What Can I Do With a Degree in the Liberal Arts?

What draws a student to the disciplines within the humanities and social sciences? Love of learning? A passion for the subject matter? An interest in the subjects that are the core of a classic, well-rounded university education?

What deters a student from following his or her leaning towards a liberal arts degree? Negative economic news? Well-intended advice from the proponents of business school or a STEM field? Fear of rendering oneself unemployable after years of education?

Fear not.

There is good news out there for university students, including those with humanities or social sciences degrees. Yes, you can get a job – perhaps a job you haven’t even thought of yet – with a liberal arts degree in your hand.

• Liberal arts students gain valuable skills—in communication, critical thinking, creativity and emotional intelligence—that put them in demand across a range of industries, including in the tech industry, where they are currently in high demand.
• Liberal arts students are adaptable—both to advance within a job, as well as to find new jobs, perhaps jobs that don’t yet exist, in a rapidly changing economy.
• Liberal arts students train for the kind of managerial jobs that dominate our economy—even where STEM jobs may have a higher growth rate, there are far fewer of these jobs.
• The US economy and the strength of our nation rely on the diversified labor force and reflection on meaning and purpose that the liberal arts provide.

Learn how the humanities and social sciences can further your career. And learn about what Mason has to offer in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Got some news about career outcomes from the liberal arts that you like?  Send a link to chss@gmu.edu.