What Is a Humanities Major? (And What You Can Do With This Degree)

Key takeaways

A humanities major examines culture, ideas, and human experience while building transferable skills for many careers.

• Topics within the humanities include art history, English literature, history, anthropology, sociology, foreign language, political science, and theology.

• The humanities have become increasingly important in tech, where critical thinking, research, and communication skills are critical for growth and development. 

• You can choose your next step or college major by exploring the career paths that align with humanities skills.

Learn more about a humanities major, including what you study and careers where you can apply your skills. Then, explore online bachelor's degrees from esteemed universities.

What is a humanities major? 

A humanities major is an interdisciplinary field that studies human society and culture. Humanities majors study art history, English literature, history, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, foreign language, gender studies, political science, and theology. A humanities major can lead to a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.

Many four-year colleges and universities require students to gain a liberal arts education during their first two years of study. Known as general education requirements, this coursework is meant to help students think about complex problems from a critical perspective. 

As a humanities major, you’ll continue this training by studying a field or subject from a historical or theoretical standpoint. The emphasis is less on developing industry knowledge or career skills and more on being able to generate and analyze ideas, which, in turn, can help you develop other important skills. 

Read more: What Is a Bachelor's Degree? Types, Cost, and Application Requirements

Skills you can develop as a humanities major

Students interested in a specific career path tend to major in a subject that directly correlates with it. But as a humanities major, you can expect to refine valuable skills, such as the following:

• Critical thinking

• Problem-solving

• Communication

• Collaboration

• Research

• Leadership

• Empathy

In fact, according to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 Report many of the top workplace skills that employers desire are skills that you would develop as a humanities major: creative thinking, resilience, flexibility, agility, curiosity, motivation, self-awareness, leadership, social influence, empathy, active listening, and life-long learning [1].

The humanities have become increasingly important in tech, where critical thinking, research, and communication skills have become critical for growth and development. For example, a tech company might have a glut of computer science majors, but an anthropology major can offer a unique perspective that helps them discover new insights about their users.

Humanities major jobs 

A humanities major often prepares you to pursue roles that require an understanding of people, creativity, communication, planning, problem-solving, and teaching, as well as many other types of work. 

Some common career paths for humanities majors include: 

• Writer, journalist, or editor 

• Marketing, social media, or public relations specialist

• Event or experience planner

• Teacher

• Counselor or social worker

• Translator or foreign language interpreter

• Career coach 

• Entrepreneur

• User experience (UX) designer or UX researcher

• Consultant

• Historian or museum curator

• Non-profit worker

Is psychology a humanities major​?

Psychology is a social science major, not a humanities major. However, some psychology programs require you to complete humanities-adjacent courses, indicating some overlap between a humanities major and a psychology major.

4 careers for humanities majors

Beyond the roles listed above, let’s take a closer look at four specific jobs you can pursue as a humanities major. 

1. Writer 

Throughout your humanities major, you'll do plenty of reading, writing, research, and editing, which can prepare you for work as a writer. Writers work in a number of areas, including journalism, tech, finance, business, and marketing, and often focus on communicating important or interesting information to audiences.

Typical skills:

• Communication

• Attention to detail 

• Collaboration 

• Ability to work independently

• Time management 

• Project management 

• Problem-solving 

Salary and job outlook: The median annual salary for writers and authors is $72,270, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and the job is expected to grow by 4 percent between 2024 and 2034, which is as fast as average [2]. 

2. Legal assistant (paralegal)

As a humanities major, you'll have the opportunity to gain skills in research, writing, and critical analysis, all of which are valuable to the legal field. Legal assistants help lawyers with a variety of tasks, ranging from document preparation to communicating with clients and witnesses. 

Typical skills:

• Attention to detail 

• Communication

• Organization 

• Research

• Teamwork 

• Time management 

Salary and job outlook: $61,010 per year [3]. Those who work in the federal government usually earn the most, with a median salary of $77,940 [4]. The BLS expects around 39,300 job openings each year for legal assistants between 2024 to 2034 [3].

3. Human resources specialist 

In the way that a humanities major can prepare you to work with people and their problems, it can also prepare you to help a company find, retain, and grow talent. A human resources specialist assists with everything from interviewing and hiring to helping employees manage their benefits packages. 

Typical skills:

• Attention to detail 

• Communication

• Decision making

• Ethics

• Organization

• Problem-solving

Salary and job outlook: $72,910 per year [5]. Human resource specialists who work for the government tend to earn the most. The need for human resources specialists is expected to grow at a rate of 6 percent between 2024 and 2034 [5].

4. Counselor

Majoring in the humanities can help you develop unique perspectives about the pressing issues facing different individuals or social groups. Becoming a counselor can be an excellent choice if you enjoy helping other people solve their problems, though it may require additional credentials or training beyond a humanities major. 

Typical skills:

• Collaboration

• Compassion

• Patience

• Problem-solving 

• Research 

• Trustworthiness 

Salary and job outlook: School and career counselors make a median annual salary of $65,140 per year, and jobs are expected to grow by 4 percent between 2024 and 2034 [6]. Mental health and substance abuse counselors make a median annual salary of $59,190 per year, and jobs are expected to grow by 17 percent between 2024 and 2034, which is much faster than average [7].

Explore bite-sized ideas for meaningful career growth

As you explore how a humanities major aligns with your goals, it helps to stay curious about where different fields are heading. Subscribe to Career Chat to stay informed about emerging roles and new opportunities that can guide your academic and career decisions. Then check out these free resources:

• Watch on YouTube: What Should I Major In?

• Read this post: A skill you'll use your entire career: Writing

• Build valuable skills: Tips to strengthen your people skills

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