Are Liberal Arts Degrees Worth It?

[Era Might]

This list may not e exclusively liberal arts:

English majors seem to end up teaching or doing administrative work.

History I have seen applied to politics/non-profit advocacy work, law, and teaching.

Theology I have seen applied to teaching and ministry positions.

Philosophy I have seen applied to law and teaching.

I have a book about a guy who studied econ and psychology or sociology and became very successful.

I once met a liberal arts major who became a financial services representative and spoke to a finance club.

Econ majors make more than a lot of majors: they often end up getting a graduate or professional degree-MBA or Law especially. An econ professor I once had said that econ majors have a broad base of soft skills, but sometimes employers do't know what to do with these majors when they first start their careers, so it would be good for these majors to let people know that they know some accounting (courses were required of these majors at this school).

​Basically if you have some common sense and are willing to learn you can adapt any degree to the business world. Majoring in business or marketing doesn't make you good at business or marketing, though it may make you more appealing to employers at first, but at the end of the day, either you "have it" or you don't. You're gonna have to learn whatever industry you fall into anyway, and you will have to learn most of your career on your feet and on the job...that's where your real education comes from. But it's just a matter of whether you want to major in English/History/Theology etc. just to go into business. If you're gonna major in liberal arts, IMO, it's best if you actually plan to pursue it on some level...it's not absolutely necessary, but I think you probably get more out of it.

[CrossCuT]

Is it worth it? In what way?

Personal satisfaction, interest level, prestige, money, career, etc? There are a lot of ways to define worth of a degree...but if you are going to define it as outlined by a monetary system that values certain things over others, then youll have to abandon your hopes and dreams if they dont align with what makes the $$$$.

[truthfinder]

 

History I have seen applied to politics/non-profit advocacy work, law, and teaching.

 

​Yes, historians are the ones saying "there's more nuance to it than that" repeatedly.

As said above, theology might be a risk as a degree.  That doesn't mean you can't take the courses; turn it into a minor or something with a more marketable BA or even BSc depending on the institution.

I swear, though, that most people getting into university these day's shouldn't be - it is astounding.  I spend most of my time marking things on papers that they should have learned in high school. 

I'll also echo Amppax that it's very difficult to properly train yourself, if you don't at least have a properly set foundation, on topics such as history or theology.  They have languages of their own particularly in the sub-fields. Also due to the way copyright and libraries work, access to the newest and best research is limited to those with the expensive library cards.  Being challenged by a prof (or TA) on the assertions you make in class or in a paper help overall in your writing and reasoning.  It doesn't mean you have to kowtow in to their beliefs on a subject (believe me, I would have been toast years ago).  It means being able to properly argue using evidence and logic.  It also means learning how not to roll your eyes or get into a uncivil debate (like you can here).  

[Gabriela]

Here's a link to Georgetown's Center on Education and the Workforce's 2013 report on unemployment and salary by major: https://www.cgsnet.org/ckfinder/userfiles/files/Unemployment_Final_update1.pdf

I hope it helps you, FP.

[PhuturePriest]

There are some worrying statistics about the university I mentioned before, so I'm going to ask them about it tomorrow and we'll see what happens.

[Maggyie]

Liberal Arts degrees can be incredibly useful, especially if you plan carefully to avoid debt. Certain degrees like sociology and theology are relatively useless if you are planning to pursue them at the undergraduate level only.

If you are planning to become a PhD, obviously do the major. Otherwise you aren't going to get much value, intellectual or otherwise, from the degree. My mother's psychiatrist once told me that the undergrad psych majors were given just enough education to feel like they know more than the general population, and not nearly enough education to actually know anything about the field. 

Theology is similar. I once had an argument on here with an FUS theology grad who insisted that "giving the bride away" is part of the Catholic marriage rite. Of course, this concept is completely antithetical to orthodox sacramental theology and is not part of the rite, pre Vatican II or post.

However many theology undergrad students spend tens of thousands of dollars to not know these basics. That's because the undergraduate degree in these topics merely gives a foundational understanding of the field, it is not meant to confer expertise. 

[PhuturePriest]

Liberal Arts degrees can be incredibly useful, especially if you plan carefully to avoid debt. Certain degrees like sociology and theology are relatively useless if you are planning to pursue them at the undergraduate level only.

If you are planning to become a PhD, obviously do the major. Otherwise you aren't going to get much value, intellectual or otherwise, from the degree. My mother's psychiatrist once told me that the undergrad psych majors were given just enough education to feel like they know more than the general population, and not nearly enough education to actually know anything about the field. 

Theology is similar. I once had an argument on here with an FUS theology grad who insisted that "giving the bride away" is part of the Catholic marriage rite. Of course, this concept is completely antithetical to orthodox sacramental theology and is not part of the rite, pre Vatican II or post.

However many theology undergrad students spend tens of thousands of dollars to not know these basics. That's because the undergraduate degree in these topics merely gives a foundational understanding of the field, it is not meant to confer expertise. 

​Oh, I fully intended to get a masters in the field of theology. But all of this depends upon my discernment, of course.

[Maggyie]

​Oh, I fully intended to get a masters in the field of theology. But all of this depends upon my discernment, of course.

But a Masters in theology has no advantage to a bachelors. The terminal degree is what you want. 

[veritasluxmea]

But a Masters in theology has no advantage to a bachelors. The terminal degree is what you want. 

​idk is that just theology? I'm studying English for secondary education, and most teachers go on to get their masters. They're more likely to get hired then someone with just a bachelor's. 

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

​idk is that just theology? I'm studying English for secondary education, and most teachers go on to get their masters. They're more likely to get hired then someone with just a bachelor's.

​Yes, it's different for every major, and for what you want to do with the major. For example, for most employers, a Master's in Business (MBA) is sufficient for a professional job even at the highest level, and unless, for example, a person wants to teach at the university level, there would be no need to get a Doctoral degree.

And, you're right about teaching. Lots of teachers, especially those who want to teach at the secondary level, get their Master's. (I think many/most school districts in the U.S. pay teachers with a Master's a higher salary.) In some states in the U.S., a Bachelor's degree is not sufficient to qualify as a teacher (even an elementary school teacher), and teachers must get a Bachelor's and then go for another year of school to get a teaching certificate.

So, when making long-term plans, it's important not only to know the minimum education an employer normally requires for the position you're interested in, but also, the minimum education required if your proposed career requires professional certification by the state or some other body.

Edited April 11, 2015 by IgnatiusofLoyola

[Lilllabettt]

HIgh-five from a fellow pell grantee. 

they're not worth it if you have to take out private loans. period, end of sentence.

federal loans, even a huge amount of federal loans, will rarely get you in trouble.

I take that first part back. I had a roommate at harvard who was a trust fund baby. Millions of bucks in the bank, not accessible until age 25. I've heard rumors of these people's existence before but she was my first actual encounter. Her parents income (they had real estate) counted against her, so she paid full sticker price for school and borrowed it all privately. She will be fine, on account of being a trust fund baby.

So they're not worth it if you have to take out private loans and you are not a trust fund baby. 

 

Edited April 11, 2015 by Lilllabettt

[Lilllabettt]

​idk is that just theology? I'm studying English for secondary education, and most teachers go on to get their masters. They're more likely to get hired then someone with just a bachelor's. 

​that's not necessarily true, either. A masters degree will make you more expensive to hire and the nature of a principal's job is to be a  bean counter. It's a shame, but often they prefer a little less experience and education for that reason. 

Most teachers I know recommend getting into a district you like early in your career, if possible, and then staying put and getting a masters degree (and the salary boost) once you have tenure. I have an Ed.M and I didn't  do it that way ... but I didn't really want to go back into teaching. 

[tinytherese]

But a Masters in theology has no advantage to a bachelors. The terminal degree is what you want. 

If you want to be a professor, then yes you'll need to either have a phd or be pursuing it. Even then, you still may not be able to find a full-time professor position. Theology professors don't appear to be in demand. 

Some jobs at parishes or for a diocese require a masters degree plus experience. Others want a bachelors degree and experience. There are not a lot of either of those jobs anyway. 

[truthfinder]

Yes, the teaching thing is one where you must consider both the legalities and the current practice of schools where you might want to teach.  Where I'm from, just about every teacher has a BA or a BSc plus a BEd (which depending on where they do the schooling or what level they want to teach at is a one or two year program).  It used to be that a BEd was sufficient (at the time it was a four year program) but you will rarely find these in teachers anymore because they ended about twenty years ago.  Teachers rarely do MEd's until after they've begun teaching (unless they are specializing in teaching for special needs students).  Some will get extra certification for teaching math or chemistry or the like, but most MEds are reserved for those who want to join administration - it's general practice in my province that all people in principal roles must have a masters.  

On the pay frame, having a masters in anything will automatically get you paid 8-10 thousand dollars more over another candidate.   

[PhuturePriest]

But a Masters in theology has no advantage to a bachelors. The terminal degree is what you want. 

​You're assuming I want to go into something like teaching, which I don't. Or at least not at a school, anyway.