<p>
</p>
<p>Not to be overly harsh, but the key difference, as I see it, as that those other majors, frankly, don’t create much value. Seriously, does the world really need another Art History major? Do they really add value to society? {To be sure, I have a great appreciation of artists, and I actually enjoy reading about art history, but it’s not clear to me that it really adds value to society. As interesting as it might be to compare the Impressionists to the Expressionists, honestly, what does it really accomplish for society at the end of the day? } Many of those majors, to put it bluntly, exist, largely for the purpose of providing students with an easy pathway to graduation. </p>
<p>But engineers actually create value, as they are key components in the technological innovation and economic growth that is inherent to the expansion of social welfare over time. Developments such as electric power, the car, the computer, and the Internet make us better off than past societies. </p>
<p>Hence, while I believe everybody should negotiate for as much money as they can, it’s hard for me to summon that much sympathy for the other majors that, at least to me, don’t really create social value. But engineering (and the natural sciences) do create value. The problem is that they don’t capture much of the value that they create - much of it instead being leeched away by bankers, lawyers, consultants, and the like.</p>