Humanities Degrees Offer Depth of Knowledge to Globally Aware Students

By Adam J Bradley

One of the most stressful parts about college for many students is the moment when they must decide on a major. Students feel obligated to choose a path of study that will lead them towards a successful career. Many students feel that instead of studying what they’re passionate about, they’re stuck in a major with only the end goal of a paycheck in mind.

The social sciences encompass a wide variety of subjects that study the vast range of human endeavors. These subjects are all involved in one way or another with cultural ideas that span the history of mankind and world. The cultural themes and ideas that are examined in a humanities program involve art, music, literature, religion, philosophy, and language.

With budget cutbacks, however, humanities degrees can give way to other programs. Students these days might even be hard pressed to find degree programs in the subject area. “Programs that are engaged in the production of knowledge that is readily turned into money are the targets of investment, while the rest are to be downsized into… credits and a degree factory,” classical and Near Eastern studies professor Eva von Dassow told a regents board in a video broadcast on YouTube.

In Pullman, Wash., one university offers a humanities degree that it says is the only one in the state. Humanities degrees at this particular institution include classes related to women’s and ethnic studies that the university website notes can help students understand a global culture from multiple perspectives. At a college in Oregon, students working toward a bachelor’s degree in arts and humanities might major in art and visual culture, modern languages, theatre and communication arts and music.

For example, an English degree will involve a number of classes that force a student to examine issues like racism, feminism, psychological studies, and human behavior that we don’t understand. Students will be asked to look at issues from a historical perspective, or be required to take certain literature classes in order to better understand the mind set of groups of people in particular situations. A literature class, as a part of the course, might examine the role of certain groups of people who survived periods in history like World War II and how their survival affected future generations of people.

Often, humanities degree programs involve a great deal of discussion on various topics, even in an online learning environment. Students will be asked to read and discuss numerous topics, from politics to philosophy and more. Students will develop a range of skills in communication, from oral presentation to written thesis work.

At a Philadelphia, Pa., college, the humanities are actually being added as part of a new general studies degree program. The idea is to increase the number of students who continue their education beyond the high school level, a Business Wire news item noted. A college or university education alone, according to a business professor interviewed for Inside Higher Education, can help reduce crime values, increase contributions to the community and more. A community college instructor this year was reportedly working to bring attention both to community colleges and to poetry, a Library of Commerce news release suggests. US Poet Laureate Kay Ryan, with the Community College Humanities Association, was scheduled to hold a “Poetry for the Mind’s Joy” competition. As part of the event, Ryan was expected to hold a video conference that, streamed live over the Internet, included a discussion in how to write poetry.

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