Debunking the Liberal Arts Myth
Scott Meyer
Teaching Professor at Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication - University of Minnesota
The great myth about a liberal arts education is that it doesn't lead to any real career paths. This couldn't be further from the truth – in fact, rather than constricting students' career choices a liberal arts education provides them with a wide array of professional opportunities to choose from. It opens liberal arts graduates to a world of possibilities.
Liberal arts graduates can take their knowledge anywhere they want, because the skills learned are useful in any field. Liberal arts students go everywhere. They do everything. They are doctors and dancers and poets and lawyers and small- business owners. A liberal arts degree can literally foster an interest, and lead to a career, in any field a graduate chooses. There are examples of liberal arts graduates working in healthcare, business, politics, technology, science, public service, media ... the possibilities are truly endless.
Nor does being a liberal arts graduate mean that someone will make less money. A study released in early 2014 by the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) found that liberal arts graduates start out earning less, but by the time they reach their peak earning ages of 56-60 years they are actually earning about $2,000 more than those who majored in professional or pre-professional fields. The study also found that unemployment rates were low for liberal arts graduates, and that these rates actually declined over time. Being a liberal arts graduate is not only fun, it literally pays off.
Professor Biomedical Engineering at University of Minnesota CEO Herman, Neuhauser Academic Consulting, Inc.
10 年It would be interesting to know how many political, business, and societal leaders over time have come from liberal arts backgrounds.
Experienced professional
10 年I was just talking about this the other day with a younger professional. The difference between education 30 years ago and education today is this, it is how-to or tech focused as we face this next technology hurdle, but there is no time spent on the areas that develop Thought-Leaders. In 10 years you won't even remember America as the innovator because of lack of the thought leader. Brazil is buying up all of our top brands with Buffet's help, our Corps have moved offshore, where is the next big thing going to come from? Not our messed up Congress either. It's going to come from entrepreneurial thought-leaders. The days of the Big Corps are over.
Facilitator of Media agency partnerships that drive bottom line results for creative agencies and internal brand marketing teams.
10 年Scott, nice article. I couldn't agree more!