Reply to Can Someone Explain the Concept of a Liberal Arts College for Me?

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[quote=Anonymous]As a general rule, a liberal arts college doesn't offer any graduate degree programs or have any professional schools.  There are a few exceptions to this, but the main focus of a liberal arts college is on undergraduate education.  The liberal arts include the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, but, typically not engineering or any other professional degree programs, even at the undergraduate level.  Again, there are a few exceptions, but, in general, a liberal arts curriculum isn't intended to prepare a student for a particular profession.  Keep in mind, however, that most universities -- again, with very few exceptions -- also offer a liberal arts curriculum, along with programs of study focused more on professional preparation.

So, why go to a liberal arts college?  The main reason is the focus on undergraduates, which means that professors generally place more emphasis on teaching, rather than research (though there's a great deal of very interesting research going on at liberal arts colleges in all disciplines.)  Also, liberal arts colleges are smaller -- in some cases, much smaller -- than universities, allowing students more opportunities to get to know one another, as well as faculty and administrators.  Many graduates of liberal arts colleges cite the close, encouraging friendships they developed with professors as central to their own intellectual and professional development.  Similarly, liberal arts colleges often have very supportive alumni/ae networks that provide support for their graduates in many ways.  The smaller size of liberal arts colleges also give students more opportunities to play leadership roles in activities, though, it should also be noted that universities, because of their larger size, can offer more activities.       [/quote]

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