Courses in Liberal Arts

Liberal arts is the culmination of arts (decorative or performative), humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. It is a common misconception that the liberal arts are anything but science or commerce. In actuality, it is a study that includes a wide range of disciplines that help enhance one’s area of knowledge and diversify skills. Given that liberal arts and sciences have a multifaceted approach, it is advantageous for upgrading skills. It offers flexibility and versatility for students to follow their desired career path.

There was a time when Liberal Arts stood for prototypical education since specialized disciplines had not yet appeared on the educational scene. Education in Liberal Arts was available only to people in the upper sections of the society. Students were required to master only three subjects or skills, i.e., grammar, rhetoric, and logic, aka trivium. These boosted one’s leadership profile in society, as one had to win debates, fight court cases, and join the military. Over millennia, new subjects that lent sophistication to one’s intellect were added, namely, math, geometry, music, and astronomy, and these were dubbed as the quadrivium. In modern times, Liberal Arts comprise a wide range of subjects that are essentially interdisciplinary and available to everybody.

Major Liberal Arts Specialties

Literature: Literature is a subject not restricted to prose, poetry, and drama but is also the broad study of various written works, narratives, philosophies, theories, and cultures worldwide. Students majoring in literature may opt for careers like teaching, publishing, researching, writing, archiving, etc.

History: History is the study of human civilizations, dynasties, and the various events that occurred in the past. It extensively deals with every aspect of society that led to major changes or occurrences in this world (economy, politics, culture, religion, technology, administration, etc.). Major career options include archeologist, lecturer, museum curator, archivist, and so on.

Psychology: A psychology major involves the study of humans, their relationships, experiences, thoughts, and how various factors influence the human mind and behavior. It examines how humans are similar yet so unique at the same time. Educational psychologist, counselor, clinical psychologist, social worker, etc.

Philosophy: Philosophy generally involves the study of human existence, the beliefs, thoughts, ideas, truths, and perceptions involved in it, and an understanding of the world. It involves a lot of questioning, thinking, analyzing, and theorizing about numerous aspects of life or even the universe itself. Career options include publisher, lecturer, management consultant, counselor, and so on.

Linguistics: Linguistics is the area of study that extensively deals with language, its properties, structure, and philological aspects. It involves analyzing aspects such as grammar, phonetics, morphology, etc. Popular career options for students with a major in linguistics include linguistic consultant, translator, language interpreter, lexicographer, and so on.

Sociology: Sociology involves an in-depth understanding of how human society and various civilizations function, how they change with time, and how they operate in the current setting. It also explores the impact society and its changes have on human behavior and relationships. Students with a sociology major can opt to be social workers, policy analysts, counselors, human resource representatives, and so on.

The field of liberal arts and sciences is undoubtedly diverse and broad. Most degree programs colleges offer cover subjects associated with social sciences, languages, writing and literature, social issues, philosophy, and world cultures.
The programs in General Studies give one a degree, which comprises various disciplines like arts, humanities, and sciences, which might appeal to students who wish to pursue an extensive education or for those who are not yet sure of their specific area of study. Most four-year universities and two-year colleges offer programs in general studies. Graduates can often pursue a career in an industry they want to get into or they can choose to continue their education further. General Studies graduates can become lawyers, social workers, or teachers, just to name a few of the many career possibilities.

Degrees in Liberal Arts and Sciences

Associate Degree: An associate degree in liberal arts and sciences comprises a comprehensive study with a span of one to two years. This program is an option for students who wish to acquire knowledge quickly and get employed sooner for jobs on a preliminary level. It covers topics such as general psychology, world history, principles of sociology, world literature, etc.
Bachelor’s Degree: This is a four-year program that grants students the liberty to major in more than one area of specialization, of its interdisciplinary nature. This allows students to establish foundational knowledge about different subjects and understand and recognize their interests. Apart from a curriculum set by students, generalized courses like mathematics, writing, literature, psychology, and so on are also provided.
Master’s Degree: A graduate degree in liberal arts and humanities takes two to three years to complete. Considering that liberal arts provide students with diverse options, it makes it flexible for them to attain a great deal of expertise in various subjects without restricting them to a specific study area. For instance, Religion and Conflict, Digital Humanities, Modern Art, and so on. This benefits students by strengthening their knowledge in these areas while also gradually identifying specific interests in a future career or research.
Doctorate Degree: This is a four to five- year degree that involves an in-depth study of the subjects under liberal arts and sciences. Like most doctoral programs, this implies extensive research and analysis in one’s area of specialization that comes under the liberal arts discipline. The student can also conduct research or write a thesis or dissertation in interdisciplinary areas.

Career Options

There are various career opportunities for a student pursuing a degree in liberal arts and sciences. It depends upon the subject one is studying or the area of focus. Choosing the right college, major, and career is one of the most important things a student can do in their life. However, one should not discount liberal arts colleges or arts degrees for fear of poor career prospects. The number of careers open to those who study the liberal arts is myriad, and the possibilities are endless. Below are some career options that one can take up when pursuing a humanities and liberal arts major.

Professors
Psychologist
Lawyer
Authors
Archeologist
Economist
Teachers
Technical Writer
Freelance Writer
Graphic Designer
Sociologist
Reporter
Editor

Liberal Arts Colleges: Scope, and Benefits

Liberal Arts education aims at developing rational thought, vigorous critical thinking, and analytical and problem-solving skills with a strong ethical foundation. Since the fields of study include diverse disciplines, education provides a healthy combination of concrete information in the shape of data and statistics and theoretical knowledge in the fields of ethics, psychology, and philosophy. Thus, it hones one’s intellectual as well as practical skills. This prepares the students for a wide range of careers and enables them to dynamically respond to evolving scenarios in industry, economy, and employment. For example, a Liberal Arts graduate in any subject can take up jobs in journalism, education, and administration and even become an entrepreneur. They can also get into fields of academic research or become social scientists.

Listed below are some of the best Liberal Arts colleges in the United States of America:

Williams College (Williamstown, MA): Williams College has been consistently ranked as the best liberal arts college by US News and is known for its quality coursework and a great teacher-to-student ratio. Founded in 1793 as a private college for men, it became coeducational in 1970. Students are provided with a comprehensive curriculum with three major academic divisions: languages and the arts, social sciences, and science and mathematics. They also have a great cultural background that allows students to grow as individuals.
Amherst College (Amherst, MA): Amherst College is a private, non-profit institution of higher learning that was established in the year 1821. It holds the 2nd position nationally as the best liberal arts college. It is an esteemed undergraduate institution known for more than 40 majors in liberal studies and a student-to-faculty ratio of 7:1.
Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, PA): Founded in 1864, the college has been very successful in its focus on the quality of education. They have some of the best faculty in the country, and the learning experience at Swarthmore is commendable, considering the diverse backgrounds students come from, which allows them to learn from each other and grow as individuals. It has been ranked three as the best liberal arts college.
Pomona College (Claremont, CA): Pomona College is one of the oldest private liberal arts colleges in the country and is known for its quality coursework. They update their coursework to keep up with the latest changes and improve the quality of teaching at all times. Established in 1887, it has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8:1, with more than 40 majors and research opportunities. It has been ranked fourth as the best liberal arts college.

Other best liberal arts colleges include:

Wellesley College (Wellesley, MA)
Bowdoin College (Brunswick, ME)
Claremont McKenna College (Claremont, CA)
United States Naval Academy (Annapolis, MD)
Carleton College (Northfield, MN)
Hamilton College (Clinton, NY)