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Liberal Arts Courses Key to College Education & Career Success

Learn how college students and employees alike can benefit from taking liberal arts courses such as literature, languages, fine arts, history & philosophy. I can write my essay on Liberal Arts Courses in 3 hours.

Frequently when college students get their college degree they do it within a concentrated program of study. They give little thought to educational opportunities or courses outside their defined college major.

However, if you are a college student interested in becoming a well-rounded employee, liberal arts courses are the key to a good college education as well as career success. Or so says a recent study for the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU).

Employers Seek Employees with Liberal Arts Background

After surveying over 300 employers regarding what qualities they look for in employees, the AACU study found:

90 percent seek employees who can use a broad range of skills that enables them to take on more responsibility

84 percent supported senior projects to help prepare students for career success

81 percent felt investing in students who could conduct research and evidence-based analysis was their best bet

More importantly the survey found that employers look for employees with a wide range of skills. The most important of these included written and oral communication, critical and analytical thinking, ability to apply skills and knowledge to the real world, problem solving and ethical decision making, and teamwork.

In addition, good judgment depends upon an extensive background in many areas of study and requires an ability to think independently. Liberal arts studies offer a diverse body of coursework focused on independent thinking, examination and analysis.

Liberal Arts Studies Provide Critical Skill Sets

First, it is important to understand what a liberal arts education entails. Generally speaking, liberal arts are subjects which are focused on culture. Courses related to languages, humanities, literature, history, philosophy and fine arts are all considered part of a liberal arts education.

Next, liberal arts courses focus on the kinds of subjects which help develop students’ investigative and problem-solving skills as well as offer them a broader cultural understanding. A liberal arts education provides employees with skills that allow them to adapt to an ever-changing work environment by developing rational thought and intellectual capabilities.

Finally, a liberal arts background offers job seekers lots of flexibility when it comes to choosing a career. The skills that students develop through a liberal arts education – communication, problem solving, independent thought and judgment, to name a few – are transferrable to a wide range of industries and career choices.

As Carol T Christ, the president of Smith College, a private, liberal arts college in Massachusetts, says in the article, “A liberal arts education prepares you for a professional life,” a liberal arts education offers “cultural fluency or the ability to cross borders with sophistication and understanding” as well as “critical thinking, good writing, clear thinking.”