Liberal arts education prepares students for work and life
At a time when anxiety about the slowing economy is high, graduates of Minnesota’s private colleges and universities are drawing on the broad skills and adaptability provided by their liberal arts educations. And some recent graduates looking for an alternative to the traditional first job after college are choosing volunteer and service pathways.
Whatever path our graduates take, a liberal arts education is valuable and marketable in today’s society — providing a “whole-person” education that includes rigorous academics and promotes a life of service. By taking well-rounded coursework at the undergraduate level — including humanities, sciences and languages—liberal arts graduates are prepared to enter the workforce, go on to graduate school and move into humanitarian and service roles with applicable knowledge and experience.
At the core of the liberal arts experience is a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to learning. With opportunity to participate in class discussions and research projects in an array of disciplines, students develop key skills that are sought out by employers in many industries. Benefits of a liberal arts education include critical thinking, adaptability, both written and oral communication and the ability to collaborate with diverse team members.
A liberal arts education not only provides a rich and rigorous undergraduate experience but a strong foundation for graduate and professional school training as well. One quarter of alumni from the 17 colleges represented by the Minnesota Private College Council (MPCC) pursue graduate level education immediately upon earning their bachelor’s degrees. For those who chose employment, three out of four of MPCC institution graduates go immediately into full-time employment—many for leading Minnesota companies.
Graduates of liberal arts colleges have opportunities in fields beyond what is traditionally thought of as a liberal arts education, particularly in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). MPCC institutions graduate 28 percent of bachelor’s degrees and 14 percent of graduate degrees in STEM fields in Minnesota.
In addition to preparing well-rounded employees for the workforce and graduate school, liberal arts education also promotes a life of service. College of St. Scholastica President Larry Goodwin illustrated the connection between liberal arts and the greater good in a speech at United International College in Zhuhai, China, last fall. “Liberal education prepares students for their professional lives, but we cannot know fully what it means to be a good professional unless we also know what it means to be a good human being,” Goodwin said. “At its best, liberal education engages the mind but also provokes the conscience, shapes character and so provides the context within which people engage in good work.”
Experiential and service learning opportunities for students following recent disasters like the September 11, 2001 attacks and Hurricane Katrina have compelled many students to reach out to serve others in need. As many as 400 graduates from MPCC institutions (5 percent) go immediately into full-time service and volunteer work.
Chrissy Painter, a junior majoring in elementary education at the College of St. Scholastica, hopes to take her teaching talents overseas after graduation to work with underserved children. “I’d love to be able to work outside the U.S. in orphanage teaching," she said, “I think it will give me an entirely new perspective on how to get through to kids that will make me a better teacher in the long run.”
The value of the liberal arts is sometimes missed when learning outcomes are the focus — noted most recently in the Insider Higher Ed article, Could the Wrong Assessment Kill the Liberal Arts? The skills and knowledge gained from a liberal arts education are not always quantifiable, yet graduates contribute in ways that benefit the workforce, economy and society.