"But what I learned in those courses, being inspired by amazing faculty was more on the soft skills side: Self-confidence, critical reading, critical writing, argumentation, strong communication skills, problem-solving, strong analytical research abilities, ability to lead groups etc etc..."

But couldn't you have learned those skills with another degree as well? So, wouldn't you have been better off learning those skills in classes where you also learned about the subject matter in the area where you are working?