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Value of a Liberal Arts Degree

“Business executives appreciate long-term outcomes of a college education, the preparation not simply for a job but for a long and varied career. According to a study commissioned by Hobart & William Smith Colleges, business leaders value liberal arts grads for their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, strong writing and speaking skills, self-discipline, exposure to diverse ideas, and global perspective. And they hire them because it makes good sense in a global business environment marked by constant change. Rather than developing a trade good for one particular job, liberal arts graduates develop a broad base of knowledge and skills that prepare them for evolving challenges over the long haul.”
Source: Studley, J. (2003, Sept/Oct). Are liberal arts dead? Careers & Colleges, 24(1), 17.

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A LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION ALLOWS
YOU TO DEVELOP ...

  • A broad-based and integrated perspective on the world and human experiences that draw upon knowledge across many disciplines.

    • The ability to explore controversial or competing ideas from different theoretical perspectives

    Breadth of knowledge and the ability to apply content material from different academic disciplines in different situations

  • A better understanding of yourself.

    • The exploration of identify within your culture and the broader society

  • Societal, civic, and global knowledge.

    • The understanding of life, the human condition, and the world in which you live

    An awareness of the challenges facing society/humanity and an appreciation of the variety and complexity of circumstances and human responses to them in different places and times

    The understanding of the seriousness and difficulty of moral and ethical issues, and the necessity of examining them thoughtfully  

  • An independent and inquiring mind.

    • The sharpening of your skills of inquiry, research, analysis, and communication

    The ability to be a critical and thoughtful observer

    An increased capacity for reflective judgment

  • A capacity and life-long desire for learning.

    • The habit of questioning, rather than wanting only a set of answers.  

  • Valuable transferable skills.  

    • Learn about valuable transferable skills by Arts & Sciences major.


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    Created by Lynne Higa, Michael Kirk-Kuwaye
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