Earning a liberal arts degree means studying a subject in one of four primary disciplines and gaining a more flexible education that can help you pursue a range of careers.
A liberal arts degree is a bachelor's degree you can earn in certain liberal arts majors pertaining to the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and fine arts. You can earn this degree either by attending a liberal arts college or by attending a four-year college or university and majoring in one of the liberal arts.
A liberal arts degree doesn't always focus on the career-specific curriculum that college majors like computer science or marketing typically do. Instead, it emphasizes valuable workplace skills, like critical thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving, so you can pursue a variety of roles after graduation. In other words, earning your degree in a liberal arts subject typically means you're not tied to a certain profession.
Explore the four disciplines that comprise liberal arts majors, the skills you can gain with a liberal arts degree, and what it takes to earn one.
A liberal arts degree means earning your Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Fine Arts in one of four primary disciplines: the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, or fine arts.
The type of degree you ultimately graduate with will depend on your major. For instance, many humanities subjects typically equate to a BA degree, whereas science subjects equate to a BS degree. However, it’s worth noting that some majors—like economics, psychology, or environmental science—offer you an option. Learn more about the difference between BA and BS degrees and how to decide which type is best for you.
Majoring in the humanities means studying ideas related to humans and humanity. Common subjects include:
Literature
History
Religion
Foreign language
Science majors study the world around them and how it functions. Common subjects include:
Astronomy
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Mathematics
Geography
Social science majors focus on subjects that investigate human behavior, either on an individual or collective level. Common subjects include:
Psychology
Sociology
Anthropology
Criminal justice
Economics
Fine and applied arts majors focus on the creative arts, either to pursue a career in that field or by applying what they’ve learned to a different industry. Common subjects include:
Fashion
Film
Graphic design
Theater
Costume design
Production design
Engineering, accounting, finance, human resources, nursing, and dentistry are examples of majors that are not liberal arts since they help you gain skills specific to performing those roles at the professional level.
A liberal arts degree is a bachelor’s degree. As such, it typically takes between four and five years to earn. Most bachelor’s degrees require you to complete a minimum of 120 credits to graduate.
All undergraduate learners are expected to take core liberal arts coursework during their first two years before beginning their major coursework. As a liberal arts major, you will deepen your knowledge of one liberal arts subject.
Depending on what you study, you may gain useful technical skills related to your subject matter. The vast majority of liberal arts majors also emphasize workplace skills to prepare you for a variety of careers.
Among the skills you’ll learn in a liberal arts program are:
Research
Writing
Communication
Analysis
Critical thinking
Problem-solving
Teamwork
The skills you can develop through your liberal arts degree program are valuable. In fact, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that employers ranked skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving higher than many technical skills [1].
When you choose to major in a liberal arts subject and are nearing graduation, think about what you’ve learned and compare your skills to in-demand transferable skills. Then, list them in the skills section of your resume and mention them again in your cover letter.
A liberal arts education is designed to help you gain and strengthen skills you can apply to a range of careers. One of the degree’s greatest benefits is career flexibility. You can begin working in a related field, or you can take what you’ve learned and explore careers that would benefit from your unique skill set.
For example, a biology major might find an entry-level role in a research lab or become a health communications specialist, working with community members to develop health-related programming that benefits a local population.
A liberal arts degree can also prepare you for graduate school, which can lead to advanced careers in numerous fields. A liberal arts major can lead to a master’s in a similar (or new) subject or a professional degree, such as law or medicine. In fact, a liberal arts degree can lay a strong foundation for future academic endeavors. US News & World Report found that the most common majors law schools accept include political science, psychology, economics, history, and English [3].
A liberal arts degree helps you develop in-demand transferrable skills that apply to many different kinds of roles. Many courses and specializations exist in liberal arts subjects from leading universities on Coursera. Sign up for Wesleyan University’s Creative Writing Specialization, Berklee College of Music’s Music Production Specialization, Michigan State University's Photography Basics and Beyond, or California Institute of the Arts’ Fundamentals of Graphic Design. Learning online comes with many benefits, including greater flexibility and self-paced courses.
National Association of Colleges and Employers. “The Key Attributes Employers Are Looking for on Graduates’ Resumes, https://www.naceweb.org/about-us/press/the-key-attributes-employers-are-looking-for-on-graduates-resumes.” Accessed December 10, 2024.
US News. “Choosing the Best Undergraduate Major for Law School, https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/law-admissions-lowdown/articles/choosing-the-best-undergraduate-major-for-law-school.” Accessed December 10, 2024.
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This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.
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