Jobs that use Philosophy (Year 11)

Philosophy opens doors well beyond law and religious life - to journalism, policy, the civil service, advocacy, and the growing field of AI and tech ethics. This lesson plan will help you to show Year 11 students how to weigh careers and plan their next steps.

This lesson is designed to be delivered in 30 minutes as a teacher-led classroom activity.

Philosophy isn't taught at GCSE, so this lesson is best hosted in an English Literature, History, or Religious Studies class - the subjects most likely to attract students drawn to Philosophy. The lesson assumes no Philosophy subject expertise from the host teacher.

This activity supports the following frameworks:

  • Gatsby Benchmark 4

This activity is suitable for Year 11 and features careers linked to the following subjects:

  • Philosophy

This is one of three lesson plans designed for Year 11 teachers introducing students to Philosophy:

These lesson plans will help you show students how Philosophy connects to their future careers - whether or not they go on to study it at A-Level.

We recommend using this lesson plan at the very beginning of Year 11. Philosophy isn't a GCSE, so most students arrive in Year 11 with little sense of where it can take them - and an unhelpfully narrow picture of "what philosophers do". The earlier they have a concrete picture of the careers Philosophy opens up, the better the post-16 decisions they'll make later in the year.

Learning objectives

  • Students will understand that Philosophy leads into a wide range of careers.
  • Students will be able to evaluate specific jobs that use Philosophy.
  • Students will name a job that interests them and describe a next step towards it.

Before the lesson

  • You will need a computer connected to the internet and a classroom screen.
  • Open the Jobs that use Philosophy page and have it ready on the screen.
  • Review the list of jobs that use Philosophy. Pick 3 jobs to explore in more depth:
    • One job in law or religious life.
    • One job in journalism, policy, or the civil service.
    • One job in a growth area like AI or tech ethics.
  • View the detailed career page for those jobs so that you know what's there before the class starts.

During the lesson

1. What do you already know? (5 minutes)

  • Ask the class to suggest jobs that use Philosophy and briefly explain how.
  • Write the suggestions on the board. Note whether the suggestions reach beyond law and religious life into the wider range of careers Philosophy supports.

2. Looking at jobs in depth (15 minutes)

  • Bring up the Jobs that use Philosophy page on the classroom screen.
  • For each of the jobs you picked, open the full career page and discuss with the class:
    • What does the job involve day-to-day?
    • How does the job use Philosophy skills?
    • What other subjects or skills are important?
    • What routes lead into the job - degree, apprenticeship, or direct entry?
  • Spend more time on one page if students are engaged, rather than rushing through all three.

3. Making it personal (10 minutes)

  • Ask students to pick one job from today's lesson that they could see themselves doing.
  • Go round the class, asking each student to name the job and answer:
    • What is it about the job that appeals to you most?
    • What would you need to do or find out next to move towards it?
  • Close by reminding students that knowing what you don't want is just as useful as knowing what you do want. Both help you make better post-16 choices.

After the lesson