At Brighton our Humanities degrees cover disciplines including philosophy, history, politics, cultural studies, and literary studies – but what does ‘Humanities’ really mean and why choose to study them?
What are the Humanities?
In one line, the humanities are ‘the study of how people process and document the human experience.’ As Jonathan Watson, Humanities lecturer at the University of Brighton explains it, “A humanities degree will help you to understand and question not just the world around you, but the history, ideas, expressions and arguments by which people have made sense of it and validated it.”
What will I be learning?
You’ll take part in challenging debates on topics such as global conflict, sexuality, class and fundamentalism and our courses teach you how to research, select, process, critically evaluate, present and discuss information – skills required in a broad range of professions.
Why should I choose a Humanities degree?
As Jonathan says, “Because you owe it to yourself to understand why the world is as it is. If you want to be an engaged and informed member of society, you need to understand and question not just the world around you, but the history, ideas, expressions and arguments by which people have made sense of it and validated it.” In short, the Humanities teach us what it is to be human. Many of our students want to study more of the subjects that fascinated them at A Level, and to develop the critical skills to challenge and question the society we live in.
What career can I go on to do with a Humanities degree?
Studying Humanities helps you to become a critical autonomous individual. Jon says that “studying any Humanities subject teaches you not what to think, but how to think.” The skills you develop can be transferred to a vast number of different careers as studying any subject in the Humanities teaches you how to research, select, process, critically evaluate, present and discuss information – in writing and verbally. These are skills required in a broad range of professions.
What have University of Brighton Humanities students gone on to do?
Our students become, among many occupations: teachers, healthcare practitioners, lawyers, NGO and charity workers, soldiers, city traders, social workers, television producers, publishers, as well as leading some to further study: these careers build on the skills we help you develop.
Find out about studying the Humanities at Brighton
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