Every time I tell someone I’m an English major I’m met with the same question:
“Oh, so you want to be a teacher?”
To which I politely respond each time, “No, actually I want to go into publishing. I want to be a book editor.”
Then comes the look of surprise mixed with a subtlety that reads: I didn’t know that was a thing.
This is a common experience for an arts student. Everyone wants to fit you into a box or talk down your degree. Often without even meaning to—it just seems to be the natural reaction. Maybe it’s a me thing, but this happens so much that I get to the point where I really do start to question if I’m even pursuing the right program. Defending our choice as arts students is an exhaustive practice, but one that persists nonetheless. It’s just the way it is … Or is it?
I recently read a report from Strada Education Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on strengthening the gap between education and employment. The findings outlined how liberal arts majors fare in employment. Despite the common narrative that arts students will be jobless and face significant struggle securing stable employment and income following their post-secondary education, this report showed the opposite. In the long-term especially, arts students experience faster wage growth than any other major, with the top 25 per cent earning an average of $90,000 annually. Not bad for a field that’s been consistently put down for a lack of earnings.
Before we go further I want to make one point that I hope stays with you as you continue reading: art of all kinds, be it visual, performed, written, or academic, are fundamental to a society. Think of what life would be like without artwork: books, movies, paintings, or music. These things colour our culture and our daily lives. So why are these fields so consistently undervalued?
The arts fields are diminishing: fact or myth?
It’s not news that the arts have always taken a backseat to science, math, and technology; the field has always fallen victim to the “myth of uselessness.” Arts majors are constantly in danger of being deemed obsolete without any backing to the claim.
Dr. Wade Deisman, associate dean of social sciences at UFV, explained the three myths surrounding the liberal arts: the myth of uselessness, the myth of abstraction (which is to say something that only exists as an idea), and the myth of unemployment.
“People have attacked the liberal arts all the way along … [but] it’s shown in all of the academic research, that that uselessness is a myth,” Deisman emphasized.
Turns out employers want liberal arts students. The skills arts majors amass throughout their education include problem solving, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and more — all of which are sought out by companies, especially when it comes to career advancement.
Deisman explained how rather than limiting students to just one discipline, the humanities foster various skills which equip students for more than just one career path and better prepare them to navigate change.
“We’ve been hearing from employers for about the last 10 years, that the kinds of skill sets, understandings, and competencies that [arts majors] cultivate are increasingly in demand,” he explained. “And I think it’s because the pace of social change has picked up so much.”
So if this is true, what are — or aren’t — schools doing to support liberal arts education?
At UFV there are currently 3,500 students enrolled in an arts program. In a school that sees roughly 15,000 students each year, 3,500 might not seem terrible; but when you look at the approximate percentage, that’s only 4 per cent of all students.
Why is this?
Making no visible investments in liberal arts creates a narrative, be it intentional or not. Universities depend on their short-term goals and invest based on market and demand, which often leaves little focus on culture and humanities — even though studies show these majors fare exceptionally well in employment. According to Maclean’s, they are also generally more content with both their studies and careers.
In an article from The New Yorker, titled: “The End of the English Major,” a Harvard University student, Saul Glist, offered his thoughts on the matter.
“The question we should be asking is not whether the humanities have any role in our society or the university in fifty or a hundred years … It’s what do investments in the humanities look like—and what kind of ideal future can we imagine?”
If you’re at UFV, take advantage of the opportunities surrounding you. For liberal arts students there is a plethora of experiences just waiting to be grabbed. Smaller classes are a godsend rife with discussion, workshopping, and feedback, all of which can take you far. Find an internship or volunteer position in your desired field, connect with professors, get involved! In a world where you’re constantly being told why you won’t amount to anything, make things happen for yourself. Be vulnerable, continue taking risks, and above all else, stay curious.
In a report from the American Association of Colleges and Universities, written by Debra Humphreys and Patrick Kelly, earnings and career paths were studied in liberal arts.
“Majors in the humanities and social sciences—the so-called “liberal arts”—have become targets for special scrutiny and potential budget cuts.”
Although this report was published over 10 years ago, we are living with the same challenges today. Arts fields are the first on the chopping block when it comes to cutting funds. The Canada Council for the Arts faced cuts of five to 10 per cent in April 2024, and McGill University announced in 2024 that they would be facing drastic budget cuts with the weight of these blows landing on their arts departments. Queen’s University also had to reduce funding of arts programs in 2024 in response to budget deficits.
As The New Yorker put it:
“The trail to studying truth and beauty must still be blazed; it can’t come from walking backward.”
Is a career in the arts sustainable?
If you ask someone on the street, no. If you ask anyone who has done even three minutes of research (or a quick Google search), yes.
Of course there are challenges, like any career. Oftentimes it can be difficult for arts students to land a job right out of university and this can be discouraging. However, while it may not happen right away, when it does these students are better suited to move up the ladder.
Dr. Heather McAlpine, UFV’s English department head and associate professor, is positive about the outlook for all humanities grads, be it liberal arts, literature, or history.
“The reputation is that students coming out of a STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) program are going to find a job immediately, and they’re going to advance and make a ton of money … but the advantage that humanities graduates … have [is] a depth and breadth of knowledge and a set of skills that suits them very well to advance [to] a management position.”
Deisman reiterated this point, referencing the average educational history of leaders.
“When we look at the background of people who are in leadership positions, what we discover is about 60 per cent of them have had some kind of education in the liberal arts.”
I’m not sitting here trying to convince you that you’ll make more as an arts student than someone in pre-med; chances are you won’t. But that’s not to say an arts degree has no value. The difference that people can’t seem to comprehend is just because one makes more money, it shouldn’t take away value from the other.
When it comes to technology, liberal arts students may even have an advantage over STEM students in the job market — they can provide a humanistic perspective and think of how to look at things differently rather than following orders or a set procedure.
One of the many beauties of getting an arts degree: the flexibility. Many Bachelor of Arts (BA) students go back to get graduate or other supplementary degrees which then boosts their earnings, and further diversifies their skill set. Another common trend within these fields is people changing careers, thereby expanding their experience. There is such a wide range of disciplines that the job opportunities can sometimes be overwhelming. For example, if you’re majoring in English, there is no shortage of careers you could pursue, from journalist or writer to archivist or research analyst.
Cobi Timmermans is a UFV alumna currently working in the school’s Graphic + Digital Design department as a computer lab technician. She shared how indispensable her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree was and how it opened her eyes to what she wanted to do.
“The most valuable part was the connections that I made with people like my professors and other artists and the students; it really built me up and gave me a sense of home and encouragement … art is so much your identity, I think it would have been a different dynamic in a different department [because] art is just who you are.”
Aside from the community it brought her, Timmermans expressed how she felt her degree prepared her for an array of opportunities in the future.
“I think [my degree] has set me up really well that I could go and try anything and be able to do well in it and continue growing. That’s [what] I really liked about the program, you get to build so many different skills and then see what you love doing.”
Staying devoted to humanism
The Writers Guild of America West strike in 2023 was instrumental in opening our eyes to the value of the arts, and exemplified how undervalued creativity is in our society. The strikers demanded higher royalties for screenwriters and safeguards from the integrated use of AI.
“[I]f we no longer ascribe any intrinsic worth to the people who have meticulously crafted what we read, watch and enjoy, what does that say about how highly we think of the arts in society?”
Harper’s Bazaar UK asked this in response to the strike. There were many questions surrounding the implications of it, but the overall message was clear: People consume what artists create daily, but rarely think to appreciate the behind the scenes of it all.
So how does artificial intelligence (AI) tie into this?
Although it was first introduced in 1956, the AI phenomenon — and I use that word lightly — only rocked the world in the past couple years. As much as I’d like to ignore it, I couldn’t write about liberal arts without mentioning the so-called “greatest threat” they face. For the first time, those empty threats of becoming obsolete seemed real for a minute. Turns out it’s still not the case.
In a labour market that is being rapidly saturated with AI, liberal arts’ emphasis on creativity, critical thinking, and adaptability is more vital than ever. Liberal arts majors are actually becoming more coveted in the face of overwhelming technological advancements. When you think about it, in a generation of technology and growing use of machine-thinking, isn’t it more important now than ever to be encouraging vulnerability and prioritizing truly human skills?
On vulnerability, Deisman explained why it is the greatest asset that arts students possess.
“We encourage that disposition toward curiosity, and that’s one of the key things that makes liberal arts education so tremendously valued, because there’s that willingness to risk and be vulnerable. And without that risk to be vulnerable, growth doesn’t happen, and it isn’t as durable.”
Deisman continued, explaining the importance of the strongest — and perhaps simplest — trait we hold when compared to machines.
“What is most revealing is that AI poses a threat to those core values that a humanistic liberal arts education protects by definition … The liberal arts [are] devoted to humanism, and AI is by definition, not human.”
The arts are unreplicable by machines — at least not well. As long as we remain devoted to humanism (a philosophical lens based on human interests that values individual potential) and connection, we aren’t going away. Maybe I’m biased, but I don’t want to read robot literature. It’s lacking what the arts are at their core: human; flawed, full of grit, and real.
“People are more hungry for that connection,” Timmermans said on the integration of AI. “When I started my degree, I didn’t really know what was out there. I didn’t really know that there was an arts community, and now I find that people are really looking for each other and wanting to build that scene.”
Don’t fear working as a barista forever
The stigma around arts students is slowly but surely dissipating. Turns out the skills you collect as a liberal arts student are in demand. Who would’ve thought? All my life I’ve known I wanted to pursue a career in English. It was always what inspired me more than anything. However when I was in middle school I thought about going into law or forensic science because these were the careers I was told were “realistic” and “sustainable.” In other words, I wouldn’t be broke and untethered. It wasn’t until high school that I discovered editing: a career that was both in my desired field and practical. Even though I felt I’d found my calling, it bothered me that it still wasn’t seen as good enough to go into English.
McAlpine shared a similar experience to mine when she described a conversation she had with an old guidance counsellor.
“[He said] you’re smart enough to go into a STEM field, and that’s what you should be pursuing. And I was kind of like, ‘I am smart, and I don’t want to do that.’ I think it’s fine to study things like history, philosophy, and everything like that … [there] was a very consistent narrative that if you study the arts, you’re going to end up unemployed and just this airy, useless person.”
Why does pursuing the studies you’re passionate about make you a lesser individual? The tale of woeful arts students has to be on its last page by now. Personally, my arts degree has given me experiences and opportunities that I am convinced I would have never had had I pursued that law degree. My decision to pursue English has been reaffirmed daily through my classes and various experiences in the field — and I’m only halfway through my degree.
There has been a reckoning in the arts world however, where we have started to see a shift in this narrative of the “useless liberal arts.” The idea that arts students are useless is an outdated one as the liberal arts have evolved from that stereotype and moved into a more engaged position in the world. Deisman commented on this movement:
“The stigma is based on an antiquated notion of where the liberal arts are. The liberal arts have always been evolving because their commitment is to engage with the world.”
Instead of acknowledging how underfunded and undervalued the arts are, society instead deters people from them with falsehoods of no money and wasted potential. I personally think pursuing a career you love is the definition of achieving your full potential.
Timmermans explained her own internal struggles with pursuing her degree and how she came to appreciate it.
“Sometimes I thought that what I was studying wasn’t as important or as beneficial to the world. But I think it’s so beneficial in a different way; it’s beneficial for our minds and souls, having art in community.”
Why liberal arts matter
Growing up it was pushed on me that STEM and heavily academic degrees were the only noble pursuits as they created doctors, lawyers, and CEOs. I internalized these beliefs and suddenly writing and creating for a living seemed far away. In the past few years with the heavy integration of AI, BA students have been pushed even further down the ladder. But my passion for the field is stronger than ever and I believe this is the general consensus among arts students.
“The liberal arts have shown themselves to be particularly adept at creating a lifelong thirst for knowledge, for understanding that curiosity … [and] that’s why they are the eternal aquifer underneath [education]. Because they feed [it] in a way that renews people’s sense of reverence for life,” Deisman expressed.
Those who study liberal arts look at the world with more depth and nurture an innate curiosity, one that can never be satisfied. Not only this, but the skill set arts students have is so adaptable that the jobs available to us are widely varied. We can still be CEOs.
At the end of the day there is no “right” direction, nor is there a “right” major. There is no guarantee that you will be successful no matter what studies you choose; that part is up to you. Career opportunity and success come from you as an individual, not whatever program is written on your degree. Sure, there are definitively more lucrative fields than others, but no matter what field you decide on, personal success is defined by much more.
A liberal arts education goes well beyond the studies; it is about becoming a more well-rounded individual. It provides an opportunity to think more in depth about society and exposes students to wider matters surrounding complexity, diversity, and change in the modern world. Above all else, the true value of this degree is that it does more than just educate us, it shapes us into who we are.
McAlpine discussed this concept in terms of English students especially.
“I think you grow a lot as a person if you study English literature, because you get to experience all these other perspectives and these other whole lives … It helps you develop empathy, and you can start to understand broader themes around you in culture and in other media, and just in life through the lenses that you develop.”
The arts and everything they embody are the lifeblood of an interesting and dynamic society. Because of art we live in a world filled with beauty and energy, one that inspires and fulfills both our intellect and psyche. I think Robin Williams said it best in Dead Poets Society (1989):
“[M]edicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”
