Liberal arts education | 7 Interesting things students must know about!

With so many misconceptions revolving around liberal arts, we thought it the right time to share a few interesting details about this valuable degree. If you ask ten people to define the field, it is highly likely that you get ten different answers and get confused. In this article, you will learn what is liberal arts, its education benefits, and, lastly, what you can do with a liberal arts degree. 

Let’s get started!

What are liberal arts?

One can define liberal arts as a style of education that enables students to explore a wide range of concepts and also learn transferable skills. 

This a broad field that comprises four primary areas of study-

1. The arts
2. The humanities
3. The natural sciences, and 
4. The social sciences

A liberal arts degree trains you to solve problems, along with identifying which problems to decode and why. Hence, you learn to read critically, write convincingly, and think broadly. 

What is a liberal arts degree? 

It includes disciplines like humanities and other sub-disciplines such as social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics. Humanities focus on literature, art, journalism, communication, and theology. Some popular connected subjects are history, psychology, anthropology, biology, and statistics. 

The modern liberal arts curriculums allow you to study a variety of subjects while retaining the core objective. In your first year, you’ll master the basics of reasoning, communication, problem-solving, research, and theory.

The three types of undergraduate degrees-

Degree	Description
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)	It involves artistic fields such as acting or creative writing.
Bachelor of Arts (BA)	Includes social sciences and humanities
Bachelor of Science (BS)	Students who take technical fields such as math, sciences, or business.

Following are some popular liberal arts majors-

1. Creative writing

This major helps you build stories and also communicate effectively through writing. Classes in Philosophy, Psychology, English, and History improve your stories telling abilities.

2. Fine art

You can learn to create art by specifically applying your vision and ideas. Classes like History, Communications, Geometry, Psychology, etc, help you improve your work.

3. Psychology

For some, psychology is one of the most exciting liberal arts majors. It not only teaches you how humans think but also how they comprehend the world around them. It also talks about what factors influence our behavior and brains. In this major, you learn about History, Sociology, Biology, Art, and Statistics, among other subjects.

4. Sociology

Here you learn how societies are structured, and also how groups interact. History, Art, Political science, and Math are the subjects taught.

5. Biology

Discover the inner workings of a living being through studying subjects such as Math, Science, and History.

6. Political science

You will study the government systems and understand their practices, institutions, and relationships. Also, explore aspects of Economics, Psychology, Sociology, and History.

7. History 

Here you learn about situations and events that impacted the world’s political, economic and social movements. You will study subjects such as Sociology, Political science, Religious studies, Psychology, etc.

There are many other majors apart from the ones listed above. All these majors need students to complete a comprehensive curriculum before graduation.

What is a liberal arts college?

Liberal arts colleges offer their students a mix of many required and optional courses. You will earn a degree in a particular subject area, such as business or biology. The combination of subjects can help you master skills like critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving.

Liberal arts colleges heavily rely on student participation. Hence, they encourage student-teacher interaction, collaboration, and mentorship.

These colleges are residential, with small class sizes, less enrollment, and also have a low student-to-teacher ratio. Teachers often become mentors or research partners with their students.

List of top liberal arts colleges 

Here are 17 of the best liberal arts universities in the world

1. Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts
2. Wellesley College
3. International School For Liberal Arts
4. Cornell University
5. The University of California (UCLA)
6. Johns Hopkins University
7. University of Wisconsin-Madison
8. Stanford University
9. The University of Oxford
10. Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
11. The University of Toronto
12. Leiden University
13. Harvard University
14. The University of Cambridge
15. University of Tokyo
16. National University of Singapore
17. The Australian National University

What are the education benefits?

The aim of a liberal arts education is to help you become a well-rounded individual. In addition, you will learn how different academic disciplines interact with and influence each other. 

Such expert skills can help you get jobs in industries such as education, art, science, politics, and business, among many others.

Here are some of the key benefits-

You get introduced to multiple career options 

The variety of disciplines taught in a liberal arts program introduces you to unique subjects that you may not have encountered otherwise. This enables you to make a more informed decision while choosing your preferred career path.

You get a well-rounded education

Courses are designed for you to learn a variety of things. They also build on your transferable skills that can be applied in any field. Therefore, it gives you the opportunity to branch out by learning about different careers. 

You improve on your interpersonal skills 

Since this course talks so much about human behavior, you gain an understanding of why people do what they do. This prepares you to adapt to situations and also builds your communication skills. Hence, your skills can be an integral part of the community. 

You have a strong foundation for further studies

Liberal arts covers a variety of subjects and helps you build a better foundation. With strong fundamentals, you will ultimately be able to grasp things better. 

What can you do with a liberal arts degree?

Liberal arts education is beyond academia and work. It gives you the qualities to adapt as well as thrive in the changing world. 

You can focus on learning as much as you can about the world around you. This opens up many opportunities for you in the industry sectors.

Here are jobs with the majors that can help you excel-  

Marketing

Whether you intend to go into advertising, public relations, news editing, copywriting, or journalism, the humanities subjects will help you better understand people. 

Interpreter

Many students specifically learn foreign languages in this course. If you intend to pursue a career as an interpreter, translator, transcriber, or foreign language teacher, this degree will indeed help you. You can also work in the travel industry.

Art

You can also have careers in commercial art, photography, interior design, painting, graphic and visual design, etc.

Political science

It helps build careers in politics, law, public policy, working for NGOs, and also business.

Education

As a student, you not only learn about your civic duties but also create strategies to address them. You can also pursue certain additional courses to enhance your expertise and teach them to others.

Other career paths 

You can also have careers in the fields like-

1. Biology (research assistant, healthcare, laboratory assistant)
2. Business (store manager, entrepreneur, salesperson)
3. Environment (conservation, public policy)
4. Finance (financial analyst, banker, accountant)
5. Research analysis (statistics, psychology)
6. Social services (therapy or counseling)
7. Law enforcement (political science, history)
8. Event planning

What next? 

To liberate anything is to set it free. Liberal arts can free your mind as well as offer you the tools to take on the world.The knowledge enables you to improve to improve your society, shape your environment, and give back to your community. 

Since this field has a variety of options for you to choose from, it can benefit you if you are uncertain about which career path to choose.

If you have more doubts, feel free to reach out to us. You can also comment below and let us know!

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FAQs

Q1. What are examples of liberal arts?

Answer. Examples of liberal arts are English, Philosophy, Humanities, History, Political Science, Sociology, Economics, and more.

Q2. What careers are possible after liberal arts?

Answer. Some of the career choices available are Policy Analyst, Social Services Officer, Librarian, Journalist, Educator, Language Translator, etc.

Q3. Is music a liberal art?

Answer. Yes, music is one of the liberal arts.