A liberal arts degree: is it worth it?
Although liberal arts degrees are popular many students consider the value of specializing in a particular field. Getting an engineering degree sets a clear path for your future, while a liberal arts degree in the humanities or mathematics will give your a broader range of skills.
And it is this broad range of skills that can make you so successful with your degree in liberal arts. With all of the skillsets you develop in college, you’ll become an invaluable member to your employer.
Curious to learn more? Below we discuss some career opportunities that majoring in liberal arts degree may lead to, as well as how to maximize your degree.
What Are Liberal Arts Degrees?
Liberal arts colleges were created to give students a broad understanding of many fields in their education. Students get exposed to a variety of academic subjects through required and elective courses.
While students typically earn a degree in a specific subject, they take a combination of courses that give them skills that can be used in many different occupations. These skills include problem-solving, communication, and critical thinking, to name a few.
With coursework in a myriad of subjects, students learn how to make connections between these subjects and determine patterns. They’ll learn how diverse topics actually have more alike than they thought.
There are three types of undergraduate degrees you can earn as a liberal arts major: your Bachelor of Arts, (BA), Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), or Bachelor of Science (BS).
BA degrees mainly focus on humanities and social sciences in the liberal arts, while BFA degrees emphasize artistic fields like creative writing or art. BS degrees take a more technical approach, like business, math, or biology.
Popular liberal arts majors include:
- Biology
- Creative writing
- Economics
- English
- Fine art
- History
- Mathematics
- Political science
- Psychology
- Sociology
When it comes to types of liberal arts degrees, you have dozens of options. To learn more about potential academic paths, you can view these Liberal Arts degrees here.
Liberal Arts Degree Jobs
With the wide array of majors you can study, you may be wondering what you can do with a liberal arts degree. The answer is almost anything!
A liberal arts degree prepares you for numerous jobs across a wide range of industries. You can become a journalist or professor, or you could take a more business-heavy approach by helping companies market products.
Below are a few possible jobs with a liberal arts degree.
- Business manager: economics, philosophy
- Curator: art history classics, history
- HR professional: communications, psychology
- Lawyer: history, political science, psychology
- Marketing associate: communications, journalism sociology, economics
- Politician: political science, American studies, classics, communications
And you don’t have to stop at your major. It’s also a good idea to get real-world expire that will boost your liberal arts major. The experience could include an internship, campus job, work-study program, or paid position at a company.
With this work experience, you’ll gain skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, and connecting building, all of which will prepare you for the future job you choose.
Internships and summer jobs are also a great way to determine what you like. You may find that you prefer certain industries over others, which can guide some of the classes you take in your later years of school.
Why Employers Like Liberal Arts Education
Despite the company, many look for similar qualities in employees. They want their team members to eagerly explore uncharted areas and solve challenging problems. Business owners love when their team members have strong analytic skills.
There’s nothing better for a company than a team member with a strong understanding of team dynamics who can contribute positively to the team culture. And, of course, who doesn’t love someone who can inspire and persuade others?
Graduating with a liberal arts degree will teach you all of these skills. While you may be a master of none, you will certainly be a jack of all trades. And in the constantly evolving workforce, there couldn’t be a better skill than adaptability.
And the skills we mentioned above are just a few of dozens of reasons why employers value liberal arts educations. Your degree will also teach you how to channel your creativity, thrive in different workplaces, and open your eyes to solutions that may go overlooked by others.
Succeeding as a Liberal Arts Student
Earning a liberal arts degree means that you will likely have a pretty solid career. The average full-time liberal arts employee earns about $55,000 a year.
But if you’d rather earn more, your liberal arts degree can still be very valuable. For instance, a broadcast news analyst earns a median annual wage of almost $63,000 and an education administrator earns a median annual wage of $81,630.
So, what are the keys to success as a liberal arts student? How can you distinguish your self from your peers and outearn the average salary?
The key is also about making relationships. Look for professors that you can connect with early in your college career. They’ll be able to open your eyes to growth opportunities and programs that will help you succeed. They may even offer you independent study lessons to master a skill.
Outside of your professors, look for clubs and organizations you can join. Get involved in a few activities that pique your interests, and also try your hand at a few pre-professional organizations. You’ll meet people with a variety of interests and majors who can help you learn about chances to explore within the university.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to expand your professional network. College is the time to create a LinkedIn account and start sharing your accomplishments.
Being a liberal arts student means that you’ll have knowledge in a variety of areas. Showcase all of your talents and skills on professional social media pages and even a personal website.
Using Your Degree in Liberal Arts
A degree in liberal arts is certainly worth it, from the variety of knowledge you’ll gain to the multiple skills you’ll develop. When it comes time to decide on your major, don’t forget to consider liberal arts.
Interested in learning more about how to maximize your success? We welcome you to visit the rest of our blog posts.
