What can You Do with a Liberal Arts Degree? Getting a liberal arts degree is a satisfying experience. Liberal arts graduates have acquired skills and information that are transferable to a wide range of professions. In fact, STEM areas and every other business and sector provide employment opportunities for liberal arts graduates.
However, what precisely is the liberal arts route, and what can you achieve with a degree in the liberal arts? This job guide examines the distinctive qualities of liberal arts programs and some of the numerous career options they open up for graduates.
What is a Liberal Arts Degree?
A number of broad categories can be used to group degree programs, such as STEM, liberal arts, or fine arts. A liberal arts degree may have a broader focus or even be transdisciplinary when compared to one in a subject like mathematics or chemistry. It is the result of research in disciplines like history, sociology, and the others listed below. Transferable abilities including communication, critical thinking, moral judgment, and analytical reasoning are heavily taught to students.
A liberal arts education includes a variety of humanities and social science subjects. The humanities, for instance, comprise:
- Language (such as Spanish)
- Political science
- Philosophy
- Literature
- History
Similar to this, sociology, counseling, and psychology are included in the social sciences.
Although it is called “liberal arts,” this style of instruction has nothing to do with liberal political viewpoints and principles. The word was coined by the ancient Greeks, who thought that subjects like grammar, logic, and rhetoric were essential components of a well-rounded education that would prepare one for civic activity. While the concept and distinguishing features of a liberal arts education have undoubtedly changed over the years—few universities today demand Greek and Latin as graduation requirements—a liberal arts education still equips students to meet the many difficulties that lay ahead of them.
Why Pursue Careers in the Liberal Arts?
In part because it teaches you how to think rather than what to think, a liberal arts education is priceless. You’ll learn how to look at problems from several angles, hone your problem-solving ability, and gain critical leadership skills. The following benefits of a liberal arts education are also available:
- Due to its interdisciplinary nature, it exposes students to a wide array of topics.
- Teaches transferable skills that can be used in a variety of industries and jobs.
- Interactive lessons that promote lively debates
- Concentrate on innovation, tying ideas together, and exchanging viewpoints
- Frequently places an emphasis on civic involvement, social responsibility, and equity
- Develops great cultural competency and understanding of the world
In conclusion, a degree in the liberal arts will give you the opportunity to develop highly transferable abilities, enabling you to pursue a variety of careers across industries and sectors. For instance, someone with a degree in English may work for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) just as easily as they could as an English instructor. Graduates of liberal arts institutions have a wide range of professional options.
What can You Do with a Liberal Arts Degree
So what can you accomplish with a degree in the liberal arts? With a liberal arts education, you can pursue a fulfilling job in almost any subject, industry, or sector. Holders of liberal arts degrees can be found working for government organizations, commercial businesses, and nonprofits. They can be found working in a variety of fields, including manufacturing, tourism, marketing, and education.
What Jobs Can You Get With a Liberal Arts Degree? is probably on your mind if you are seriously considering pursuing a liberal arts education.As was already said, graduates of liberal arts programs have a wide range of career options. Think about the following options:
1. Health Educator
A career in a STEM subject, like healthcare, can frequently be attained through a liberal arts background. You can think about pursuing a career in health education if you have a strong desire to improve people’s lives and are interested in medicine.
An expert who educates a community about healthy lifestyles and habits is known as a health education specialist. They could perform any of the following:
- Analyze the community’s requirements and current health trends.
- Create educational programs and resources to help people learn about health-related topics like controlling diabetes or recognizing the symptoms of a stroke.
- Create training programs for additional community health professionals.
- Facilitate community members’ access to resources for health.
- Promote the interests of the community by, for example, promoting health-related policies and greater health resources.
Although a degree in healthcare is an option for aspiring health educators, a degree in the health sciences is also a wise decision. One’s career qualifications can be improved by earning additional certificates in health education.
2. Social Services Manager
The availability of publicly accessible social service programs, such as those intended to improve mental health, boost literacy, and alleviate food insecurity, is one of the distinguishing traits of a healthy community. These kinds of social service initiatives are created, implemented, and managed by social service managers. Any of the following jobs may be performed by a social service manager, often known as a community service manager:
- To determine the kind and scope of activities and services that the community needs, consult with residents and other stakeholders.
- Create and put into action community service resources and programs.
- Analyze the success of community programs and make necessary adjustments.
- Plan and oversee outreach initiatives to inform the public of the resources that are available and how to use them.
- To secure money for public service programs, write grant bids.
- Organize the administrative chores required to run programs and resources.
You’ll need a degree in the social sciences, such as social work or public policy, if you want to administer social services. Before taking on a managerial position, you could also need suitable professional work experience.
Beginning in September 2021, the U.S. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, the number of jobs in the community and social services sector is expected to rise by around 12% between 2020 and 2030, faster than average, adding 346,900 positions to the sector.
3. Market Research Analyst
A business needs to know which goods or services to sell and how to promote them to the appropriate market in order to be successful. A market research analyst’s role is to analyze the raw data and produce insights that lead to increased revenue for the business. Any of the following tasks could be performed by a market research analyst on any given day:
- Analyze current sales and marketing patterns and project future trends.
- Analyze the success of marketing initiatives and plans.
- Create and use techniques for gathering customer data directly, such as surveys and opinion polls.
- Obtain and research information on the market environment and the company’s rivals.
- Utilize statistical analysis software to gather data, evaluate it, and create written summaries and other materials that present the results.
Make suggestions to management regarding the categories of goods and services that customers are likely to desire and the most reasonable pricing range for those goods and services.
A road to pursue a career as a market research analyst can be created by earning a bachelor’s degree in social science, communications, or business. Although certain firms do favor people with master’s degrees, a graduate degree is typically not required to break into the sector.
According to the U.S., the number of jobs for market research analysts is expected to increase by about 22% between 2020 and 2030. Office of Labor Statistics
4. Marketing Manager
The creation, management, and evaluation of marketing and advertising initiatives are within the purview of marketing managers. They are in charge of selecting, educating, and managing the members of their departmental teams, as well as managing all marketing initiatives. Any of the following are possible tasks for a marketing manager:
- To discuss objectives, demands, and the vision for a future marketing campaign, meet with clients.
- Plan marketing and advertising initiatives, and assign work to personnel including copywriters, social media experts, and graphic designers.
- To better understand industry prospects and client demographics, develop and analyze market research studies.
- Create and keep an eye on the departmental budget.
- Work in concert with the managers of other departments on issues like budgets for marketing and contractual commitments.
Even with just a bachelor’s degree, it is feasible to work in marketing management; although typically not necessary, a graduate degree may be beneficial. This is hardly an entry-level profession, though. A future marketing manager might start out as a salesperson, copywriter, social media expert, or graphic designer.
According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of jobs in the sector of advertising, promotions, and marketing managers is expected to grow by around 10% between 2020 and 2030, which would result in an addition of 31,800 positions.
5. Copywriter
Professional writers who work in marketing and advertising are known as copywriters. Their responsibility is to produce material that advertises a business’s goods or services and increases sales. Sales copy may have a sales angle while also being amusing or educational.
Any of the following jobs can be performed by a copywriter:
- Meet with clients to understand about their objectives and vision as well as their offerings.
- Establish or adhere to brand style standards that influence the brand voice and other stylistic preferences as well as all other components of the copy.
- Write sales copy for a range of platforms and mediums, including as blog posts, static website pages, landing pages, social media posts, print advertisements, and brochures.
- Work on projects in collaboration with other experts, such as graphic designers and social media experts.
To become a copywriter, you only need a bachelor’s degree in the humanities or social sciences, as well as excellent writing, research, and creative capabilities. Some copywriters distinguish themselves from the competition by earning a professional qualification or picking up further abilities, such graphic design know-how or language proficiency.
6. Grants Writer
A degree in the liberal arts can equip you to pursue success in any industry, including the charity sector. A grant writer is a specialist who creates grant proposals in an effort to raise money for the goals of nonprofit organizations. Grant writers may work for a single nonprofit organization or they may be independent contractors who collaborate with different charities.
If you choose to become a grant writer, you can anticipate performing the following duties:
- To find funding options that meet the nonprofit’s mission and operations, conduct research.
- Write grant submissions that outline the goals and activities of the nonprofit, talk about the effects on the neighborhood, and specify how the money will be used.
- Gather supporting materials to include with the funding submission.
- Answer any follow-up inquiries from donors and funding organizations.
- Track, record, and share data about the results of grant funding.
A bachelor’s degree, which might be in anything from professional writing, English, social work, public policy, governmental studies, or marketing and advertising, is typically required of grant writers.
7. Human Resources Manager
Managers of human resources (HR) oversee the HR division of an organization. They are in charge of organizing, managing, and coordinating the administrative tasks carried out by their organization, particularly those related to hiring and training new employees. Typically, a human resources manager will be in charge of the following duties:
- Assess the company’s long-term growth requirements and vision during a meeting with management.
- Ensure that the hiring strategies will allow the organization to achieve its goals by supervising the recruitment, selection, interviewing, and hiring procedures.
- Create and manage the employee benefit plans.
- Act as a point of contact between the staff and management.
- Create and manage employee development initiatives including workshops and seminars for ongoing education.
- Manage personnel matters, such as disagreements, disciplinary actions, and firings.
A bachelor’s degree in a liberal arts subject, such as psychology, commerce, or communications, is required for aspirant human resources managers. Some universities offer HR-specific degrees. A human resources professional’s work experience is also necessary for aspiring managers.
Beginning in September 2021, the U.S. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, there will be an expected 14,800 more positions in the sector of human resources managers between 2020 and 2030, growing at a rate of roughly 9%, which is about average.
8. Public Relations Professional
Specialists in public relations are in charge of cultivating and maintaining a favorable reputation for their clients. They serve both individuals and organizations, including businesses, nonprofits, schools, professional groups, and public figures like as athletes, politicians, and entertainers.
One who works in public relations may do any of the following duties:
- Write press releases, blog posts, social media updates, and thought leadership pieces with the goal of highlighting the client favorably.
- Write speeches for the client to present, and assist in getting the client ready to properly address media inquiries at press conferences.
- Analyze the client’s reputation in online venues like social media.
Public relations experts are expected to experience faster-than-average job growth from 2021 to 2031, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, with an estimated increase of 22,300 jobs in the sector.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the term PhD mean?
Ph.D. in philosophy.
Doctor of Philosophy, or PhD, is the highest postgraduate honor that can be received. A PhD must be earned by producing substantial and original research. You'll get in-depth knowledge and comprehension of a particular field of study.
What degree is the most difficult?
Even while these degrees might be challenging, they can help you advance both personally and professionally and lead to well-paying professions. The most difficult degrees in the world, according to experts, include those in medical, engineering, design, mathematics, law, physics, chemistry, music, biology, and computer science.
Which nation’s GPA is the highest?
While the highest GPA is 4.00 in the US, it is 4.5 in Korea, 10 in Vietnam, and 13 in Denmark, showing that varied scale lengths are present in addition to differing values for the same letter grades in various countries.
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