The liberal arts major is a growing one. More and more students choose it among the hundreds of other career-driven majors, but why? Many believe that without a specific career chosen it will be close to impossible to come across a worthwhile job post-college; however, the liberal arts major should be one that receives another glance. The essay I read was The New Liberal Arts by Sanford J. Ungar. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines liberal arts as college or university studies (as language, philosophy, literature, abstract science) intended to provide chiefly general knowledge and to develop general intellectual capacities (as reason and judgment) as opposed to professional or vocational skills. The argument made most often is that the liberal arts major is too general and does not properly prepare a student for their given career. While in many careers you must have a specific major which is directed towards a single career, more often than not liberal arts degrees allow students to find more jobs, become better rounded students, to be generally happier, be given excellent opportunities for top graduate schools and professional schools, and receive a more personal education.
Ungar's first misperception stated in his essay is that the liberal arts degree is a luxury which most families cannot afford. I agree when he says that the liberal arts degree is a better investment than ever. This degree gives a great deal of versatility and allows students to be accepted into a wide variety of fields, which means many more jobs available to students. One of the negatives for career-driven majors is that it will only apply to the career which it was created for. This eliminates thousands of job opportunities because of how linear the curriculum is laid out. Many employers are looking for candidates who know how to make quick decisions and have a vast knowledge of multiple subjects. The liberal arts major creates these candidates who fill positions for thousands of small businesses and corporations alike.