Essay on The Benefits of a Liberal Arts Degree

Critical examination of the four liberal arts breadth areas, in their natural state, demonstrate that each area of study brings value and purpose to life. It is important to focus on developing weaknesses to gain fulfillment while using strengths to help others succeed.

The question at hand is: should professors take time and add vocational training to help students in their desired career field in addition to keeping up with the aspects of liberal arts? According to Bok, some professionals as well as university members argue that students can still get a career in their respective field without the vocational training and just a liberal arts degree. Respectively, many students worry that without the prior training for their potential career, it will be more difficult without the experience, especially when competing for the spot. As an alternative, Bok would suggest creating vocational subfields to correlate with their courses. In addition, this will allow the student to decide if that career path is right for them or not. Which is why both a liberal arts education and vocational education go hand in hand. It helps a student become a more well-rounded worker and scholar. They will have the skills to see the bigger picture and comprehend it as well as the knowledge of the career.

Divergent and analytical thinking are vital skills. Humanities and Liberal Arts majors encourage critical thinking, and a broad knowledge of diverse topics. For example, English majors work well with analysis, grammar, and writing. Those skills can be applied to politics, law and business. Liberal Arts and Humanities majors learn to form strong opinions, evaluate, reflect, and problem solve because they are given opportunity to experiment, create, and collaborate with others. The Liberal Arts and Humanities can also be a great foundation for students who are determined to become leaders. Students will acquire all sorts of abilities that are necessary for leadership success like critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and communication skills. These majors teach students how to think critically, and this is a key skill needed in all disciplines. A Liberal Arts degree does not equal total ignorance of how a computer or the economy works, nor does it mean that those students are missing out on critical knowledge. As a matter of fact, they have very important skills to offer. All the STEM in the world is useless without context. People need the ability to interpret data and incorporate humanity. It is important to have all aspects of education, STEM, liberal arts, and humanities. While STEM degrees may appear more translatable into a paycheck six months from now, some of the most successful people I have known were Liberal Arts majors. If you ask any employers what skills they would like to see in recent graduates, its communication skills, the ability to write well, and the ability to work well in groups. Liberal arts focused on reading, language and writing are equally important to society as STEM subjects are. Liberal Arts and Humanities graduates may not go on to jobs that are as profitable as engineering of physical science careers, but they fill jobs that are important to a

The essay “A New Liberal Arts,” which was written by Sanford Ungar, first appeared in the Chronicle of Higher Education on March 5, 2010. In his essay, Ungar uses many different rhetorical strategies to convince his reader that a degree in the liberal arts is not a lost cause but can actually be very beneficial and lead to success. In Ungar’s opinion, there are many wrong ideas and misunderstandings about the usefulness of a degree in the liberal arts. In the essay there are seven specific misperceptions that he addresses specifically. By listing out these misperceptions, Ungar is addressing them individually in order to give each one proper attention. He offers explanations to why people may think these things and why he believes that they are incorrect. Ungar’s use of style, format, and emotional and logical arguments help him to create a persuasive and influential essay for his audience and convince them to agree with his opinion.

In his essay, The New Liberal Arts, Sanford Ungar addresses common misperceptions related to a liberal arts education. He speaks to their usefulness, the employment opportunities after graduation, their value despite the cost of tuition, and other misconceptions. His overall message is, despite the recent emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math degrees, as well as technical or vocational training, liberal arts degrees are still important and are a valid option to consider when deciding on your educational future. While his essay could easily apply to anyone with these misperceptions, it appears to be targeted directly towards students in high school or early college who are trying to decided on the direction of their education

Our country is more diverse than ever before and with globalized exposure there needs to be a better understanding of the different cultures, which is why incorporating liberal arts into our education is even more essential today. Although it will be challenging to provide students, from all backgrounds the necessary tools to succeed, it is what needs to take place for our future to succeed. I don't know all the challenges but restructuring is going to take some strong leadership. As we continue to evolve in this new age of globalization there will be the need to be flexible, but the implications should be positive as we educate and are educated.

Education in America is important; due to rising costs, he claims many think liberal-arts degrees are too expensive for the average family to afford. Ungar suggests that a liberal-arts degree prepares people for adapting in their respective career field. Career specific majors are not offering students the broad range of qualities one needs for job opportunities. While he acknowledges the stronger start of students with prior experience in college, it is those students with little experience that end up with the most original ideas, making them valuable to an employer.

There are many benefits to getting a Liberal Arts degree in today’s economic market. It is a message to your employer that you are willing to take on new information, and learn more then what is necessary to succeed. It shows initiative and the ability to expand your horizons beyond yourself. In a Liberal Arts education there is more purpose then just learning the career field of choice. It is a program that teaches critical thinking and self-thought. It teaches the student how to learn and teach themselves, to achieve more than just memorization of facts.

Although, it is common for an undergraduate student to change their career path, adults often alter their job direction as well. The reasons for an individual to begin a new job are endless. In an article by Betty Southwick it is estimated that in the year 2009 twenty percent of workers will start a new job. Especially in our current economic downfall with an estimated 2.4 million Americans unemployed, according to the Associate Press, it is extremely important for one to be proficient in multiple skills and have a broad knowledge base. The background information learned in a liberal arts education gives one the knowledge to succeed if they are forced to find work outside the field in which they have a degree. A liberal arts education creates a well-rounded individual. If liberal arts education were replaced with specialized education, in universities, students would be at a disadvantage. Focusing solely on one area handicaps an individual and limits their knowledge base. Therefore, making opportunities harder to come by during rough economic times like our society is currently experiencing.

In her article, “How Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts Programs Prepare Students for the Workforce and for Life,” Maureen Murphy Nutting argues that a liberal arts education is necessary to prepare adults for the work force. Evidence is provided to support the need of a liberal arts education and she even points to specific schools who are implementing this well. One particular example is Montgomery College in Washington, which has an honors program where “virtually all” of the graduates have “moved directly to 4-year colleges,” which is incredible, however, she does not mention what the focus of the degrees are or what

In his article “ The New Liberal Arts,” Sanford J. Ungar talks about how undergoing a Liberal-Arts education is criticized by many and in his arguments he brings seven very important points of misconceptions. The first point he discusses how many assume that liberal education is not a necessity but he argues that students need to know what they want as a career. Choosing an education that is right for them rather than being driven by other economic factors. To a job the is unsatisfying and they can barely make a living from. Ungar also argues that even with a liberal arts degree or any other degree, in economically tough times it will be just as hard to get a job. Companies will look to hire individuals based on what other and new skill sets they may have to offer.

“A successful liberal arts education develops the capacity for innovation and for judgement” (Source B). Liberal arts colleges offer a wide range of educational pursuits that accommodate to many people’s wants and needs. It also opens your eyes to different perspectives and asks you to step outside of your comfort zone. The expectation is to use the lessons learned and apply them to your everyday life in the future. “Many liberal arts students become innovators and productive risk takers” (Source B). It is well aware that a traditional college is not for everyone but that should not restrict you from going to college, there are various options that can satisfy

“Misconception No.1: A liberal arts education is a luxury that most families can no longer afford. ‘Career-education’ is what we must now focus on.” (Ungar, 2010, pp.191) As Ungar has claimed, there is a recent misconception that a liberal arts education is no longer a necessity but luxury because it doesn’t provide an instant career launching education. With so many people having to a need to spend as little money as possible, they are determined to only spend money on preparation for their future career. For this reason they go to college only to take courses that are necessary for their future. “She is in college to take vocational training. She wants to write computer code. Start a business. Get a job in television. She uses college to take vocational courses that pertain to her career interest.” (Murray, 2008, pp.228) Murray explained the story of a girl who is in college solely for preparation for her career. Because of this, she isn’t interested in a liberal arts education. If the course doesn’t directly pertain to her desired career, she prefers not to take it.

Martin Luther King Junior said, “Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.” Higher education does not exist for the sole purpose of preparing students for future jobs; it’s there in order to prepare individuals for life where they are expected to participate in their community, their government, and the lives of those around them. Liberal arts, in particular, exist for the broadening of students’ minds in order for them to be successful not only in their chosen career but also in their lives outside of it. Liberal arts lost their past popularity during the last few decades, but they shouldn’t be disregarded in favor of technical and professional degrees because they still provide students with skills that are perhaps less tangible, but no less necessary for life in modern world.

All types of education, whether technical or liberal, possess their own inherent merit. The distinction between the two lies in the spectrum of a particular study’s application. A higher education in any study should be encouraged because more knowledgeable individuals benefit both society and themselves through the continuation of their education. The value of one type of education does not negate the value of another. In today’s society technical studies, that is studies with a direct application in the workforce, are more widely encouraged due to the practical merit of the study. It is true that technical studies are valuable, but their value does not negate the immense value of liberal studies because of it lack of a single application. Therefore, the conjunction of both liberal and technical classes in college provides the greatest amount of benefit. Specifically, higher education in the liberal arts is the most valuable for it allowance of a broader application in every field of study and also the larger social realm because of the critical skills it helps students to develop.