Sean Said:

A liberal arts degree will strengthen your analytical and critical thinking skills?

We Answered:

Good question. How indeed is it measured. What we do know is that generally speaking, liberal arts graduates do better at grad school than most other majors. So, the liberal arts curriculum seems to work. Liberal Arts grads do better in Business school (MBA), Law School (JD), and Education (MAT) often even than those who have Bachelor's degrees in Business, Political Science and Education. None of this is direct evidence, but it is circumstancial, and quite possibly true.

The first college education was entirely liberal arts in nature. College meant a liberal arts education. (Professional training was originally done through apprenticeships... I'm reminded of the beginning of Gulliver's Travels when I realized this, he dropped out of college to do an apprenticeship and become a Surgeon) So, from a historical and cultural perspective, it may be accurate to say a college education is a liberal arts education. If you look at the degrees obtained as recently as the 19th Century at American universities like Princeton, William and Mary, and Harvard, very often people had a degree, Bachelor of Arts. These degrees very often didn't have a major connected to it. In fact, the degree Master of Arts, a liberal arts degree in sciences and philosophy, was the standard degree earned by pastors in America (one of the 3 major "Professional" educations early Americans received: the other two being Medicine and Law) until they changed it to the more specific (and pastoral) Master of Divinity.

I'm a firm believer in an undergraduate liberal arts degree. Varied, robust, and rigorous. In modern America, most professional degrees are at (or moving to) the graduate level anyway. A B.A. should prepare you to be an America citizen, a thinker who can delve through the morass of modern life and make some sense of it. A graduate degree (MD, DPharm, DPsych, JD, MBA, MAT, MEng, etc) should be a professional degree... but I'm speaking as an idealist. That's my vision for the ideal format of education.

Jesus Said:

Can I get an MBA if I have a Liberal Arts degree in Economics?

We Answered:

Yes, MBAs take all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds. Just get some solid work experience under your belt, get good grades, and score well on the GMAT.

Cindy Said:

What kind of career can I have a liberal arts degree or university studies degree?

We Answered:

i would stay away from liberal arts degrees. you'll get into debt going to school and then end up with a job that doesnt pay the bills.

Minnie Said:

Should I stick with my Liberal Arts degree plan or go for something more marketable?

We Answered:

I got my bachelor's degree in 1991; back then the conventional wisdom was that the most "marketable" career was computer science. Hey--check out all the unemployed software designers and programmers in Silicon Valley, mortgaged up to their hard drives and wishing they had just gone to art school! Always, always, always follow your passion. There is no such thing as "marketable" in today's economy. Here's how you know if you are doing what you love: When you are doing it, you lose track of time (as opposed to watching the clock and waiting for quitting time). Good luck, and follow your heart! That way you can't lose.

Bob Said:

What can you do with a liberal arts degree that you couldn't do otherwise?

We Answered:

It's not that there's one specific thing that you can only do with a liberal arts education. Rather, people with liberal arts degrees may be more equipped to express knowledge and understanding of several areas of academics. For instance, I'm going into a medical field, and I'd argue that I was as prepared as anyone else in my graduate school class in that regard, but more knowledgeable in areas of political science and english/writing. So if I want to write books on medicine, or push for medical legislature, I'm prepared to do so.

Stacy Said:

What can you do with a Liberal Arts degree?

We Answered:

nothing really

Caroline Said:

I have a Liberal Arts Degree in Psychology and I cant find a job?

We Answered:

With the economy in the state that it is in currently. You will most likely have to set your sights on a position that is less than you desire. Simply get a job and work your way up the ladder. This may mean taking a position doing something less than what you have anticipated for yourself. With a degree in psychology you should be able to obtain a position somewhere, but not making the kind of money you desire. You may even consider returning to the university and obtaining a Master level degree while waiting for the economy to turn around. There are many individuals with degrees working in positions that do not require a degree.