Key Takeaways
- The study of humanities can be defined as the exploration of human cultures, behaviors, societies, and economies throughout history.
- Humanities majors include art history, philosophy, ethics, foreign languages, linguistics, religious studies, visual and performing arts, history, and more specialized areas like law, anthropology, and political science.
- Skills developed by obtaining a degree in humanities include writing, research, critical thinking, analytical skills, creativity, and communication.
- Common careers for humanities majors include roles such as advertising professional, museum curator, teacher, historian, public relations specialist, human resources specialist, journalist, and lawyer.
Flickr user Penn State
As you look through the different majors, you’re sure to see one titled “Humanities.” Simply put, with a humanities major, you’ll study what it means to be human! But that’s pretty broad, potentially leaving some confusion about the major itself. In this guide, we will explain the following:
- How Colleges Define the Study of Humanities
- What Courses You Can Choose From
- How It Benefits You
- What Kind of Career Opportunities Are Available
What Is the Study of Humanities?
The humanities focus on the study of human cultures, behaviors, societies, and economies through history. This field explores how humans have shaped their world over the centuries and how they have changed in response to it. When studying the humanities, classes will explore subjects like history, art, politics, and psychology to better understand people and the world around them. The study of humanities is part of a liberal arts education and majors usually earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Should You Study Humanities?
A degree in humanities might be a good fit for you if most of the following are true:
- You love to analyze art, books, or poems.
- You thrive on thought-provoking discussions.
- You appreciate learning about different cultures, languages, and traditions.
- You are fascinated by the way history shapes societies.
- You are passionate about making the world a better place.
- You enjoy learning new languages and understanding how it shapes thought and culture.
Humanities Majors
Most universities categorize the humanities into a number of different majors. These majors are then grouped together under the larger category of “humanities.” Here are some of the many humanities classes you could choose:
These are some of the many humanities majors you could choose to pursue:
- Art History
- Ethnic Studies
- Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies
- Philosophy
- Ethics
- Foreign Languages and Literatures
- Linguistics
- Religious Studies
- Visual And Performing Arts (Music, Drama, And Theater)
- History, General
The Study of Humanities vs Social Science
Even though the humanities and social sciences are both part of the liberal arts, many people confuse the two. While they share some similarities, these disciplines differ significantly in their focus, approach, and the types of questions they explore. Let’s take a closer look at both:
Similarities:
- Both are part of the broad field of Liberal Arts, along with the arts and natural sciences.
- Both explore and investigate the human world and society.
- Many subjects taught in humanities majors are similar to those taught in social science.
Differences:
- Social science majors focus on using statistical or mathematical data to analyze populations or events.
- Humanities majors focus on making theoretical and interpretive arguments, rarely using statistical data.
- Humanities students reflect on deep, timeless questions of human existence:
- ‘How do different cultures and eras interpret concepts of good and evil, or happiness and suffering?’
- ‘How do different societies define beauty?’
- ‘What makes a society or action just?’
6 Benefits of Studying Humanities
Humanities courses teach students far more than just the Spanish Civil War or the works of George Bernard Shaw. As you dive into these areas, you’ll develop valuable skills that stay with you long after you leave the classroom—setting you up for success in almost any industry.
Humanities students gain these six soft skills that are desirable in almost all jobs:
- Writing Skills – A major part of studying the humanities involves forming evidence-backed arguments and presenting them clearly. To do this you’ll need to master two critical skills – persuasive writing and clear communication.
- Research Skills – The coursework requires you to work with a variety of sources, from primary sources and surveys to images and analytical texts. Learning how to identify relevant details and analyze the sources helps to improve your research skills.
- Critical Thinking Skills – As you pore over tons of research papers, you’ll learn to evaluate the information with a critical eye and present concise and logical conclusions. You’ll even get to practice presenting these as persuasive evidence-based arguments. All of this can help strengthen your critical thinking skills.
- Analytical Skills – This complements but is different from critical thinking skills. Thinking critically and objectively about the research sources and constructing logical arguments based on your findings helps improve your analytical skills.
- Creativity – What sets the humanities apart from most other majors is the creative component. It’s not enough to simply learn about a historical or scientific fact. You have to set aside assumptions and use your creativity to come up with innovative solutions.
- Communication skills – You’ll hone your communication skills as you learn to work independently and as a team member.
These are important transferable skills that can hold you in good stead in any industry.
What Jobs Can You Get as A Humanities Major?
Unlike how an engineering major leads to working in engineering, graduating with a humanities degree doesn’t lead to a job as a “humanist.” Earning a humanities degree can open doors to various career paths, such as advertising, education, journalism, law, and business. Plus, employers often give preference to students of the humanities, especially for roles requiring strong communication, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills. Here are some of the most popular jobs you can get with a humanities degree:
- Advertising Professional: Develop campaigns and strategies to promote products or services.
- Museum Curator: Oversee collections, organize exhibitions, and create educational programs to engage the public in cultural, historical, and artistic displays.
- Teacher: Teach subjects like arts, history, or literature at a high school or college level.
- Historian: Conduct research and analyze past events, documents, and artifacts to provide insights into historical periods.
- Public Relations Specialist: Create a public image for the organization to maintain to the public.
- Human Resources Specialist: Manage employee relations, recruitment, and development, and ensure organizational policies align with both legal standards and the well-being of staff members.
- Journalist: Write for newspapers, magazines, or online publications and cover topics related to culture, society, and current events.
- Lawyer: Provide legal advice, represent clients in legal matters, and interpret laws to advocate for individuals, organizations, or societal issues.
Is A Humanities Degree Right for You?
Humanities students study a range of interesting topics from ancient civilizations to complex philosophical questions. During the course of studying these topics, you’ll develop several crucial transferable skills that will prepare you for a variety of roles related to your major. The key is to being successful is to think creatively about how you’ll apply your knowledge and skills to different industries. Search majors today.
