The Importance of A Liberal Arts Education

You may not think about it, but the Liberal Arts are especially critical in today's society...

With the recent surge in tuition inflation, salary expectations, and basic living expenses, society has begun to reconsider their options in regards to obtaining certain degrees from accredited institutions; this can be especially true for the liberal arts world. Many of those who plan to go to college are now leaning towards degrees that offer the potential for greater starting salaries, better job placement, and promising Co-op/internship opportunities. Although programs such as nursing, engineering, and physical therapy are in great demand, we must not neglect those who hope to take on liberal arts coursework. The following are brief opinions on why a liberal arts degree should still shed light in today’s market demands.

A liberal arts program is dedicated to viewing the world from a multifaceted perspective. There is (usually) no right or wrong in the information shared; thus enabling the opportunities for people to learn, share, and value others’ viewpoints – similar to what we hope to create here on Gen-Achievers! Similar to today’s society, solutions are never cut & dry, and it takes a great amount of discussion before taking any initiatives. When people are able to grasp the idea that an answer is not absolute to resolving a situation, they are then capable of transferring this energy to their careers and personal lives.

Many CEO’s have undergraduate degrees in the liberal arts, which have supported their abilities to value any situation in a richer context. Leaders of an organization, for instance, must not only think about resolving a dilemma with solution A, but must also focus on the opportunities that solution B, C, & D, in addition to the sub-solutions within each main solution, could pose as valuable assets.

Ideally, a liberal arts degree supports individuals to gather information, interpret it, and develop knowledgeable decisions on a wide array of topics. Liberal arts courses are not just your typical philosophy, history, or English course loads. Many people believe that STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) courses are separated from those naturally surrounded by a liberal arts program, but are in fact just as acclimated to interpretation and debate.

In a time of great division, the capabilities to analyze others’ perspectives as well as assess one’s own becomes more imperative. Ethical decision making is a critical motive today's leaders must possess, and this can be supported in due part to receiving an education in these particular fields/studies. A liberal arts education is beneficial to society, no matter what our political leanings are. We need these programs now more than ever.

What are your thoughts on the future of liberal arts? Are they significant to a functioning society, or do we push students towards degrees that are in greater demand?