Why Arts Degrees aren’t a waste of time or talent
I have a Bachelor of Arts. I studied Creative Writing and Screen & Cultural Studies at the University of Melbourne. Here’s why I think the people who say Arts degrees aren’t worth studying (and the Morrison gov who hiked up fees by 113%) don’t really have a leg to stand on.
There’s a stigma about Art degrees – you spend three years studying, only to graduate into unemployment. But like with a lot of stigmas, it’s not based in fact.
The actual stats show that in Australia, graduates with an Arts Degree are employed at a rate of 91.1% compared to maths and science, which has a 90.1%. With all the shit-talking that exists, you’d be expecting the Arts degree employment rate to be wayyy lower than that, hey?
Here’s why I’m glad I did a BA:
It gave me the time and space and environment to grow as a person. I cringe at the idea of my 18 year old self walking straight out of highschool into a professional environment. What would she have done? Would she have had the self-management, problem solving and emotional judgement skills of post-study Alaina? Probably not.
It gave me people skills. I’d never had to collaborate with others to get projects across the finish line before, and an arts degree really sets you up for that element of working. Sure, group projects are a hellish experience, but so is working in an office with people you don’t vibe with. Practising negotiation and collaboration skills during your degree means you’re prepared for it when you start working.
It was flexible. By studying arts, I was broadening my career possibilities. I wasn’t three years into a medical degree realising I didn’t actually want to be a doctor and scrambling to switch degrees. I was choosing subjects that interested me, and slowly starting to consider what sort of work I wanted to do once I graduated.
Sure, I rarely use my knowledge of Australian films, poetry conventions or social analysis of the internet of things in any of my roles, but I also never expected to.
Here’s some stats to use if you’ve got people questioning your study choices:
2/3 chief executives of ASX200 companies have degrees in humanities
62% of government senior executives and 66% of federal parliamentarians
10 previous Australian Prime Ministers held a Bachelor of Arts
Approx two thirds of Australia’s workforce have humanities and social sciences degrees
But also! Who says you’re studying arts to get a job?
Studying doesn’t have to be tied to the end goal of employment. It’s so valid to study arts just for the sake of studying arts. I had no idea what I wanted to do for work while I was studying, but my degree has definitely shaped the kinds of roles I’ve had throughout my career.
So, what’s the take away here?
Study what you want to study. Don’t listen to the bitter people who tell you an arts degree gets you nowhere. Use the time to figure out who you are, explore what you might want to do, and relish in the ease of using ‘student’ as a response when people ask what you do.