What can a person do with a humanities degree?

[edjlopez23]

What can a person do with a humanities degree? I’m deciding between a humanities degree and business degree.

 

[adamhovey1988]

To be honest, not much

 

[Montrose]

I googled. This is what came up.

" Earning a BA in humanities can be a valuable stepping stone to future studies in law, medicine, education or business. Such a program can also be a good way to practice skills that are relevant to various entry-level jobs, such as research assistant, administrative aide, or management or sales trainee."

Also, found that the FBI is keen on people with such a degree.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

It depends on many factors including the major or area of concentration, the ranking of the college/ program, etc.

You should really be doing research into this based on others from your chosen school who have such degrees and by speaking with the school’s career placement office or guidance counselor. It’s too broad of a question for any of us to answer.

One obvious answer would be that people with such a degree can go on to pursue a graduate degree/ do research/ hope to become professors or scholars in the same area. Another obvious answer would be that in USA, people with an undergraduate humanities degree often go on to attend law, medical, or MBA school in hopes of getting a better paying job or more defined career path.

 

[EmilyAlexandra]

Hello. I don’t know how @adamhovey1988 could possibly justify the claim that one cannot do much with a humanities degree. Perhaps he is joking. I’ve just been running through in my head what my own university contemporaries are now doing with their humanities degrees. In no particular order, just listing the degree subject and career:

• Modern history: member of UK House of Commons and member of Shadow Cabinet
• Philosophy, politics, and economics: director of legislative affairs, No. 10 Downing Street
• History (ancient and modern): barrister (formerly judicial assistant, UK Supreme Court)
• Classics: major in the British army (graduated first in class at US Command and General Staff College, won Eisenhower, Arter-Doniphan, and Grierson awards)
• Geography: dentist and Royal Navy officer
• Theology and jurisprudence: solicitor, now teacher
• Jurisprudence: solicitor
• Philosophy, politics, and economics: senior commercial adviser in the oil industry, seconded to UK Department for International Trade
• Modern languages: search consultant
• Theology: schoolteacher
• Theology: URC minister
• English: publishing, then founded stationery and gift company
• Geography: university lecturer (previously assistant headteacher)
• Classical archaeology and ancient history: heritage management
• Theology: curator, Historic Royal Palaces
• Modern history: director of finance and operations for a university medical school
• English: tennis journalist
• Philosophy, politics, and economics: partner in a global accountancy and business advisory firm
• English: novelist
• Modern history: medical doctor
• Geography: medical doctor
• Philosophy and theology: co-founder of a brand and culture business
• English: opera singer
• English: deputy headteacher
• English: strategy director for a global advertising and marketing communications agency
• English: senior communications manager (previously press officer to the British prime minister)
• Modern history: legal counsel to a multinational investment bank and financial services company
• Theology: estate agent
• Philosophy and theology: senior lawyer at UK Government Legal Department
• Modern history: co-founder of a facilities management firm, previously an officer in the British army
• Philosophy and theology: CEO and co-founder of an investment management company
• English: senior university lecturer
• Theology: barrister
• Modern history: civil servant, now Anglican priest
• Classics: barrister and civil servant (prosecuting tax fraud for the UK government), now Anglican priest
• Philosophy, politics, and economics: associate director of KPMG
• Modern history and politics: management consultant, now co-founder of an insurance firm
• Modern history: associate professor of history
• English: solicitor (previously publishing)

 

[Shakuhachi]

One pretty much needs a masters these days. But something I would like to mention is the growing need in Catholic healthcare for people in the field now called Formation. Formation is the department responsible for keeping employees in tune with the mission. That also involves providing opportunities of them to reflect, thrive and flourish. Almost any background or discipline can lend itself to that purpose.

 

[Pattylt]

I’m not sure a BA in humanities by itself is a goal but as a stepping stone into other areas, it’s an excellent choice.

My first snarky thought was that a BA in humanities will get you a job at Starbucks…but really, every humanities graduate I knew went on to further degrees. Medical schools, years ago, poo pooed a BA in humanities but has really changed in that they love the more well rounded doctors they get with that background.

 

[meltzerboy2]

In Great Britain, but in the U.S. I’m not so sure.

 

[meltzerboy2]

Which one is your passion? I would advise you to go with that.

 

[adamhovey1988]

Hello. I don’t know how @adamhovey1988 could possibly justify the claim that one cannot do much with a humanities degree. Perhaps he is joking. I’ve just been running through in my head what my own university contemporaries are now doing with their humanities degrees. In no particular order, just listing the degree subject and career:

These may be true in the UK, but I know many humanities majors in the US have a hard time getting work. So no, I wasn’t joking. I’m aware of the issues with my own country in this regard. Not only was I not joking, I’m finding your tone rather condescending.

 

[edjlopez23]

I’m thinking about getting a bachelors in humanities with a minor in business; and am not really considering graduate school at this time. I’m hoping to do something like in administrative services for a company, like working in a Catholic Hospital.

 

[signit]

What can a person do with a humanities degree? I’m deciding between a humanities degree and business degree.

Can’t tell other people what to do, but if I were doing the deciding right now I’d pick the business degree.

This is from someone who has a humanities bachelor’s degree which has never helped him and a graduate business degree.

Employers look for people with skills who can come in on day one and add value. I’m thinking of my cousin my age with her engineering degree and all the job offers she got.

My first snarky thought was that a BA in humanities will get you a job at Starbucks…but really, every humanities graduate I knew went on to further degrees. Medical schools, years ago, poo pooed a BA in humanities but has really changed in that they love the more well rounded doctors they get with that background.

In all seriousness, the humanities degree might not even get you a job at Starbucks. They might look at your degree and not hire you because they’d think you’d quit.

Believe me, I know.

And, in my case, getting a further degree wasn’t feasible right away because I was in an unstable financial situation.

" Earning a BA in humanities can be a valuable stepping stone to future studies in law, medicine, education or business. Such a program can also be a good way to practice skills that are relevant to various entry-level jobs, such as research assistant, administrative aide, or management or sales trainee."

Also, found that the FBI is keen on people with such a degree.

I’m sure there are humanities degree success stories.

But, with a humanities degree, the trick is getting your foot in the door with an employer. This may be hard to do unless you went to a big name school and/or have excellent academics, or unless you have family or other connections.

Good luck.

 

[Convert3]

will get you a job at Starbucks

Don’t knock Starbucks. They paid for my son and daughter-in-law’s degrees and they’re making good money. My son started as a barista and works for corporate now, while his wife also started at the bottom and is a successful store manager.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Yes, I could also list boatloads of people I know who have the US equivalent of those snazzy positions in law, medicine, academia, and the corporate world. The vast majority of them went to very good schools, got great grades, and obtained one or more graduate degrees on top of their basic bachelor’s in whatever humanity they got it in. They also had a plan in place for doing that all along; the religion major who has now been a doctor for 3 decades majored in religion because she knew she’d be able to get an A in everything and that without an A in everything, she wouldn’t be able to get into med school, which was her dream.

I also know people who got a history degree from Littleknown U and are working some less glamorous job like barista, waiter, or retail sales while they try to figure out what to do with their life. Some of them ran up a $50,000 loan that they don’t know how to pay off.

Let’s be realistic here when we give careers and futures advice.

 

[RolandThompsonGunner]

I’d guess the vast majority of those people went to elite institutions, or did quite a bit of graduate work. Most of those would be extremely atypical outcomes for someone with a humanities degree from a middle-of-the-pack state university.

 

[edjlopez23]

Is a business minor helpful in getting a job?

 

[Convert3]

Not as good as a major. I knew many people who preferred double majors to a minor in anything.

 

[EmilyAlexandra]

In Great Britain, but in the U.S. I’m not so sure.

These may be true in the UK

Apologies. I did not realise that this question was specific to the US. The OP does not state a location or mention a location in the post. I am also not convinced that the situation is particularly different between the two countries. Humanities graduates from top US universities have very good employment prospects. Humanities graduates from poorly regarded universities in the UK have poor employment prospects.

Not only was I not joking, I’m finding your tone rather condescending.

I am sorry if you consider my tone to be condescending. That was not my intention.

The vast majority of them went to very good schools, got great grades, and obtained one or more graduate degrees on top of their basic bachelor’s in whatever humanity they got it in.

I’d guess the vast majority of those people went to elite institutions, or did quite a bit of graduate work.

The examples given are all Oxford graduates, not necessarily with very good degree results and not necessarily with any postgraduate qualifications. As a rule, I would say that anyone with a humanities degree from Oxford or Cambridge is all but guaranteed at least a moderately successful career in law, academia, teaching, the armed forces, the civil or diplomatic service, journalism, publishing, finance, management, various types of consultancy, etc. For what it’s worth, I don’t think that the standard of education at Oxford and Cambridge is very good, but Oxbridge humanities graduates do have good employment prospects because of the largely undeserved reputation of those institutions.

Which brings me to the point that is actually relevant to this thread. In my experience, an undergraduate degree in business is not actually the best qualification for somebody wanting a really successful career in business. I do not know anyone with a degree in business who is unemployed, but I also do not know anyone with a degree in business who has done really well in business. It’s similar in journalism: people with journalism degrees can get jobs in journalism, but nobody with a journalism degree ever makes it to the top.

To be really employable in business, I’d actually recommend a degree in maths, physics, engineering, possibly computer science.

 

[old_man_chris]

A nice hat? Toilet paper? A warning to others?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

The examples given are all Oxford graduates, not necessarily with very good degree results and not necessarily with any postgraduate qualifications. As a rule, I would say that anyone with a humanities degree from Oxford or Cambridge is all but guaranteed at least a moderately successful career in law, academia, teaching, the armed forces, the civil or diplomatic service, journalism, publishing, finance, management, various types of consultancy, etc. For what it’s worth, I don’t think that the standard of education at Oxford and Cambridge is very good, but Oxbridge humanities graduates do have good employment prospects because of the largely undeserved reputation of those institutions.

Um…There are thousands of “universities” and “colleges” in USA that are absolutely nothing like Oxford or Cambridge. Oxford and Cambridge are the equivalent to the US Ivy League, which the vast majority of students in USA have zero chance of getting into. Regardless of whether you think their reputation is “undeserved”, I guarantee you the students there are still way better and smarter than those at the vast majority of US universities and colleges.

I would not use world-class schools as an example of “what can you do with a ____ degree” unless the OP said he was attending one of them.

I’ll be stepping off this thread now, as experience has taught me that no matter how much experience at universities one has and no matter how many people one knows from them, people will believe what they want to believe about their opportunities with X degree from Y school. And this is how we have so many people burdened with college loan debt and constantly complaining that the government should erase it. People should choose wisely.