STEM vs. STEAM

STEM vs. STEAM Education

It helps to examine STEM and STEAM separately before comparing and contrasting the two. Below, we go into more detail about each acronym. 

What Is STEM?

STEM careers are those in one of the four components of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. You can pursue STEM degrees at different levels in a wide array of majors and education levels.

There are debates about which fields to include in STEM — for example, some groups include medicine, but others do not. The "science" component of STEM exclusively consists of the so-called natural sciences — such as chemistry and physics — and excludes the social sciences, such as economics and sociology.

What Is STEAM?

STEAM education integrates STEM with lessons in the arts in an attempt to make STEM professionals more creative, ethical, and well-rounded. STEAM educators might incorporate classes in visual arts, music, and dance to help students think critically about their more technical education. 

What Is the Difference Between STEM and STEAM?

The artsy "A" is the major difference between STEM and STEAM. A STEM bachelor's student needs to fulfill their college's general education requirements in addition to courses in their major. These general education classes usually contain some liberal arts or humanities courses but no arts requirements. 

Degree programs with a STEAM approach might include lessons such as the following:

Is STEM now called STEAM?

STEM hasn't become STEAM; they're two different approaches to scientific and technical education. STEM still predominates in this country, so STEAM won't become the main paradigm anytime soon. You may see the terms used interchangeably in some locations, but they are functionally different. Schools, employers, and organizations will use whichever term they feel best suits their approach.

STEM vs. STEAM Debate: Do the Arts Belong?

The STEM versus STEAM question has yet to be settled, though the traditional STEM mindset still dominates. STEM proponents argue that their degree programs contain no extra space for courses that deviate from each major's purpose — after all, science and technology move fast, and students' knowledge and skills may be obsolete soon after graduating if they don't keep up. 

On the other side, STEAM enthusiasts claim that adding art to the curriculum can help sharpen students' creativity. After all, many STEM careers are already creative pursuits: For example, engineers design things that have never existed before, and software developers build apps to meet user needs in new ways. Moreover, an artistic temperament may help STEAM students think through the moral and ethical consequences of their creations, such as their effects on the economy and the environment.

STEM vs. STEAM: Which Is Better?

At this point, there isn't enough data to know for sure whether STEAM is an effective approach. This is complicated by the fact that there are many approaches to STEAM rather than just one, with different educators and administrators incorporating arts into STEM education in unique ways. For this reason, researchers continue to examine the benefits and drawbacks of STEAM education as compared to STEM.

STEM vs. STEAM Pros and Cons

Below, we examine some of the potential positive and negative aspects of both STEM and STEAM. Although we don't draw definitive conclusions, you might use some of these pros and cons to decide which type of program interests you more.

Well-Rounded Education

College administrators everywhere want to produce thoughtful, well-rounded graduates who can use their abilities in more than one limited way. This is why higher education institutions always require a few general education courses in a range of subjects. STEAM-focused degrees expose students to disciplines they may not have otherwise thought about as general education classes rarely include the arts, such as creative writing or music courses. Because of this, STEAM education likely produces more well-rounded students than STEM.

However, you may prefer to concentrate on your STEM skills as much as possible during a degree program. If you've ever asked, "When will I need this in real life?" during a literature discussion, then you may prefer a strictly STEM education without arts lessons to distract you. Just be sure to consider whether STEAM might help you be more creative in your chosen field.

Ethics and Responsibility

Societies need to confront serious moral and ethical questions about whether the benefits of technologies outweigh their destructive potential. But it's unclear whether a STEAM mindset produces more caring, empathetic graduates than a STEM program. The arts often involve self-examination and communicating with people outside your circle, but it's possible that a two- or three-course series of ethics courses could help STEM students just as effectively.

Careers and Earning Potential

Your career outcomes will probably be the same regardless of whether you attend a STEM-focused or STEAM-focused degree program, but STEAM may give you a slight edge. 

It may be advantageous to discuss STEAM experiences in interviews with potential employers who encourage an artistic focus on traditionally tech- or math-centered work. These employers may include game design companies, animation studios, and architecture consulting firms. 

Most employers are concerned with whether your school was accredited, what your major was, and what your GPA was (especially in your major courses). Unless you tell them, they'll probably never know whether your STEM degree incorporated artistic practice.

STEM has come to dominate the discourse on postsecondary education. It's also been steadily eating up larger slices of the budget pie at many colleges nationwide, leaving less for other disciplines. For this reason, STEAM proponents have a hard road ahead as they advocate for adding the "A" into STEM.

Analysts agree that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are crucial to any nation's economy in the 21st century. Some educators believe that students should focus on their technical education, whereas others think STEM education can benefit from bringing in influences in the arts. According to these latter experts, STEAM education can make students more creative, encouraging them to become ethical designers and caretakers of technology.