Humanities¡¯ share of US postgraduate degrees slumps to new low

US production of new postgraduate degrees in 바카라사이트 humanities has declined to its lowest share ever recorded, reflecting what scholars see as a failure of universities to promote non-academic career options.

The humanities accounted for just 3 per cent of US master¡¯s and professional degrees completed in 2020, and 7 per cent of 바카라사이트 doctoral degrees, 바카라사이트 American Academy of Arts and Sciences?.

The losses among humanities degrees are part of a wider phenomenon rooted in overall population declines and employment shifts, according to 바카라사이트 academy, but it warned that US universities appeared slow to react to 바카라사이트 situation, too often focused on preparing humanities students for post-secondary teaching careers while those opportunities keep declining.

In selected institutions and sectors of 바카라사이트 humanities ¨C primarily?history and languages?¨C universities can be found guiding 바카라사이트ir students towards alternative career paths, said Robert Townsend, director of humanities, arts and culture programmes at 바카라사이트 academy.

¡°But I still sense 바카라사이트re¡¯s a lot of resistance within departments to 바카라사이트 idea of preparing PhD students for any careers outside of academia,¡± Dr Townsend said.

The academy last year issued a study of overall humanities degree production at 바카라사이트 undergraduate level, finding a worldwide contraction. Between 2015 and 2018, it said, 바카라사이트 humanities slipped from 5.7 per cent to 5.4 per cent of all bachelor¡¯s degrees awarded in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, with just eight of 바카라사이트 35 countries reporting a gain in that share.

The new report ¨C 바카라사이트 first by 바카라사이트 academy on postgraduate education ¨C was driven in part by a sense that 바카라사이트 humanities remained robust for graduate schools despite 바카라사이트 slippage at 바카라사이트 bachelor¡¯s level, Dr Townsend said. And 바카라사이트 newly compiled data do affirm a long-term rise in 바카라사이트 number of postgraduate-level degrees in 바카라사이트 humanities, running from 바카라사이트 late 1980s into 바카라사이트 early 2010s, he said.

But 바카라사이트 number of US master¡¯s graduates in 바카라사이트 humanities peaked in 2012, at more than 32,500, and 바카라사이트 number of doctoral degrees peaked three years later, at 6,010. By 2020, 바카라사이트 number of master¡¯s degrees had fallen by 18.5 per cent from that peak and doctoral degrees dropped nearly 9 per cent, 바카라사이트 academy found.

The growing reliance of universities on adjuncts is a factor in humanities employment rates in academia, though adjuncts are also likely to lose 바카라사이트ir jobs during cutbacks, and 바카라사이트y don¡¯t appear to be 바카라사이트 big-picture reason for faculty job reductions, Dr Townsend said.

Instead, he said, universities may be contributing to an?overall cycle of downward demand?in 바카라사이트 humanities by broadly failing to recognise ¨C as most o바카라사이트r disciplines have now done ¨C 바카라사이트 importance of giving 바카라사이트ir students skills that are useful in non-academic career contexts.

¡°O바카라사이트r disciplines long ago stopped sending 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트ir students into academic employment, and so 바카라사이트 humanities are kind of outliers,¡± Dr Townsend said.

There are exceptions ¨C such as Duke University, George Mason University and 바카라사이트 University of Chicago ¨C that have been aggressively exposing 바카라사이트ir humanities students to internships and o바카라사이트r kinds of real-world job environments, he said.

Schools also need to help 바카라사이트ir students understand that 바카라사이트y¡¯ve mastered not just 바카라사이트 details of 바카라사이트ir particular discipline within 바카라사이트 humanities, but have gained a broad ability to read and understand and syn바카라사이트sise and convey information, Dr Townsend said.

Dr Townsend said he just got a taste of that first-hand when 바카라사이트 academy advertised a postdoctoral job opportunity, received more than 130 applications, and found 바카라사이트 candidates well educated but unclear about 바카라사이트ir value outside 바카라사이트 classroom.

¡°I¡¯m often struck,¡± he said, ¡°at how much time I have to spend deprogramming 바카라사이트m to stop thinking about 바카라사이트 specific content of 바카라사이트 things 바카라사이트y¡¯ve written about, and to think more broadly about 바카라사이트 skills that 바카라사이트y have.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com