Non-STEM Majors at a STEM School
UMBC revolves around STEM, so how do other majors fit in?
posted about 13 years ago
After watching the 60 Minutes special on Freeman Hrabowski and UMBC this evening I realized how much UMBC caters to the STEM fields.
I know this isn't news to many of you, but I, as an Arts and Humanities major, never fully noticed that STEM is the school's highest priority.
I wasn't blind. I could see that STEM is incredibly important to the school. However, I had always seen all the majors as equals, STEM or not. I felt that my choice to major in the Arts was on par with those who chose STEM.
The special on UMBC made me rethink this.
60 minutes focused on Hrabowski and his work with STEM and the Meyerhoff scholars. In the end, my major seemed to be more of an add-on that UMBC threw in to attract non-STEM folk.
I know this isn't true, not exactly. UMBC has many fantastic programs that don't relate to STEM. I, personally, am quite happy with the major I have chosen and the subjects I am studying.
Yet so many people determine the value of a major by how useful they think it is and how much money it makes.
60 Minutes certainly seemed content to discuss STEM at the expense of the other fields.
So my question is this:
If you aren't majoring in a STEM related field, how do you value your own major and how do you think your major is valued by UMBC and by others? Is UMBC doing enough to give you the resources that you need for your major?
If you are in a STEM field, how do you value other majors as well as your own? Is UMBC as focused on STEM as it seems to be?
I know this isn't news to many of you, but I, as an Arts and Humanities major, never fully noticed that STEM is the school's highest priority.
I wasn't blind. I could see that STEM is incredibly important to the school. However, I had always seen all the majors as equals, STEM or not. I felt that my choice to major in the Arts was on par with those who chose STEM.
The special on UMBC made me rethink this.
60 minutes focused on Hrabowski and his work with STEM and the Meyerhoff scholars. In the end, my major seemed to be more of an add-on that UMBC threw in to attract non-STEM folk.
I know this isn't true, not exactly. UMBC has many fantastic programs that don't relate to STEM. I, personally, am quite happy with the major I have chosen and the subjects I am studying.
Yet so many people determine the value of a major by how useful they think it is and how much money it makes.
60 Minutes certainly seemed content to discuss STEM at the expense of the other fields.
So my question is this:
If you aren't majoring in a STEM related field, how do you value your own major and how do you think your major is valued by UMBC and by others? Is UMBC doing enough to give you the resources that you need for your major?
If you are in a STEM field, how do you value other majors as well as your own? Is UMBC as focused on STEM as it seems to be?
This question hasn't been answered yet.
