Whether you dream about creating positive change, turning your hobby into a business or establishing a creative career overseas, a humanities degree could be your launching pad.
馃摎 What are the humanities? 馃實
The humanities refer to a range of disciplines that analyse human experience and the natural world and encourage creativity, communication and critical thinking.
馃挕 Are humanities degrees worth it? 馃
You may have heard friends or colleagues share opinions like 鈥渉umanities degrees are useless鈥� or 鈥渉umanities degrees just aren鈥檛 worth it!鈥� but these thoughts couldn鈥檛 be further from the truth!
In the comments section of a recent article featured by The New York Times ( on AMACAD.org), graduates from a range of creative and educational industries described their humanities degrees as 鈥渟oul enriching鈥�, 鈥渓ife-saving鈥� and 鈥渢ransformative鈥�. (The article also references a recent by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences that found 鈥渉umanities majors are comparably likely to be satisfied with their jobs and employed in supervisory roles as graduates from other majors.”)
Following your passions and creating meaningful work has amazing mental health benefits 鈥� but did you know it’s also good for the economy?
A 鈥榗ultural export powerhouse鈥�1
In the last ten years, Australia鈥檚 cultural and creative industries have boomed. Employing 6% of the population and generating more than a billion dollars to the national economy, employment in the creative sector has grown by an average rate of 3.8%, compared to just 2.4% for the rest of the workforce, and shows no signs of slowing down.2
As a creative worker, you can also expect to earn a median salary higher than in other fields. The 2021 Census revealed that the median income for a creative worker in Western Australia was $76,600, more than 17% higher than the median income for the WA workforce overall.
What can I do with a humanities degree?
Humanities graduates drive innovation and make rich cultural and economic contributions across a wide range of industries.
You could become鈥�
- a teacher who inspires the next generation 馃懇鈥嶐煆�
- a designer, content creator or artist who offers different perspectives 馃帹
- an architect who builds a better tomorrow 馃彈锔�
- a journalist who brings hidden stories to light 馃摪
- a diplomat who bridges social divides and influences global relations 馃&苍产蝉辫;
- a historian who preserves and interprets the past for future generations 馃摐
- a translator who facilitates communication between speakers of different languages 馃棧锔�
- an anthropologist who studies and understands diverse human cultures. 馃實
I chose to study Secondary Education because I wanted to be able to make a change 鈥� whether it was as small as putting a smile on a student鈥檚 face and having a laugh with them, or being a part of something bigger like helping a student go from a 鈥楤鈥� to an 鈥楢鈥�. I wanted to be part of that change and make a difference in someone鈥檚 life.”
Hayley Probert, Bachelor of Education (Secondary Education)听
What skills can I learn with a humanities degree? 馃挰
Studying for a humanities degree will teach you some of the most important skills you鈥檒l ever learn 鈥� skills you can apply to the workplace but also skills that will make you a better world citizen.
With a humanities degree, you鈥檒l learn how to learn; how to separate fact from fiction; how to critically examine someone else鈥檚 viewpoint and treat it with empathy, and how to work through differences with others to achieve common goals.
馃З Problem-solving starts by asking the right question first 馃挕&苍产蝉辫;
As a humanities graduate, you鈥檒l expand your world view and leave university more thoughtful and compassionate, with the intellectual and emotional confidence to handle life鈥檚 challenges and setbacks. It鈥檚 a set of skills (and attitude, too) that might have been what Irish novelist Samuel Beckett had in mind when he, said: 鈥淓ver tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.鈥�
Australian film director and writer and Curtin screen arts graduate Zak Hilditch recently announced his fourth feature film, We Bury the Dead, starring one of Hollywood鈥檚 brightest stars Daisy Ridley. Zak says enrolling at Curtin to study film and TV was one of the best decisions he ever made. He says the support from his lecturers and peers at Curtin created a safe space where likeminded creatives like him felt comfortable failing:
鈥淚 knew I had to figure it out if I wanted to become a director one day, and going to Curtin was the first big step towards achieving that goal. From the first year, you start making films. My tutors and lecturers were really passionate about their craft and knew what they were talking about. My training and experience at Curtin allowed me to find my voice and set me up for the big bad world, so to speak. My Curtin bubble allowed me to take chances, explore different sides to humanity and discover my point of view and difference.鈥�
If you see yourself in a career where you can make a positive impact, by shaping cultural conversations, educating others or making inspiring art, a humanities degree could be a perfect fit.
Curtin鈥檚 Anthropology and Sociology course encourages you to question socially normalised practices to better understand the systems and structures that govern our lives. Being able to critique these accepted ways of being is crucial to breaking structures of inequality and marginalisation.”
Claire Dodos, Bachelor of Arts (Anthropology and Sociology)
Seven creative careers to spark your imagination 馃憲 馃幁 馃幀
Whether it鈥檚 working for Google Japan or starting a sustainable fashion company, our arts graduates are achieving extraordinary things.
Bradley Pinkerton took part in Curtin鈥檚 2014 鈥淪chool of Block鈥�, a dynamic workshop held at Block Branding鈥檚 industry studio. Renowned for his distinctive perspective and adept fusion of traditional collage with digital artistry, Bradley has established a formidable presence, particularly within the music realm, since relocating to Melbourne. His clientele include international luminaries like Shawn Mendes and Yungblud, and Grammy Award-winning artist Harry Styles. 馃帳
Curtin multimedia design graduate Brendan Seals is a VFX Supervisor at world-renowned visual effects studio Luma Pictures. He鈥檚 worked on numerous blockbuster films, including Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, Captain Marvel and Doctor Strange. Brendan and his team received the Best Visual Effects Award at the 2019 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards for his work on Spider-Man: Far From Home. 馃幀
Curtin PhD graduate Dr Ashleigh Angus spent a year in Scotland researching Scottish literary history as part of her Honours in Creative Writing. Her project explored how Orcadian women accused of witchcraft may have constructed fairy legends to articulate their fears and desires. Studying in Scotland as part of Curtin鈥檚 alliance with the University of Aberdeen means that Ashleigh could access archives on witch trials and explore the rugged landscape where her narrative is based 鈥� which she said was essential to the completion of her creative work. 馃鈥嶁檧锔�
Six-time Archibald Prize finalist and is one of Australia鈥檚 most internationally sought-after contemporary artists. Identifying as a Muslim and with Malay, Indonesian and Australian convict and settler heritage, Abdul describes himself as an “outsider among outsiders”. Spanning painting, photography, video, installation and performance, his practice is concerned with the experience of the 鈥榦ther鈥� in society. He engages with different marginalised minority groups and is particularly interested in the experience of young Muslims in the contemporary multicultural Australian context. 馃帹
Curtin fashion students Molly Ryan and Claudi Janse Van Rensburg, together with friend Shannon Itzstein, established 鈥� a social enterprise to redistribute second-hand workwear from mine sites to those who need them, reducing the environmental impact of the fashion industry. During their time at Curtin, Molly and Claudi completed internships at Redress, the world鈥檚 largest and most proactive organisation in sustainable fashion design, based in Hong Kong. Molly says the experience motivated them to establish Fibre Economy, where they sort the clothes and send the new and worn jeans to employment charities that help people transition into the workforce. 馃憱
Curtin theatre arts student Crystal Nguyen starred in a modern rendition of Shakespeare鈥檚 Richard III, under the mentorship of celebrated Curtin graduate Kate Mulvany OAM. Written by Michael Law and titled Teenage Dick, the play explores disability representation and inclusion. For Crystal, working with Kate helped her find the human in the misunderstood character of Richard III. She says the mentorship left her in awe of Kate鈥檚 鈥渁rtistry and integrity鈥� and helped her discover new ways of taking ownership of her strengths as a disabled performer. 馃幁
Curtin creative advertising graduates Gene Brutty and Tim Seddon have worked around the globe with some of the world鈥檚 biggest names including Google, Apple, Toyota, Nike, Asics, Sony, HTC, Audi, Panasonic, Uniqlo, Shiseido, Coca Cola and more. They now own their own business, Imagine IF for brands looking to make an impact in Asia. 馃審
I had an incredible lecturer at Curtin who taught me so much and helped me secure a three-month internship at The Brand Agency. While there, the digital agency upstairs, Longtail, started hiring for creatives. Tim and I were selected, paired up as a creative team 鈥� and the rest is history! We鈥檙e two very different people but we share the same work ethic and belief in what we do and what could work. We looked at other creative teams around the world and thought, what makes us any different to a junior team in Tokyo or New York? And we realised there was no difference. We had a strong self-belief that we were just as good, if not better. We immediately set ourselves the challenge of proving we could work on major projects for big brands on a global scale.”
Gene Brutty, Bachelor of Arts (Creative Advertising Design)听
鉁堬笍 How do I take my creative career global?
If you鈥檙e interested in taking your skills overseas, Gene and Tim have the following tips:
Upskill 馃&苍产蝉辫;
鈥淚f you鈥檙e interested in copywriting or art direction, consider learning skills in motion design, graphic design or coding. Companies are interested in hiring people with a diverse skillset. How do you apply copywriting through a digital experience? Or create interactive design? Diversify your skillset and increase your international employability.鈥�
Stay open-minded 馃&苍产蝉辫;
鈥淲orking in different cultures, it鈥檚 important to remain open-minded. You鈥檒l need to overcome societal and cultural barriers but your career will be richer for it. Ensure you have a diverse range of interests to draw inspiration from. Those who are open and fluent in the way they think about creativity and how to apply their skills in different contexts will have the best chance of success.鈥�
Work outside the box 馃挕&苍产蝉辫;
鈥淲hat helped us get noticed on the global stage were not our day-to-day jobs but all the extra projects and experiments we did. Submit work to national and international advertising or design awards. They often have a category for junior creatives or students. This will help you get noticed by major agencies. Create a website and showcase your work. Don鈥檛 just sit around and wait, go after what you want.鈥�
馃専 What can I expect from a Curtin humanities degree?
Whether your talents lie in the written word, fashion design, performance, languages, architecture, or teaching, at 麻豆直播 you鈥檒l learn in incredible facilities that teach you real-world skills.
You鈥檒l meet people who share your passions and talent, learn from industry experts and experience what it鈥檚 like to work in your dream field.
Take a sneak peek at these inspirational Curtin learning spaces:
Having migrated from Spain, I鈥檝e always been attracted to other languages and cultures. Doing international relations at Curtin, that鈥檚 exactly what I got. I was exposed to a variety of disciplines like history, terrorism and anthropology, for example, which gave me a really good toolkit to work with in international development with the United Nations 鈥� later on in intelligence, and right now in international policy.”
Laura G, Bachelor of Arts (International Relations)听
馃尡 Making the most of your humanities degree at Curtin
At Curtin, you can take advantage of a wide range of opportunities to extend your personal and professional skillset. Whether it鈥檚 directing plays or mentoring others, our Curtin Extra programs offer you the chance to build your skills and forge connections with people who share your passions. We also offer a range of specialisations, scholarships, internships and exciting global experiences.听
Interior Architecture student Zoe Thomas completed a Planet Positive Specialisation to learn how to help combat climate change in her career. She also gained a New Columbo Plan Scholarship for a study trip to Singapore.
She says: “Electives such as Planning Graphics and Design, in addition to the Sustainability Challenge and Start-Up Business Planning, have given me new aspirations for my future career. This included learning about sustainability in practice and how my interior design background can enable me to move into the planning, architecture and design realms.鈥�
Hear from Curtin fashion design student Samantha who took part in our Sustainability Challenge, an immersive experience where Curtin students worked directly with industry to address real-world sustainability challenges.
馃挜 Ready to take the next step? 馃殌
If you鈥檝e always dreamed of a career that combines your passions, ambition and desire to make a difference, discover Curtin鈥檚 wide range of .
If you want to talk through your options, we鈥檙e here to help! You can call us during business hours on 1300 222 888 or and we鈥檒l get back to you soon.
- https://data.afr.com/2023/afrintelligence/AEX001-AFRIntelligence-Youtube-8.pdf
- https://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/department/publications/publication/the-creative-economy-in-western-australia
