics, the meaning of Being, instrumental reason and subjectivation… I was hooked and declared a second major in Philosophy. Since then, I have reveled in the texts and the discussions facilitated at Stan State. I have discovered private, tiny and now-precious facets of my life and experience(s) that have worked directly upon my self-image. Without any hyperbole, philosophy-in general, has made me happier. More practically, the Philosophy program has sharpened my analytical and writing skills, introduced me to new friends and ultimately inspired me to pursue graduate studies.”
Updated: June 10, 2026