Blog post co-written by Hunter Amo & Andrew Marshall
The liberal arts emphasize passion, creativity, and surprising flexibility. The liberal arts teach students to view the world and its problems through an open-minded, creative, and analytical lens. With majors like English, journalism & media production, communication, women’s and gender studies, history, and more, there are topics of study for just about every creative pursuit. Yet we have all heard the unattractive headlines that emerge with it: “You aren’t going to get a job with that degree,” or “What’s the point of studying that?”
To address these questions as well as taboos—such as discussing salary and career prospects—we interviewed four UM-Dearborn professors across various liberal arts disciplines to gather their perspectives on how majoring in the liberal arts can positively impact a student’s education and career. As teachers and masters of the humanities, these professors emphasized how important the liberal arts can be to any student's life or career.
- Assistant Professor Esther Okonkwo is an English professor with a BA in English, an MFA, and a PhD in creative writing.
- Teaching Professor and Lecturer Anthony Luckett is a journalism & media production professor with a BA in political science and an MFA in film studies.
- Associate Professor Amy Brainer is an associate professor of women’s and gender studies and director of LGBTQ studies, with a BA, MA, and PhD in sociology.
- Lecturer Benjamin Wielechowski is a journalism & media production professor with a BA in zoology and an MFA in creative writing and literature.
Myth #1: “You need to starve to be an artist,” with Assistant Professor Esther Okonkwo
When speaking about liberal arts majors, we come across a highly debated topic: the financial payoff. It seems that the liberal arts can’t escape the stereotype of the “starving artist.” The truth, however, is that liberal arts students do not have to sacrifice material comforts to do what they love.
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be paid,“ said Professor Esther Okonko. “Future artists can create avenues and pathways to make this a more lucrative endeavor.”
“If you have that desire inside of you, the earlier you pursue it, the better,” she advised. “Do not listen to the naysayers. You can create something beautiful and make some money while doing it. You can feel like you are working towards your purpose...and even if you don’t have a lot of money, you feel purpose. You feel meaning. You always find yourself with a group of people who care about art. And art cares about human beings.”
The subject of money surrounding the liberal arts is nuanced, but the bottom line is this: liberal arts majors can have both creative satisfaction and financial stability. Professor Okonkwo ended our interview with these meaningful questions: “Think about, ‘What do I want? What makes me feel alive? What makes me want to jump out of bed in the morning?” Afterward, she smiled and said, “I wake up every morning feeling comfortable in my skin.”
Myth #2: “Studying the liberal arts is a waste of time,” with Teaching Professor and Lecturer Anthony Luckett
Anthony Luckett knows what it feels like to face doubt. He started in engineering, shifted to political science and communications, and eventually earned a master’s degree in film studies. When he chose film, his parents asked the question a lot of media students hear: “What can you do with film?” Instead of becoming defensive, Luckett focused on developing discipline and determination. He committed even more deeply to his craft.
Years later, after a screening of one of his films, his mother gave him a card telling him how proud she was. That’s when Luckett realized he’d proven to himself that he could build a life around what he loved. “It’s really not about proving people wrong, but it’s about proving yourself right,” he said.
There is nothing wrong with pursuing your purpose, Luckett says. Choosing a major purely for prestige or financial security without passion can lead to burnout or resentment. Luckett reminds students that they have influence.“You have that power to be able to show people, to entertain people, to educate people, and to enlighten people,” he said.
Championing the liberal arts isn’t about rejecting other disciplines; it’s about affirming a purpose that matters. When you choose a path that aligns with who you are, that decision doesn’t need to be defended loudly because it speaks for itself.
Myth #3: You can’t get a job with a liberal arts degree,” with Associate Professor Amy Brainer
Another large misconception surrounding liberal arts education is that it has no place in serious careers. The truth, however, is that liberal arts degrees are very flexible. Graduating with a liberal arts degree means that you know how to think outside the box, aren’t afraid to explore gray areas, and are an excellent communicator and problem solver. These soft skills set students up for success in many careers. “People with liberal arts training have something to offer to every profession there is,” observed Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and LGBTQ studies Dr. Amy Brainer.
Many students are discouraged from pursuing liberal arts majors by their friends, family, and themselves due to these harmful misconceptions. Brainer went on to explain how, because of the liberal arts' versatility, students are open to a wide range of career paths: “A lot of my students go to graduate school,” she said. “That’s something that I’m very proud of, but I recognize that not everyone wants to do that. A lot go to law school. A lot do an MSW [Master’s of Social Work]. A lot do counseling psychology.”
Reflecting on why she thought her students chose these paths, she responded with, “People go where they sense a need. Some people work in disability and accessibility rights organizations. Some people run for public office. People want to make a change.” No matter what her students decide to do or what salaries they make, Professor Brainer supports them all in their desire to make a positive impact on the world.
“The issue is not with someone choosing the job,” Amy said. “It’s with how valued that job is in society. Serving the community, advocating for the community…these are fundamental and important things.”
Myth #4: “AI will make the arts obsolete,” with Lecturer Benjamin Wielechowski
Benjamin Wielechowski’s journey says a lot about why the liberal arts matter. He first earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology before returning to pursue a Master of Arts in creative writing and literature. It is not a typical trajectory, perhaps, but Wielechowski says his science education trained him to memorize facts and understand systems. There were correct answers. There were formulas. There were outcomes you could measure. In the liberal arts, certainty isn’t always the goal. Wielechowski explains, “You don’t need the answer. You can make any conclusion you want as long as you support it with evidence.”
"In a culture obsessed with productivity and output, it’s easy to reduce ourselves to performance, solve a problem, and move on. But being human isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about reflection. It’s about questioning systems. It’s about understanding the emotional and social impact behind decisions. “I think the arts and the liberal arts sort of teach us how to be human and not automatons,” Wielechowski said.
Defending the liberal arts isn’t about rejecting STEM fields. It’s about making sure we don’t become so focused on calculation that we forget compassion and become artificial.
The liberal arts don’t just prepare you for a job. They prepare you to think, interpret, understand, and remain human in a world that constantly pushes us to function like machines.
Are you interested in majoring in the liberal arts? Check out what the University of Dearborn offers on its undergraduate degree website! You can browse through major requirements, get to know the faculty, and apply to your program of choice.
