Develop the skills employers prize
Why the liberal arts? It’s a common question when most people are concerned about the marketability of a liberal arts degree. Are there jobs for people studying ancient Greeks or African American history? The job market is vast and people with specialized skills and knowledge are always in demand. Intrinsic in a liberal arts education are traits that repeatedly appear at the top of employers’ wish lists. Creativity, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, literacy, and teamwork are but a few of the learning outcomes gained by students in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Students in the arts and sciences have comparable or higher salaries compared to business majors. While a liberal arts degree might not be as financially rewarding as computer science or chemical engineering at first, over the course of their careers liberal arts majors catch up to their peers in STEM fields.
Liberal arts majors often pursue graduate degrees and gravitate into high-paying fields such as general management, politics, law, and sales. Many of the latest technical skills that are in high demand today become obsolete when technology progresses. Liberal arts degrees provide the skills employers seek in filling future, unwritten positions:
- collaboration,
- clear writing ,
- problem-solving aptitude, and
- strong oral communications.
These skills are hard to quantify, and they don’t create clean pathways to high-paying first jobs. But they have long-term value in a wide variety of careers.
Managers in business, industry, and government value a liberal arts degree. You bring "employability skills" that are needed in a contemporary workplace—reading, writing, listening, speaking effectively, knowledge of language, problem solving, quantitative reasoning, information literacy, and the capacity to continue to learn for life. At Lehigh, you have the best opportunities to develop these employability skills.
Alumni spotlight
Mary Swatek '85 was a double major in biology and Spanish. She talks about the value she found in her Arts and Sciences education and how it prepared her for a successful career.