Careers in the humanities and social sciences can offer exciting opportunities to observe human behavior and learn about cultural and social constructs. Many humanities and social science careers exist in fields like economics, psychology, history and the arts.
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For those who want to keep their options open and have a deep interest in how the world works, a degree in the arts, humanities or the social sciences could turn out to be a much more rewarding – and enjoyable – option. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits:
The subject material of most Arts and Humanities courses is undoubtedly fascinating stuff, and may well be of use in your later educational or professional career. However, a common aim is to teach you to critically evaluate, manage and use information. Why employers value Art and Humanities graduates
Just like what was mentioned previously, humanities will help you understand things better, and this includes people. It will help you interpret both the written language and spoken word much better, enhancing your communication skills! 3. Helps you understand the impact of technology, science and medicine
Further, recent studies have revealed that salaries for humanities and social science graduates are much more competitive than many are led to believe. While starting salaries tend to be lower for humanities graduates, the gap narrows dramatically as their careers progress.
Humanities expand our knowledge of human cultures and help us understand what binds us together and what differentiates us from one another. In addition to these high-level insights, however, they also provide practical applications that can enhance your professional skillset and give you a competitive edge.
Through the work of humanities scholars, we learn about the values of different cultures, about what goes into making a work of art, about how history is made. Their efforts preserve the great accomplishments of the past, help us understand the world we live in, and give us tools to imagine the future.
Through studying Humanities and Social Sciences, students will develop the ability to question, think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively, make decisions and adapt to change.
The Humanities and Social Sciences are critical to human cultures across the world. Their study can facilitate a greater understanding of different cultures, human relations and lay a framework for a civically engaged life.
The humanities and the arts are central to all human cultures throughout time. Their study can facilitate deeper intercultural understanding and lay the groundwork for a civically engaged life. They can also prepare you to think critically, act creatively, and succeed in a rapidly changing world.
Through the work of humanities scholars, we learn about the values of different cultures, about what goes into making a work of art, about how history is made. Their efforts preserve the great accomplishments of the past, help us understand the world we live in, and give us tools to imagine the future.
9 benefits of taking social studies coursesHave better spatial awareness. ... Learn critical thinking skills. ... Gain citizenship skills. ... Increase cultural awareness. ... Receive understanding of economics. ... Have respect for the past. ... Increase knowledge of world affairs. ... Develop skills for cross-curricular learning.More items...•
Learning through and about the arts enriches the experience of studying while at school as well as preparing students for life after school. Arts subjects encourage self-expression and creativity and can build confidence as well as a sense of individual identity.
Thus, social sciences help people understand how to interact with the social world—how to influence policy, develop networks, increase government accountability, and promote democracy. These challenges, for many people around the world, are immediate, and their resolution can make a vast difference in people's lives.
The humanities help us understand others through their languages, histories and cultures. They foster social justice and equality. And they reveal how people have tried to make moral, spiritual and intellectual sense of the world. The humanities teach empathy.
An education in the humanities and social sciences provides graduates with essential skills that stay with them throughout their personal and professional lives. Students develop critical thinking, analytical, logic and presentation skills throughout the course of their degrees.
The fact that skills gained by humanities and social science students can be applied to all facets of life makes for extremely rewarding careers. Graduates can be educators, policy makers, international development professionals and journalists, all over the span of a couple of decades.
Second, humanities and social sciences recognise that the ‘job for life’ is a thing of the past for most people. Many programmes are designed to give students a broad grounding and a wider knowledge of the world, allowing them to seek employment or specialise further long after graduation.
They shouldn’t. Thanks to the invaluable skills discussed above, humanities and social sciences graduates are highly valued by employers. Countless surveys have shown that most employers value written and oral communication, problem solving and critical thinking over technical expertise.
Further, recent studies have revealed that salaries for humanities and social science graduates are much more competitive than many are led to believe. While starting salaries tend to be lower for humanities graduates, the gap narrows dramatically as their careers progress.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programmes attract millions of undergraduate students each year – and for a very good reason. Salaries are good, demand is high, and these subjects can be a great fit for those who have a clear career path in mind. This, however, does not provide the complete picture.
20, 2019, The New York Times#N#An article in the Business section of the New York Times reports that Humanities and Social Sciences graduates with majors that focus on "soft skills" like problem solving, critical thinking, composition, leadership, and adaptability, catch up to STEM majors in salary by about age 40. If students are in fact "chasing lasting wealth," Humanities and Social Sciences majors will do well. Though STEM majors in the first few years after graduation usually make significantly more that their colleagues who majored in English or History, many of those technical fields quickly become obsolete, while the skills honed in Humanities and Social Science fields prove to be more durable and can "prepare students for the next 40 years of working life, and for a future that none of us can imagine."
January 28, 2019, Inside Higher Ed#N#“Arts and humanities majors are substantially more likely than business, natural or social science or engineering majors to strongly agree that they had a professor who made them excited about learning”
National and local data shows that unemployment rates are essentially the same for STEM majors as they are for humanities majors.”
March 22, 2017, Good Call#N#“The success of liberal arts degree majors isn’t an accident, according to James J. Winebrake.... ‘I have always believed that a liberal arts education provides students with a skillset that allows them to succeed in leadership positions, especially in this new economy.’”
CEOs are quick to point out why they prefer to hire graduates who come to them with degrees in the humanities and social sciences. Graduates who are good listeners and can think critically are much in demand.
Whether it's ultimately having greater job satisfaction or benefiting from higher earnings, the good news is that following your passion will not hurt your employability.
Institutions and foundations are eager to support the humanities and social sciences. See what is being put in place to make your dream major an even better choice.
Discover and use the tips and tools that will help you find an internship while still in college and get you on the road to that first job after you graduate.
There are doubters and defenders. Whatever the case, there are always strong arguments for why the humanities and social sciences majors are good choices and here to stay.
You might be surprised to find out who majored in one of the humanities or social sciences disciplines. The list of CEOs who majored in English includes a one-time CEO of Disney and the chairman of Alibaba. Meet some others whose majors will surprise you.
The benefit of a humanities degree is the emphasis it puts on teaching students to think, critique and persuade (Credit: BBC/Getty) This has been echoed by statements and policies around the world. In the US, politicians from Senator Marco Rubio to former President Barack Obama have made the humanities a punch line.
It’s small wonder, therefore, that humanities graduates go on to a variety of fields. The biggest group of US humanities graduates, 15%, go on to management positions. That’s followed by 14% who are in in office and administrative positions, 13% who are in sales and another 12% who are in education, mostly teaching. Another 10% are in business and finance.
When asked to drill the most job market-ready skills of a humanities graduate down to three, Anders doesn’t hesitate. “Creativity, curiosity and empathy,” he says. “Empathy is usually the biggest one. That doesn’t just mean feeling sorry for people with problems.
But few courses of study are quite as heavy on reading, writing, speaking and critical thinking as the liberal arts, in particular the humanities – whether that’s by debating other students in a seminar, writing a thesis paper or analysing poetry. Empathy is usually the biggest skill.
But those who majored in philosophy or religious studies make an average of $110,000. Graduates who studied area, ethnic and civilisations studies earn $124,000, US history majors earn $143,000 and those who studied foreign languages earn $148,000, a stunning $54,000 a year above their pre-law counterparts.
Languages, art, history, economics, ethics, philosophy, psychology and human development courses can teach critical, philosophical and ethics-based skills that will be instrumental in the development and management of AI solutions.
LinkedIn’s research on the most sought-after job skills by employers for 2019 found that the three most-wanted “soft skills” were creativity, persuasion and collaboration, while one of the five top “hard skills” was people management.
One good reason to take the humanities and social sciences career path is that these disciplines are pivotal to future societies. They help us remain connected to reality despite our generation going almost completely digital, guiding us to make better decisions and become more inquisitive.
Depending on the industry, degree level, and type of occupation, outlook for the humanities and social sciences careers differ. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects that the number of jobs in these fields will increase by 7% from 2018 to 2028 (Epps, 2020).
Humanities and social sciences workers will be tasked to probe events, developments, problems, and more, both historical and modern (Rossmoyne Senior High School, n.d.). Take note of the following skills if you are planning to enter the humanities and social sciences workforce.
For entry-level humanities and social sciences positions, an associate degree is usually a requirement. However, most jobs in the fields require a bachelor’s degree. Earning a graduate degree is also beneficial as master’s degree and doctorate degree programs are specialized and concentrated on certain areas.
A graduate degree can support your career development plan in humanities and social sciences. Then, more possibilities may come your way, such as world-class education, fun internships, going international, and job opportunities worldwide.
Not all humanities and social sciences graduates know what to do right after graduation. Here are some alternative jobs you might want to try.
Many have argued that humanities and social sciences studies are a total waste of time as nontechnical degrees tend to have high unemployment rates. But, as historian and Professor Dr.