The value of a liberal arts degree?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many of the CTCL schools place an emphasis on the liberal arts and sciences. It’s an asset to have some popular CTCL choices in VA and MD.

The vast majority of colleges and universities in the USA either require a liberal arts education, or make it available to those in a CLAS (in contrast to undergrad business schools or something like Georgetown SFS). The exception are very specialized, pre-professional schools like Colorado School of Mines.

98% of people graduating with an undergrad degree in the USA have a liberal arts education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many of the CTCL schools place an emphasis on the liberal arts and sciences. It’s an asset to have some popular CTCL choices in VA and MD.

The vast majority of colleges and universities in the USA either require a liberal arts education, or make it available to those in a CLAS (in contrast to undergrad business schools or something like Georgetown SFS). The exception are very specialized, pre-professional schools like Colorado School of Mines.

98% of people graduating with an undergrad degree in the USA have a liberal arts education.

This whole thing is based on a false belief among adherents of the liberal arts (insert your preferred name here) that somehow studies in tech, non-pure sciences, engineering, nursing, medicine, business, etc are "vocational" and therefore not as "intellectual" as the pure liberal arts/humanities/etc. When in fact every one of those programs contains a strong core of the liberal arts (language, history, literature, etc) and then add to it. Critical thinking? Everyone of those "vocational" programs requires logical and critical thinking as a minimum ability to succeed. In fact, I would argue that when did my ER and ICU clinicals, for example, and had to serve gunshot victims or children who had been brutually beaten..I was gaining perhaps even more critical thinking skills than the English majors back on campus reading Middlemarch

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many of the CTCL schools place an emphasis on the liberal arts and sciences. It’s an asset to have some popular CTCL choices in VA and MD.

The vast majority of colleges and universities in the USA either require a liberal arts education, or make it available to those in a CLAS (in contrast to undergrad business schools or something like Georgetown SFS). The exception are very specialized, pre-professional schools like Colorado School of Mines.

98% of people graduating with an undergrad degree in the USA have a liberal arts education.

This whole thing is based on a false belief among adherents of the liberal arts (insert your preferred name here) that somehow studies in tech, non-pure sciences, engineering, nursing, medicine, business, etc are "vocational" and therefore not as "intellectual" as the pure liberal arts/humanities/etc. When in fact every one of those programs contains a strong core of the liberal arts (language, history, literature, etc) and then add to it. Critical thinking? Everyone of those "vocational" programs requires logical and critical thinking as a minimum ability to succeed. In fact, I would argue that when did my ER and ICU clinicals, for example, and had to serve gunshot victims or children who had been brutually beaten..I was gaining perhaps even more critical thinking skills than the English majors back on campus reading Middlemarch

Ok, no need to get defensive. When did I say any of that? I didn't get a liberal arts degree, so trust me -- I'm not saying they're superior to anything else.

Definitionally, a liberal arts degree is different from a pre-professional or technical school. That's a fact. It doesn't mean one or the other is more intellectual or one teaches critical thinking and the other doesn't.

It's simply an educational tradition that began in Germany and then was adopted in most US undergrad institutions.

If you don't believe me, here's the Wikipedia definition:

Liberal arts education (from Latin liberalis "free" and ars "art or principled practice") is the traditional program of education in Western higher educational institutions.[1] Liberal arts today consists of four types of areas: the natural sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities. Its central academic disciplines are physics, biology, philosophy, logic, linguistics, literature, history, political science, psychology, mathematics, and many others. Liberal arts education can refer to overall studies in a liberal arts degree program or to a University education more generally. Such a course of study contrasts with those that are principally work-related, vocational, professional, or geared towards a technical training.

[Anonymous]

Also, when I say 98% of people graduate with a liberal arts education, I mean exactly what you said -- most of them have a core liberal arts set of classes that are required, then they add their major classes.

I went to Georgetown SFS and didn't have a liberal arts core. That's why I have a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service. I don't have a BA or BS degree.

Liberal arts, as is stated in the definition above, is not limited to "English majors reading Middlemarch."

[Anonymous]

Science is definitely better at a big research university. There is no question about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Science is definitely better at a big research university. There is no question about that.

Well you settled that now. Thanks, we can all stop discussing it.

(Ps -no, not necessarily for every student. Many students will do better at smaller colleges. You think biology is better at U New Mexico than at Amherst?Look at the link above about percentage of science majors who get into PhD programs. And Have you seen Amherst’s new science center? Sorry Charlie, you can’t make that statement universally).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, when I say 98% of people graduate with a liberal arts education, I mean exactly what you said -- most of them have a core liberal arts set of classes that are required, then they add their major classes.

I went to Georgetown SFS and didn't have a liberal arts core. That's why I have a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service. I don't have a BA or BS degree.

Liberal arts, as is stated in the definition above, is not limited to "English majors reading Middlemarch."

You literally just stated that you have a Bachelor of Science.
That’s a BS degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, when I say 98% of people graduate with a liberal arts education, I mean exactly what you said -- most of them have a core liberal arts set of classes that are required, then they add their major classes.

I went to Georgetown SFS and didn't have a liberal arts core. That's why I have a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service. I don't have a BA or BS degree.

Liberal arts, as is stated in the definition above, is not limited to "English majors reading Middlemarch."

You literally just stated that you have a Bachelor of Science.
That’s a BS degree.

No. I have a BSFS. It’s different. I did not complete a liberal arts core. I had no math or science requirement, for example. Instead I had to take 4 quarters of econ.

[Anonymous]

That’s in contrast to Georgetown’s College of Arts and Sciences, where students do a complete liberal arts core before delving into their major courses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, when I say 98% of people graduate with a liberal arts education, I mean exactly what you said -- most of them have a core liberal arts set of classes that are required, then they add their major classes.

I went to Georgetown SFS and didn't have a liberal arts core. That's why I have a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service. I don't have a BA or BS degree.

Liberal arts, as is stated in the definition above, is not limited to "English majors reading Middlemarch."

You literally just stated that you have a Bachelor of Science.
That’s a BS degree.

No. I have a BSFS. It’s different. I did not complete a liberal arts core. I had no math or science requirement, for example. Instead I had to take 4 quarters of econ.

The titles BA and BS do not imply a liberal arts core, but rather only that the degree is an undergraduate degree.
Degree requirements are very school specific, and vary widely between colleges and majors.
At my daughters college, the business students only complete a business core and receive a BS degree. She will be receiving a BA degree without a single English, history, arts, or science course because of the honors program she is in.

[Anonymous]

To PP at 09:12, please share whether your undergraduate degree was a liberal arts degree (STEM major?)
I’m an uneducated fool but you = goals

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The PP was not using the term “liberal arts college” correctly.

Precision of language is important, and has been sorely lacking in this thread.

UVA does not have a liberal arts college; it has a CLAS. There is a key difference between the two.

Wikipedia -- The University of Virginia College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences is the largest of the University of Virginia's ten schools. Consisting of both a graduate and an undergraduate program, the College comprises the liberal arts and humanities section of the University

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To PP at 09:12, please share whether your undergraduate degree was a liberal arts degree (STEM major?)
I’m an uneducated fool but you = goals

I was a chemistry major at a liberal arts college (not a top 30 one). Took just as many humanities/social science courses as I did chem courses. I think it was a fantastic education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To PP at 09:12, please share whether your undergraduate degree was a liberal arts degree (STEM major?)
I’m an uneducated fool but you = goals

I was a chemistry major at a liberal arts college (not a top 30 one). Took just as many humanities/social science courses as I did chem courses. I think it was a fantastic education.

Thus the premise of CTCL, there are many high quality liberal arts colleges if you are willing to look beyond the perception of prestige.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, when I say 98% of people graduate with a liberal arts education, I mean exactly what you said -- most of them have a core liberal arts set of classes that are required, then they add their major classes.

I went to Georgetown SFS and didn't have a liberal arts core. That's why I have a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service. I don't have a BA or BS degree.

Liberal arts, as is stated in the definition above, is not limited to "English majors reading Middlemarch."

You literally just stated that you have a Bachelor of Science.
That’s a BS degree.

No. I have a BSFS. It’s different. I did not complete a liberal arts core. I had no math or science requirement, for example. Instead I had to take 4 quarters of econ.

NP. I bet you are a female!