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Liberal Arts Offer Many Job Opportunities
By Furrah Qureshi, The Triangle, Drexel University
College freshman Furrah Qureshi already knows that her liberal education will qualify her to do a lot more than write a novel—despite the fact that when most people learn she is an English major, that’s what they assume she wants to do. She’s also heard that she will be jobless or, as a best-case scenario, woefully underpaid. Qureshi’s response to these naysayers, published in Drexel University’s student paper, showcases the refreshing voice of a student as an advocate for liberal education.
Citing evidence from a variety of surveys and news articles, Qureshi argues that far from being an unemployable generalist, she and her fellow liberal arts graduates are uniquely equipped to attend medical school, work in marketing, advertising, or journalism, as well as be snapped up by graduate schools that love the critical-thinking skills she and her peers are honing. “The purpose of a liberal arts education is to educate students on a wide variety of subjects, scientific as well as artistic…This kind of education doesn’t just make an intelligent person, it makes an intellectual person, and yes, there is in fact a difference,” she writes. Students suffer when their education is framed as a competition between practical job skills and enjoyable-but-fluffy arts and humanities, Qureshi argues. Being truly educated means being able to take the best from both areas.
The full text of Qureshi’s article is available from The Triangle online. For resources on defining and explaining liberal education, visit AAC&U’s “What is Liberal Education?” page. Also check out the AAC&U statement on liberal learning and LEAP initiative for additional resources on making the case for liberal education.
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