What draws a student to the disciplines within the humanities and social sciences? Love of learning? A passion for the subject matter? An interest in the subjects that are the core of a classic, well-rounded university education?
What deters a student from following his or her leaning towards a liberal arts degree? Negative economic news? Well-intended advice from the proponents of business school or a STEM field? Fear of rendering oneself unemployable after years of education?
Fear not.
There is good news out there for university students, including those with humanities or social sciences degrees. Yes, you can get a job – perhaps a job you haven’t even thought of yet – with a liberal arts degree in your hand.
Liberal arts students train for the kind of managerial jobs that dominate our economy—even where STEM jobs may have a higher growth rate, there are far fewer of these jobs.
Learn how the humanities and social sciences can further your career. And learn about what Mason has to offer in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Got some news about career outcomes from the liberal arts that you like? Send a link to chss@gmu.edu.
This Quartz article notes some of the many (tech) CEOs who have earned liberal arts degrees and argues that humanities and social sciences training will better serve job seekers in the future. (Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash)
Microsoft President Brad Smith and Executive Vice President of AI and Research Harry Shum have authored The Future Computed: AI and Its Role in Society, which argues that as computers become more "human," understanding of liberal arts is as vital as engineering dexterity.
The Washington Post describes how Google learned that its most successful employees are those who use skills derived from a humanities and/or social sciences education.
In this Q&A, a Microsoft engineer discusses how she developed her own major in college, and how she relies upon the skills learned in her liberal arts classes to help her team build next generation devices and experiences.
Business Insider reports on career site Zippia's finding that English is the seventh-most popular undergraduate major for doctors, and the most popular major that isn't a natural science or medical field. (And economics and history round out the top 10!)
The New York Times discusses six student missteps in the selection of majors, such as choosing them too soon, believing that STEM fields are sure paths to lucrative careers, and negating the employability of liberal arts majors. This is a clear explanation of the many considerations that should go into a successful university career.
Inside Higher Ed features an interview with author George Anders, whose book, 'You Can Do Anything: the Surprising Power of a "Useless" Liberal Arts Education,' uses data to counter pessimism about liberal arts majors' job prospects.
This article, from the Forbes website, describes the experiences of five graduates with degrees in liberal arts who translate their skills to the fields of user experience or product management.
Bently University president Gloria Cordes Larson speaks with Inside Higher Ed about her new book, PreparedU, which is based upon Bently's program that emphasizes career readiness throughout each student's educational experience.
An article from USA Today College outlines the ways that studying humanities and social sciences offers students skills that will serve them even in tech-related careers.
Michael Litt, cofounder and CEO of the video marketing platform Vidyard, writes in Fast Company about the value of employees who understand engineering as well as the forces that motivate people, skills that come from liberal arts education.
This article in the Harvard Business review surveys several recent books (by experts from the worlds of academia and business) that celebrate the synergy of STEM and human context in a well-rounded education.
This article, which appeared November 28, 2016, in the Chronicle of Higher Education, lists data-based benefits -- financial, societal, and in life quality -- associated with studying the humanities.
The Wall Street Journal discusses how the disparity in pay between humanities/social science majors and many of their counterparts narrows in the years following graduation. Moreover, it notes that among the top five traits desired by employers are teamwork, writing ability, problem-solving, and oral communication skills.
An article on the FiveThirtyEight site reports on research that shows that because technology is leading to the automation of purely technical jobs, "people skills" — communicating clearly, being a team player, appreciating social perceptiveness — are growing in demand.
In a blog post on Payscale.com, a student with a STEM-heavy background reveals why she chose to major in English in college. Spoiler alert: it had to do with her job prospects.
A new report by the Georgetown Center for Education and the Workforce shows that the economy in recent years has improved most in "good jobs" (minimum $53,000 / year annual salary, and often including benefits). The largest growth area among these good jobs? Jobs in the category managerial and professional office--the kind of jobs in which liberal arts graduates frequently find employment--more than double the next highest category, STEM (see page 14 of the report).
In a study reported on the Forbes website, LinkedIn found that the tech sector holds plenty of opportunity for graduates with degrees in the humanities and social sciences. In fact, the researchers found that hiring of liberal arts majors in tech companies grew 10% faster than the hiring of computer science or engineering majors.
Eugene Tobin, a senior program officer for higher education and scholarship in the humanities at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and a former president of Hamilton College, emphasizes the potential synergies of STEM fields and humanities disciplines.
A "divide" between STEM and the liberal arts? An article on the Forbes website describes how the tech industry is seeking liberal arts graduates to connect with customers and drive creativity. The human touch in a humanities and social science education bridges the gap between the engineers coding new products and the people who will use them.
A career is a marathon, not a sprint. Peter Cappelli, the George W. Taylor Professor of Management at The Wharton School and Director of Wharton's Center for Human Resources, argues that pursuing a broad, liberal arts education provides a better career strategy than a major geared to one occupation.
It's time to challenge the myth that only STEM majors are in demand among employers, writes Paul V. Sturtevant, research associate in the Office of Policy and Analysis at the Smithsonian Institution.
Columnist Victoria Postrel in Bloomburg News reminds us that the creation of meaning, insight and even pleasure drive the modern economy as much as technology does.
This article discusses factors that lead students -- in all majors -- to the finance and consulting fields, and explores how the skills taught in the humanities and social sciences are a good match for the challenges of the business world.
The president of the University of Michigan and the president of Stanford University, a biochemist and a computer scientist, make the case for an economy that includes humanists and social scientists along with scientists and engineers.
Survey of 225 employers finds high demand for liberal arts majors because of their skills in areas such as spoken and written communication, skills that play a key role in a liberal arts education.
Creativity, critical thinking, flexibility, ability to solve complex problems, teamwork: these are the traits that liberal arts graduates bring to the workplace, and they are the traits that managers and employers need.
Leaders from higher education, business, government discuss the skills that college students should gain to prepare them for success in today's globalized, technology-driven working world.
This article, written by a college student who came to the United States from Mexico to study, describes the unexpected challenges and benefits of her experience with the liberal arts education she would not have been able to enjoy at home.
