Liberal arts offer many job opportunities
Qureshi, Furrah
Issue date: 1/11/08 Section: Ed-Op
Again, most assume these jobs will naturally be underpaid. After all, can you really be happy while making money?
Apparently, yes. A recent CNNmoney.com article by Rob Kelley stated that demand for college grads has gone up, which was "good news for liberal arts." Starting wages for political science majors have seen a 5.9 percent increase, English majors a 5.3 percent increase and history majors 3.3 percent. Take home salaries will range anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000. If you excel at your job, no matter the concentration, you will make money.
The humanities constantly face degradation. Accusations of ease, "BSing", and unimportance fly at liberal arts majors every day. My friend Sarah, a history major, has to scan multiple textbooks for hours memorizing names, dates, places, parties and presidents all just to write an answer for a ridiculous question like "why does man have war?"
I don't see how that is really any less difficult than memorizing the structure of a tapeworm as a biology major might do. Both tasks are difficult, both admirable.
The purpose of a liberal arts education is to educate students on a wide variety of subjects, scientific, as well as artistic. Is there really that much of a difference between the two? This kind of education doesn't just make an intelligent person, it makes an intellectual person, and yes, there is in fact a difference.
To be fair, as humanities majors deal with their beatnik personas, they often hold a counter stereotype towards science types, hailing them as unintellectual. That's a horrid misnomer.
I've met plenty of science types who have secret penchants for philosophy. But please realize that there are philosophy types who take interest in the sciences.
Compartmentalizing education into specific and warring sides is detrimental.
A truly educated person should be able to yo-yo in between the two circles and draw from each.
Furrah Qureshi is a freshman majoring in English. She can be reached at ed-op@thetriangle.org.
Apparently, yes. A recent CNNmoney.com article by Rob Kelley stated that demand for college grads has gone up, which was "good news for liberal arts." Starting wages for political science majors have seen a 5.9 percent increase, English majors a 5.3 percent increase and history majors 3.3 percent. Take home salaries will range anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000. If you excel at your job, no matter the concentration, you will make money.
The humanities constantly face degradation. Accusations of ease, "BSing", and unimportance fly at liberal arts majors every day. My friend Sarah, a history major, has to scan multiple textbooks for hours memorizing names, dates, places, parties and presidents all just to write an answer for a ridiculous question like "why does man have war?"
I don't see how that is really any less difficult than memorizing the structure of a tapeworm as a biology major might do. Both tasks are difficult, both admirable.
The purpose of a liberal arts education is to educate students on a wide variety of subjects, scientific, as well as artistic. Is there really that much of a difference between the two? This kind of education doesn't just make an intelligent person, it makes an intellectual person, and yes, there is in fact a difference.
To be fair, as humanities majors deal with their beatnik personas, they often hold a counter stereotype towards science types, hailing them as unintellectual. That's a horrid misnomer.
I've met plenty of science types who have secret penchants for philosophy. But please realize that there are philosophy types who take interest in the sciences.
Compartmentalizing education into specific and warring sides is detrimental.
A truly educated person should be able to yo-yo in between the two circles and draw from each.
Furrah Qureshi is a freshman majoring in English. She can be reached at ed-op@thetriangle.org.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
brandon
posted 1/13/08 @ 11:41 PM EST
Wow, well said.
G.B.
posted 1/14/08 @ 8:45 PM EST
I'm sending this to my mom.
lee-ann.
posted 3/02/09 @ 9:59 PM EST
thank you, for this article. i'm an undergrad who's always wanted to write her book, though not necesarrily the great american novel, and i was seriously contemplating giving up the liberal arts stream for the sheer practicality of it. (Continued…)
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