Why Major in Humanities?
A major in the humanities provides you with an intellectual tool kit for life. Although the world of academics has placed an increasing degree of emphasis on STEM fields in recent years, the lessons that humanities disciplines have to teach us can be applied to countless facets of our world. The humanities produce not only writers and artists, but also entrepreneurs, educators, and innovators.
Intellectual Toolkit
Study in the humanities is meant to stimulate creative problem solving, a skill that can easily be generalized across a wide array of social, cultural, and political context. They empower students to express their individuality within the complexity of cultural communities and to cultivate traits of empathy, ethics, and civic responsibility. Moreover, they promote written and verbal communications, a crucial skill for any aspiration or career.
Career Development
In the context of careers, the humanities have the potential to stimulate a variety of skills related to entrepreneurship and innovation. The humanities impose structure on complex interpersonal problems and encourage articulate self-expression. They also promote compassionate collaboration and teach the value of making decisions based on deep analysis and evidence. Perhaps most importantly, the humanities produce creative and compelling visions of enterprise and progress, allowing talented creative thinkers to set themselves apart.
Importance of the Humanities According to Justice Sotomayor
Pacific was lucky to host Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor who gave a talk to students and community members alike. In addition to addressing the struggles that she faced on her path to the highest court in the nation, Justice Sotomayor lauded the value of a liberal arts education and the importance of becoming a well-rounded student. "You have to become, yourself, capable of being an interesting person," she asserted. "And how do you develop that capacity? In college. It's called a liberal arts education."
To watch Justice Sotomayor's speech in its entirety, click here.
Careers of Our Recent Graduates
Our Scholars have brought their degrees to a wide variety of careers and fields after graduating from Pacific. Here are some examples of the many ways that our recent graduates are applying their humanities background in the working world:
- Law
- Marketing/Communications
- Education
- Medical Technology
- Journalism
- Media Production
- Writing/Editing
- Publishing
- Software Engineering
- Music Director
- Filmmaking
- Non-profit organizations
- Business Administration
“The calling of the humanities is to make us truly human in the best sense of the word.”
— J. Irwin Miller, architect and philosopher