CONNECT YOUR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
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Competing Definitions of a “Useful” Major
The following piece from FiveThirtyEight offers insight into why students select certain majors. Students at selective universities are more prone to major in the liberal arts than students at less selective schools who tend to emphasize vocation-specific majors to ensure a more immediate return on investment. In the longer term, the article cites studies that show…
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Making the Case for the Value of a Liberal Arts Degree
In this editorial BYU English professor, Nick Mason, debunks several fictions about the purpose of a university education and the unique value of a liberal arts degree in today’s workplace. Follow link: Go Get that English Degree
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Mark Cuban says Liberal Arts Majors Prepared for the Future
In an interview with Bloomberg news, internet billionaire and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban argues that English, Philosophy, and foreign language majors are uniquely prepared for the disruptive jobs environment of the coming decade. The growth in computing power and increasingly sophisticated software will displace many fields and place a higher premium on workers who…
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Jobs for English Majors in the New Economy
Forbes magazine writer, George Anders, reports on a recent study by PayScale, which identifies fourteen job types that privilege English majors and pay at least $60,000 in salary. These positions range from the more traditional editing and tech writing opportunities to emerging work in the digital domain such as content strategists and web producers. “Turns out that…
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Job Market heating up for Humanities Majors
The Wall Street Journal reports on a recent study of employment prospects for 2015 college graduates. It shows that employers are increasingly look for people with strong communication skills and the ability to work comfortably in a multicultural environment. The study shows that 80% of graduates were employed or in graduate school within six months…
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Find a Profession with Purpose
Cornell University economist, Robert Frank, explores how to think beyond salary in choosing a career path. Values such as a sense of mission, moral satisfaction, and expertise are keys to a sense of well-being, as well as professional success. Follow the link below to the New York Times article. The Value of Finding a Job…
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Why Business Majors Need the Liberal Arts
A panel of educators at this month’s Aspen Ideas Festival pointed to the relationship between liberal arts training and business leadership potential. According to one participant, “American undergraduates are flocking to business programs, and finding plenty of entry-level opportunities. But when businesses go hunting for CEOs or managers, ‘they will say, a couple of decades out,…
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Study Literature First, Then Learn to Code
A recent New York Times Op-Ed suggests a humanities background is just the thing for future software developers. Challenging the view that students interested in careers in software should learn to code at the expense of other priorities, Bradford Hipps makes the case for devoting the undergraduate years to liberal arts. Software, he argues, is “far more…
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Astrophysicist Makes Case for Humanities Education
In a recent NPR commentary, University of Rochester astrophysics professor, Adam Frank, argues that college affords a singular opportunity for personal development that would be squandered if treated as “nothing more than job training.” A more balanced approach understands that the “old barriers between the humanities and technology are falling,” and a complete education will…
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Humanities Meets Computer Science
Building on the widespread growth of digital humanities programs across the country, a pilot program at Stanford University enables students in humanities fields to cultivate stronger computing skills with a combined major in computer science. While the program won’t necessarily turn these students into professional programmers, it gives them the chance to tailor their course…
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