What to Expect

Ethics students should enjoy debating and defending their positions.

"There have been a few students in the program that did not enjoy the process of debate and having their ideas critically evaluated," says Steve Windhager. He has a master's degree in philosophy with a focus on environmental ethics from the University of North Texas.

"You have to have a relatively thick skin and be willing to take some criticism, but at the same time, you need to be willing to stand by your ideas and beliefs that you feel are valid, while still trying to maintain an open mind."

Windhager says most of the work in graduate school is self-directed. "I spent somewhere between 20 to 50 hours a week doing research, writing and reading for the classes that I was taking or my own work, such as my thesis or working on articles for publication."

The workload is lighter at the bachelor's level, however. "During undergraduate, it is safe to assume that you will spend an hour and a half to two hours doing homework for each hour you are actually in class. Thus, if you take 15 hours of classes a week, you should be ready to do 22 to 30 hours of homework a week," Windhager says.

Christopher Moreno took a master's degree in philosophy with a concentration in applied ethics. He says he spent about two to three hours each night studying and reading.

"I had to work especially hard to read varied writers," he says. "I also tried to write papers that were not just examinations of the work of philosophers but contributed new ideas. That meant putting myself out on a limb."

How to Prepare

Windhager says English classes are important. Students should also get involved in debate clubs.

"Debate clubs teach excellent critical thinking skills and perfect your presentation skills," says Moreno. "Reading philosophers from an early age will help to solidify your base of understanding. History classes and language classes on Greek and Latin might also be of use."