The Value of a Liberal Arts Education

What is a liberal arts education, and what are its benefits? If you're wondering this, you're not the first college-bound student to pose the question. It’s definitely one worth asking before you choose a school.

Liberal arts colleges have evolved into America's most distinctive contributors to higher education. While students attending liberal arts colleges concentrate on particular majors and courses of study, they enhance their education by taking a slate of other courses in such fields as math, English, the natural and social sciences, the arts and foreign languages -- a slate that molds students into well-rounded individuals who think critically and express themselves intelligently.

The class schedule of a liberal arts student includes general education courses and courses in his or her area of specialization (major and minor). In many circumstances, students take their core courses as early as possible to free themselves up to focus more specifically on their specific fields of study during the junior and senior years. This broad-based educational foundation prepares students for more than jobs -- it sets them on the path to successful careers. Employers seek to hire and promote people who have the ability to communicate intelligently and who possess knowledge on a wide array of subjects. This is where the liberal arts come into play. Whatever career you choose, the ability to think critically and communicate effectively will prove paramount to your success.

Students attending liberal arts colleges major in a wide array of programs -- art, communication, English, foreign languages, math, natural sciences, political science and psychology to name a few. Within these broad "categories" students pursue a wide variety of careers. For example, students majoring in political science with a liberal arts background can go on to have successful careers as lawyers, political campaign consultants and politicians. Someone in the field of English might become an editor or writer or work in such fields as advertising and public relations.

Mercer University believes in the value of a liberal arts education, and we also believe in giving students a choice in selecting a curriculum that best meets their learning styles. Therefore, we offer two options in our General Education Program: the Great Books Program and the Distributional Program. Both achieve the goals of the general education curriculum. Great Books students read books by the great thinkers and writers of math, history, art and other fields. They write often and participate in "discussion"-oriented courses. Students who prefer the lecture-style classroom structure will enjoy the distributional option. Students in this tract study the same fields as Great Books students but in a traditional classroom setting.

To learn more about Mercer University’s liberal arts foundation, call us at (800) 840-8577