PERCEPTION OF FINAL-YEAR STUDENTS OF GODFREY OKOYE UNIVERSITY ON THE RELEVANCE OF ENGLISH STUDIES IN THE AI AND STEM ERA

This study investigated the perceptions of final-year undergraduate students of English and Literary Studies at Godfrey Okoye University regarding the relevance of their discipline in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) era. Anchored on Human Capital Theory (Becker, 1993), which posits that education and skill acquisition enhance individual productivity and employability, the research examined how English Studies can remain market-relevant by integrating digital literacy, AI tools, and STEM-related communication skills. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with the entire cohort of eight students forming the study population. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled Perception of Final-Year Undergraduate Students on the Relevance of English Studies in the AI and STEM Era and analyzed using mean and standard deviation, applying a decision benchmark of 2.5. Findings revealed that students generally acknowledged the continued relevance of English Studies when adapted to contemporary market demands, especially through interdisciplinary integration with STEM and the adoption of AI-powered tools. However, they expressed concerns about employability gaps compared to STEM graduates, highlighting the need for curriculum reforms to embed technical communication and digital competencies. These findings align with previous studies (Rafiq et al., 2025; Lee & Stephens, 2020; Mohammed et al., 2024) demonstrating the career advantages of blending linguistic and technical skills. The study concludes that English Studies can thrive in the AI-STEM era if strategically restructured to meet emerging skill demands. It recommends curriculum innovation, partnerships with technology industries, and increased adoption of AI-assisted learning tools. Future research should expand the scope to multiple institutions and larger populations to validate and generalize the findings.