Schools

What is a Humanities Degree?

Humanities are an area with a broad, though nebulous, range of career possibilities. While a business degree can lead to a career in business, as a law degree would for law, a degree in humanities could lead to a career in art, academia, or many other areas.

A humanities degree is a sure way to expand your horizons-a unique opportunity to learn about topics you otherwise would never encounter. Humanities is a broad field-encompassing art, music, theater, language, history, religion, philosophy, and even law-areas that shed light on the human condition.

Studying art and humanities can be an enlightening and rewarding experience-altering the way you see your own life and the world. In studying humanities, you'll likely be surrounded by people with a love of learning-there to enjoy absorbing the content of the classes. People study humanities and art for the sake of learning about those topics-less as a means to an end like with other areas.

That said, there's no telling how useful you'll find the things you learn pursuing art and humanities—they could make you a more well-rounded person, a better conversationalist, or an all-around more engaged person. You won't learn tangible skills like computer programming and accounting, but you may learn to think much differently. The important thing is to pursue art and humanities for the right reason-to deepen your understanding of the world, and to satisfy your love of learning.

How can I get a Humanities Degree?

Once you've decided to pursue a humanities degree, many other choices await you—like where to get it and what type of program to enroll in. Most schools with liberal arts programs will offer programs in humanities. The important question is whether they offer a program that fits your needs. If you work during the day, do they offer classes at night, on weekends, or online? Have you met and found the faculty to be personable, accommodating, and passionate about the material?

There are many programs in the arts and humanities, so it should not be difficult to find one that fits your needs.