Our Mission

Our mission is to empower and prepare students with critical thinking and communication tools for navigating social systems and institutions that affect how they live their lives and the lives of those they care about. 

We aim to achieve this mission through socially and historically informed philosophical methods that translate to real-world applications. 

The department achieves this mission in the following ways.

  • Flexible Major: For undergraduate students, our bachelor's program offers several flexible pathways with courses that provide perspectives on matters of social responsibility across several areas of philosophy. This allows students to pursue graduate school in the field of philosophy. 
  • Minor, Double Major and More: We also offer a program built to complement major pathways within FAHSS and across the other colleges to provide students with an edge for their professional profiles after their degrees.
  • Social Responsibility: Faculty of the Philosophy Department take matters of civic engagement seriously by offering perspectives relevant to social responsibility for the public good across industry, science and other humanities and art disciplines.

Student Success

“As a graduate of UMass Lowell’s Philosophy department, I genuinely learned so much not only about philosophical disciplines but also regarding practical applications of philosophy toward making a difference in the world. 

The sense of community within the department between fellow majors as well as with faculty was unlike any other department I have encountered, and that experience was key to my personal success.” 

— Hannah, '25