A Humanities degree’s value is in its multi-disciplinary approach. It opens your eyes to perspectives beyond your immediate field and challenges you to think critically.

What did you find beneficial about your program at McMaster?

I chose my major firstly based on topics I was passionate about. What ended up being beneficial in my journey was so much more than that. My degree led me down a path that was multi-disciplinary and gave me breadth and perspective. In my degree, not only did I take courses specifically relevant to Peace Studies and Women’s Studies but I also dove into Philosophy, History, Sociology, Psychology, etc. I owe my sense of perspective and thoughtfulness to my degree.

What advice would you give to a current student who is thinking about career options?

What you choose to take in university isn’t the only thing that defines your career. If you look at your learning as an on-going life journey (which it is), then university is your foundation. On that foundation, you can keep adding building blocks of knowledge to it —and the more diverse the better.

I also wish someone had told me that it’s OK to change your mind and change your path. I used to have this rigid and narrow idea of the type of organization and type of career someone with my degree should have. In hindsight, it’s clear that it was one of many potential paths. Explore your options, talk to people who have non-linear career paths or those who have changed industries.

In your opinion, what is the value of a Humanities degree?

Breadth of knowledge. A Humanities degree’s value is in its multi-disciplinary approach. It opens your eyes to perspectives beyond your immediate field and challenges you to think critically. Those are incredibly valuable skills in today’s dynamic job market.