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Liberal Arts Associate's Degrees

Associate Degrees in Liberal Arts

Surveys conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers reveal that there's a different mentality entering employers' perspectives: they want individuals who have skills, not knowledge. Knowledge, according to businesses, is learned on the job. But you can't teach an employee communication skills, motivation, critical thinking, problem solving, research, and so on. These are the universal skills that all kinds of companies desire in their workers. Workers should possess a basic set of knowledge, but overall much of what we learn about our career field is learned by actually getting hired and doing it.

liberal arts schools That's why employers are particularly desirous of people who have those universal skills so that no matter what they are actually doing, they are able to do it well. Today, an Associate's Degree in liberal arts has become a much more popular option, as it is known for equipping students with those universal skills that highly recommend them for careers in just about any field. If you want to develop these fantastic and desirable qualities, then get ready to enroll in an Associate's Degree program for liberal arts.

Liberal arts can include just about any area of study, and based on the unique demand for liberal arts students this type of degree can lead to a successful career in just about any field. Part of the degree process is likely going to be figuring out where your strengths lie and discovering where in the job market you will find the most personal success and pleasure. There are broad definitions of what liberal arts studies means: in some cases it is used similarly as the term "general studies" and embraces mathematics and the sciences just as much as history, English, psychology, and so on. Others limit the definition more to focus on the humanities. In most cases, someone earning their Associate's Degree in liberal arts will be studying English, anthropology, foreign language, philosophy, international cultures and relations, and women's studies. More than anything else, these areas of study are meant to develop a student into an open-minded, critical thinking individual.

 

Liberal Arts Schools

 

Since liberal arts students can potentially find careers in any field, it is difficult to define any particular applications of the degree because there is so much opportunity depending on your personal areas of strength and preference. The Bureau of Labor statistics reports that among the most common careers for liberal arts students are included management, sales, graphic design, teaching, and social work. This short list already presents a diverse spectrum of possibility. Management positions typical begin as a training or entry level management post with the opportunity to grow into more responsibility in subsequent years. Sales can mean retail sales or a more progressive position within the sales and marketing department of a company. Graphic design demands a technological background, and teaching requires a teacher's certification. And social work, just like the rest of these careers, relies on that same set of universal skills that a liberal arts degree confers. With the skills of critical thinking, communication, interpersonal relationships, and a broad knowledge base, there is literally no limit to the potential future employers will see in you.

When people ask you what you're going to be with your liberal arts degree, you can confidently tell them, "successful." Because of the unique skillset that a liberal arts degree provides to students, those students are becoming more and more important in the marketplace. When you earn your Associate's Degree in liberal arts, you'll be developing your mind and abilities in ways that others are not. While someone with a particular major might have the head knowledge that recommends them for a particular field, it is also important to note that these essential components required for their functioning effectively on a team and at a company have been left out of their education. So begin down this important and effective path today and earn your Associate's Degree in liberal arts.


Popular Courses Taken for a Liberals Arts Associates Degree


Most individuals who are looking into a liberal arts degree intend to study literature, art history or even philosophy. Depending on the school you are attending can focus on a particular area such as those are even literature, music history or even psychology. Below are the most popular courses taken during the general education part of the degree.


- History and Science Courses
- Foreign Language
- Computer Science
- Math
- Art History
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Communications

 

Top Traits all Liberal Arts Majors Should Have


The best is to know your strengths. Often when you graduate with an liberal arts associates degree you’ll have a pretty general education that covered lots of different topics. According to HR managers they are more likely to hire you even if you have a liberal arts degree if you possess the following 3 qualities.


Communication – The #1 area that most hiring managers look at is your communication skills.


Teamwork – Can you work well in a team setting? Often your first job will be part of a much larger team or department so have good teamwork skills are a must.


Skillset – What specialties do you possess? Are you a great writer or good with computers? When you went to college you probably took not only courses you liked but perhaps volunteered. An important aspect for any hiring manager is to find individual for positions where you have a skillset that is different from all the others who are interviewing.

 

Finding a Job with a Liberal Arts Degree


Diversity – One of the greatest things you have going for you when you possess an Associate’s degree in liberal arts is you offer more than let’s say someone that has a business degree. Your skill set allows you to be more diverse with what type of jobs you are looking at.


Skills – Most liberal arts majors are very creative, are often great writers with good communication skills. These types of skills are what HR managers look for so make sure you represent those skills on your resume. Often liberal arts majors also have taken a foreign language, something that other degrees don’t require.


Communications – You’ll be great at communicating with others by the time you graduate. You also will be highly organized and love to work with others.


Writing – I would say that the top thing you’ll have over all of the other people interviewing for the same job is a passion for writing and your degree. We interview a lot of graduates and those who graduate with a liberal arts degree are by far the most passionate. They are exceptional writers and personally this is one trait that I’ll take over any. A good writer can work for a marketing department, front office, back office, research assistant, almost anything that doesn’t require a technical skill that you would have had to go to college to obtain.