“Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” – John Keating, played by Robin Williams in The Dead Poet Society (1989)
For as long as there’s been a competitive workforce, there has been a long-standing rivalry between STEM and the arts and humanities majors. From arguments about who makes more money, to who should be taken more seriously, these two fields are often at odds.
However, upon recent research, I found that many people have been advocating for the appreciation of the arts and humanities, which warmed my heart as a communication major.
Many articles strongly argue the benefits of majoring in the arts and humanities. Josh Moody of U.S. News wrote that “liberal arts students learn a wide range of skills that prepare them for jobs.” David Deming of The New York Times wrote about financial and skill advantages of people with degrees in the arts and humanities. Steven Mintz of Inside Higher Ed wrote, “It’s a broad, general, well-rounded education that liberates individuals from provinciality, narrow-mindedness, superstition and insularity.”
Even though appreciation for the arts and humanities has grown, skeptics remain. These majors are often discredited because classes are seen as “useless” or lacking in merit because they’re “easy.”
EDsmart, a website that gives future college students advice on academic-related topics, recently published a list that outlines which degree paths are the most “useless.” Of the 20 degrees mentioned, only one was STEM-based while the others focused on arts and humanities.
Past conversations with high school academic counselors, teachers, and other students made it clear to me that pursuing a career in STEM was the practical move.
Going into college, I was a bit nervous about pursuing a major that didn’t rely on numbers, statistics, or all of those fancy, science-y doodads, but now that I’m in my third year as a communication and leadership student, I’m glad I chose this degree.
My classes have impacted my growth as a person in both a personal and professional sense.
I’ve accrued a stronger appreciation for communication, empathy, active listening, and curiosity. As for professional skills, my writing has improved, I have extensive knowledge of how to resolve conflicts constructively, and I am open to hearing different views.
I am sure many of my fellow non-STEM students can agree that those are excellent skills.
This is not to say, however, that STEM students don’t learn or have soft skills, but rather to emphasize that what students in the arts and humanities learn in class is, in fact, meritable and useful.
“Subjects in the liberal arts teach people how to strengthen their soft skills,’ said Jaiden Crosswell, an English major at the University of Texas. “They give people the chance to broaden their view of society by teaching them how to understand others and different cultures.”
Understanding other people and their cultures is important because each culture brings a new perspective to the table. Cultures shape the way that we think and act. Developing a strong sense of cultural awareness helps us understand people’s way of thinking, where their opinions come from and it gives us the opportunity to have open, constructive conversations.
Being able to understand each other on a deeper level gives us empathy, compassion and other communication skills that are, indeed, useful.
Skills learned from classes in the arts and humanities are incredibly beneficial, but despite their reported usefulness, the difference in financial gain between non-STEM and STEM careers is a major plot point for skeptics who claim non-STEM majors to be “useless.”
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics highlights that in 2022 the median annual wage for STEM occupations was $97,980, while non-STEM occupations earned a median annual wage of $44,670.
Trust me when I say that non-STEM students are aware of the salary difference.
“I think the reason (people) might underestimate other majors, especially maybe something in the liberal arts, is because it may not be seen as very lucrative if it’s not within an established and secure industry like engineering, medicine (or) business,” Crosswell said.
Non-STEM paths are presumed to be risky because of their seemingly low profitability, but they provide more fulfillment than people might think. Employers are now acknowledging the fact that arts and humanities teach students how to harness and strengthen soft skills that help the workplace thrive.
I think most employers are looking for people with strong soft skills because they can be applied in professional and social settings. Although an employer’s priority is to find someone who can do the job, they are also taking into account a person’s character because they want to keep the workplace as lively, welcoming and problem-free as possible. Enthusiasm, communication skills, and good networking skills are some of the traits that employers are looking for, according to The U.S. Department of Labor.
Though often seen as the underdog in career fields, art and humanities majors have the ability to succeed just like STEM students. So, to the skeptics who still remain – no, the arts and humanities aren’t useless. In fact, the arts and humanities help shape people into passionate, empathetic, creative and sociable people who can contribute to the workplace in a meaningful way.
So, to my fellow non-STEM students, keep going because even though some people don’t want to admit it, the world needs us.