In recent years, there has been much concern expressed about the value of degrees awarded in the fields related to humanities. Perhaps, critics argue, undergraduate students would be better served by educational programs that more freely steer them into more specific employment opportunities.
But at Miami University, the humanities programs are thriving, as indicated by the results of a recent initiative dubbed HumanitiesWorks. The university said that in two years after the creation of an evidence-proven career advising program targeting students in humanities (languages, philosophy, and history, for example) student engagement at career fairs rose by 329 percent.
Meanwhile, career-advising appointments rose by 266 percent. Additionally, faculty members are now meeting with career services to learn about current resources and universal skills critical to employers and students, visiting regional companies and alumni to talk about recruitment, and have developed advising programs targeting humanities students.
Joining Cincinnati Edition to talk about HumanitiesWorks at Miami University are Professor Tim Melley and recent humanities graduate Jacob Bruggeman, who is headed to England where he will study at Cambridge.
A note about this interview: During the discussion Tim Melley remarked that 96.4% of Miami humanities graduates have a job or are in graduate school within six years of graduation. He meant to say six months.
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