Are the fine arts and humanities as important as the hard sciences, engineering and math?
Obviously, it is possible to study both, but what are the benefits of each? In order to answer that question, it might be a good idea to look at each under a magnifying glass.
There are many different focus areas within the field of fine arts and humanities. In the College of Humanities and Fine Arts here at UTM, the first department listed is the department of communications. Communications students can choose to emphasize in broadcasting, news editorial, media design and public relations.
Broadcasting and news editorial center around informing or entertaining the public. There is always news happening in the world, which makes these two majors essential. The entertainment value depends on how much the audience puts into it. Media design and public relations both serve the purpose of keeping business flow alive, along with finding clever ways to bring more people in.
The next department in the College of Humanities and Fine arts is the English and Modern Foreign Language. Students can major in English with the following emphases: literature, writing and secondary education. Students can also major in Spanish or other available languages. Communication is a must-have for any society, regardless of the language. Studying literature allows students to become more emotionally mature in addition to expanding their horizons. Education in writing and teaching of language is important for enabling the next generation to be able to communicate at a proficient level. Foreign languages can at the very least make people more useful in the workforce by being able to better communicate with non-English speakers.
The next department in the field of humanities is History and Philosophy. Both history and philosophy teach people how to think critically, which is always useful in today’s world. History will teach you how to think about the past in order to move forward in an intelligent way. But, in my opinion as least, a degree in history is also a great supplement to studying political science or as a precursor to law school. Philosophy will teach you how to think correctly about the ultimate purpose of an education by teaching you how to think about thinking. But perhaps more importantly, philosophy will teach you how to recognize inconsistencies in thought. Both of these subjects can prove to be a good supplement for numerous careers.
The College of Humanities and Fine Arts at UTM also offers a degree program in Music. Students at UTM can study music through performance and education. Music offers a great deal to the world for a multitude of reasons. It’s safe to say that people would rather be surrounded by music rather than silence.
The final department in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at UTM is the Department of Visual and Theatre Arts. Students can learn about theatre, graphic design, dance and so on. All of the fields in this college add to the beauty of our world that stimulates the intellectual and creative parts of our brains. First, studio and visual arts will create various projects that will make businesses more appealing. Second, degrees in art and dance education are useful for passing on information and inspiration to the next generation. Third, the visual and theatre arts in general are interpersonal in that they often show us the beauty of interactions between people, places and things.
STEM majors are also important but we might think for different reasons. Without the sciences, applied sciences or mathematics we would not have the comfort for which we could enjoy what the Humanities and Fine arts have to offer. But without the Humanities and Fine arts, we would lack both a reason to do STEM and a direction for STEM to take.
What you choose to do will depend on your preference, and which areas of focus are more important at any particular time will depend on what the world demands. The fields of STEM may recognize what the world demands and the Humanities and Fine arts may express it.
To ask “Are the Fine arts and Humanities majors as important as STEM majors”, is to ask a pointless question. It is not that one is more important than the other. Both are equally opposite in their value and therefore equally important.
