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Your Career in the Humanities

Career in the Humanities Infographic
Humanities majors find employment in a wide range of fields, from business and financial relations to healthcare and law. 80% of employers want the skills that humanities majors cultivate. Critical Thinking, Analytical Reasoning, Good Written and Oral Communication, Source: Hart Research Associates, 2015. Employers Seek Hires with Foreign Language Skills 85% Percent increase in FBI language experts in response to 9/11, Source: U.S. Senate, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. 40% Percent of business executives that report a failure to reach their international potential due to language barriers, Source: Keels, Xie, and Daniel, 2014. Business executives see foreign language skills and appreciation of cross-cultural difference as important for positions at all levels. Source: Keels, Xie, and Daniel, 2014. The Humanities Prepare Students to be Good Managers, 60% of humanities majors have jobs that involve managing or supervising. Source: Humanities Indicators, 2018. Recent Humanities Graduates are Employed at Similar Rates to Other Majors Employment Rates by Major: (Scale from 75 to 100) Major and Employment rates: Arts ~85, Humanities ~88, Behavioral & Social Sciences ~90, Physical Sciences ~92, Business ~94, Engineering ~94, Education ~95. Source: Humanities Indicators, “The State of the Humanities 2018: Graduates in the Workforce & Beyond,” American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2018, 12. 4.3% Unemployment rate for young humanities majors. Source: Humanities Indicators, 2018

From Classroom to Career: How the Humanities Build the Skills Employers Want

When asked to rate career readiness competencies, employers consistently prioritize “critical thinking/problem solving,” “teamwork/collaboration,” and “oral / written communication” above others (2018 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers).

Studying the humanities is not only personally rewarding but also professionally beneficial. Humanities students acquire skills that transcend industries and prepare them for career success in a diverse range of occupations. Employers actively seek to hire graduates with good oral and written communication skills, the ability to solve complex problems and make ethical decisions, and embody leadership qualities that our humanities students learn and apply. A humanities education helps students succeed in a wide range of careers. Data collected through surveys, interviews, and research also shows that humanities majors make greater strides than most other majors in critical thinking and reasoning skills, and these equip them for lifelong learning and success.  Employers in diverse professional sectors have indicated the value of these skills in potential employees.

Many of our course offerings deliberately bridge the theoretical material of the classroom to the public work of the humanities outside of the classroom. This is achieved through our growing partnership on campus and throughout the community. Many of our courses involve site visits and other collaborative work with local and regional humanities practitioners that represent a broad landscape of career opportunities in city government, nongovernmental organizations, and a variety of nonprofit work in literacy and education, social work, law, business, environmental conservation/preservation, community care organizations, museums, and the arts more broadly.

In addition to building career-readiness into the structure of our degree plans, we also offer a variety of internships. Interns may assist the department in several ways, providing tangible and meaningful experiences that are often tailored to the context of students’ personal and professional goals.