What is a Liberal Arts Education?

A private liberal arts education offers you:

• small classes, where you’ll be expected to be prepared, and discuss the material intelligently

• demanding reading lists, including both primary sources and latter-day analyses
• close interaction with and support from professors who expect you to do their best
• writing and rewriting many papers, from three pages to thesis-length
• course requirements that expose you to the hard sciences, literature, social sciences, history and philosophy, as well as to your chosen major field
• overseas and off-campus study options
• the opportunity to achieve competency in a foreign language
• abundant opportunities for independent study and research in collaboration with professors

Employers Seek Liberal Arts Skills

Employers value the broad analytical and communication skills young adults acquire through a liberal arts education. Recruiters look closely at the way prospective employees approach work situations. They look for the ability to:

• work through multi-faceted problems
• organize complex information into coherent categories or manageable steps
• pinpoint key or underlying issues
• solve problems creatively, challenging "business as usual"
• work hard to meet high professional standards
• recognize the dynamics, culture or issues that could affect a group or relationship
• adapt easily to changing situations or environments

And the candidates who are best able to communicate their qualifications during the brief interview are the most likely to land the job.