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Arts majors as entrepreneurs and innovators

Author

Listed:
  • Richard J. Paulsen

    (Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania)

  • Neil Alper

    (Northeastern University)

  • Gregory Wassall

    (Northeastern University)

Abstract

This study examines the role of college graduates with degrees in the arts, STEM, and other creative fields as entrepreneurs and innovators in the US economy. As creativity is a trait of art students and is important for those acting as entrepreneurs and innovators in an economy, arts majors have the potential to play an important role in these areas. Using American Community Survey data, we look to identify arts, STEM, and other creative majors who are working in entrepreneurial occupations, those where self-employment is common, and innovative industries, those that are copyright intensive. As it is possible that the nature of arts occupations may be inherently more entrepreneurial and innovative, we compare arts majors to STEM and other creative majors also likely to work in such occupations. Using logistic regression, we find that majoring in a core arts field more than doubles an individual’s likelihood of working in an entrepreneurial occupation or an innovative industry relative to non-creative majors. Other creative majors, like communications and STEM majors, are also associated with an increased likelihood of working as entrepreneurs or innovators. Relative to STEM and other creative majors, majoring in a core arts field is associated with the greatest increase in the likelihood of working in an entrepreneurial occupation and third greatest increase in the likelihood of working in an innovative industry. While arts graduates play an important role in artistic creation, this paper highlights a role for these graduates as entrepreneurs and innovators in the US economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard J. Paulsen & Neil Alper & Gregory Wassall, 2021. "Arts majors as entrepreneurs and innovators," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 639-652, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:57:y:2021:i:2:d:10.1007_s11187-020-00416-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-020-00416-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Rajeev K. Goel, 2022. "Knowledge diffusion worldwide: Role of university–industry collaborations and beyond," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(5), pages 1330-1339, July.
    2. Rajeev K. Goel, 2022. "Contributions of creative outputs to economic growth: A disaggregated analysis," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(8), pages 3872-3881, December.
    3. Richard J. Paulsen, 2024. "Student loan debt and the career choices of college graduates with majors in the arts," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 48(1), pages 95-115, March.
    4. Richard J. Paulsen, 2022. "Arts majors and the Great Recession: a cross-sectional analysis of educational choices and employment outcomes," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 46(4), pages 635-658, December.
    5. Richard J. Paulsen & Rajendra Dulal, 2024. "Health insurance access and the career choices of college graduates with majors in the arts: evidence from the affordable care act’s dependent coverage expansion," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 48(3), pages 367-385, September.
    6. Wentao Yu & Xiaolan Tan, 2022. "The creative class in China: Heterogeneity and its regional determinants," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(8), pages 3466-3478, December.

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