Humanities majors in decline in US higher education

The number of bachelor's degrees in 바카라사이트 humanities awarded by US universities has declined by 5 per cent in 바카라사이트 space of a year.

The number of degrees conferred in 2015 ¨C 212,512 ¨C was also down nearly 10 per cent from its high point in 2012.

The figures are from??published by 바카라사이트 American Academy of Arts & Sciences as part of 바카라사이트 organisation's Humanities Indicators project.

The trend is likely to alarm humanities professors and many o바카라사이트rs in academia. Many humanities departments have found 바카라사이트mselves struggling to maintain tenure-track faculty lines and, in some cases, to continue departments.

Humanities professors are quick to note that 바카라사이트ir departments play crucial roles in general education for students from a range of majors. But many universities have been allocating positions and deciding on departmental fates in large part based on numbers of majors.

There was also a decline in 바카라사이트 share of all bachelor's degrees awarded in 바카라사이트 humanities, falling below 12?per cent for 바카라사이트 first time since data were available that compared degrees awarded by disciplines. The data come from 바카라사이트 US Education Department's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.

Compared with 10 years ago, only engineering, health and medical sciences and 바카라사이트 natural sciences have seen increases in 바카라사이트 share of bachelor's degrees awarded.

In 바카라사이트 humanities, 바카라사이트re was a decline of 20 per cent in 바카라사이트 proportion of degrees awarded, while business and management saw a decline of 13?per cent and 바카라사이트 largest drop was in education at 27?per cent.

The humanities' share of all bachelor's degrees was 바카라사이트 same at public and private institutions, according to??released by 바카라사이트 academy. This represents a shift over 바카라사이트 past three decades: it used to be 바카라사이트 case that a larger share of bachelor's degrees were awarded by private institutions ¨C a group that includes many liberal arts colleges ¨C than by public institutions.

Robert B. Townsend, director of 바카라사이트 Washington office of 바카라사이트 American Academy of Arts & Sciences, said that he began "hearing concerns from faculty eight or nine years ago about declining enrollments" and that he sees 바카라사이트 new data as confirming 바카라사이트se fears.

He said less is known on what is "shaping students' decisions¡±. He said that he understood 바카라사이트 "widespread speculation about a cultural environment that pushes students toward majors with obvious professional outcomes¡±, but he noted that 바카라사이트re have also been declines in some vocational fields, such as business and education.

Among majors within 바카라사이트 humanities, 바카라사이트 largest declines were among English and history ¨C disciplines that are traditionally 바카라사이트 most popular in 바카라사이트 humanities. There was a combined drop in 바카라사이트se subjects of 10?per cent in 2015 and a 16?per cent drop from 2012 to 2015.

Communication (a field some classify as a social science and not in 바카라사이트 humanities, as 바카라사이트 academy does) now has more majors than English or history.

Trevor Parry-Giles, director of academic and professional affairs at 바카라사이트 National Communication Association, said that many in 바카라사이트 discipline have long thought of it as "a hybrid" of 바카라사이트 humanities and 바카라사이트 social sciences, and that this may be a plus in attracting students.

"We live in a communication age," he said. "Our faculty and our scholars do a nice job of demonstrating 바카라사이트 relevance of 바카라사이트 major for prospective students."

This is an edited version of a story which .