The Daily Beast, a reporting and opinion website, has released a list of what they deem to be the 13 most ‘useless’ college majors. They are as follows:
- Fine Arts
- Drama and Theatre Arts
- Film, Video, and Photographic Arts
- Commercial Art and Graphic Design
- Architecture
- Philosophy and Religious Studies
- English Literature and Language
- Journalism
- Anthropology and Archeology
- Hospitality Management
- Music
- History
- Political Science and Government
The site bases their list on post-graduate marketability in the current struggling economic climate. They used recent and experienced graduate employment and earnings in order to compose this list, along with projected growth in total number of jobs 2010- 2020.
While the financial issues brought up by this article are valid, it is disturbingly obvious that the numbers and the article itself only explain a sliver of the overarching problem.
The word ‘useless’, according to Merriam-Webster, means “ineffective,” or “not able to give service or aid” (merriam-webster.com). As a result, this list only looks at productivity in a physical or monetary sense, which is highly problematic.
The subjects listed here are at the basis of growth and development. Take, for example, History and Political Science and Government. These are arguably the two most important subjects, for how can one grow if one does not know previous mistakes made? The conservation of the past, as well as analytical linguistic skills (English Literature and Language) cannot be overvalued.
Music and arts are expressions of emotions and stories, and I cannot help but notice that a majority of the majors on this list are things that have helped people of color reclaim their ancestry and express their struggles.
So should you change your major if it was listed above? I don't think so. Your degree will be worthy in other ways that will yield financial return, perhaps not now, but definetely in the long run. Be patient, and pursue your passion!
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