The Value of a Liberal Arts Education
Depending on who you talk to, the future of education will be one of two things; it will either be the development of soft skills and the ability to quickly learn and adapt to changing circumstances, or it will be shown through certificates and the developing of tangible technical abilities in order to fulfill highly specific and necessary roles. Personally, I believe it will be somewhere in the middle (an entirely unhelpful piece of advice for new grads, I know).
I spent four years at McMaster University in its highly selective and incredibly small Arts and Sciences program. It is designed to give students one of the few truly liberal arts educations in Canada, mirroring the educational philosophy of American Ivy League and liberal arts colleges. The program focuses on the breadth of learning and developing intangible soft skills such as critical thinking, communication, and adaptability, while still giving its students the opportunity to narrow their learning and take a Combined Honours degree in a specific subject. For someone coming out of high school without a concrete plan (like every 18-year-old in the world), having the ability to choose what I’d learn and explore passions that intrigued me was a godsend. Suddenly, I was surrounded by some of the smartest people in the country, who were all in exactly the same boat. And for someone who has trouble sticking to one topic for too long, the nature of jumping around from calculus to physics to economics, from social & political thought to religion to argumentation was incredibly interesting.
As I moved through my time in this increasingly demanding program, one clear constant began to emerge. The vast majority of Arts and Science graduates pursued further learning, masters or professional schools, PhDs, or teacher’s college. Very few of them decided to go straight into the workforce, to rely on the strength of the degree they’d been told was prestigious and cherished in the labour force of the future. For me, four years of schooling had taken a toll and I was looking forward to a change of scenery, actually making some money, and getting valuable job experience under my belt. What I did not expect, however, was the difficulty I would have in conveying to potential employers the skills I could bring to the table. It’s hard to demonstrate “critical thinking”, and frankly, everyone these days is expected to have good verbal and written communication skills, so what did my degree truly give me? And why, if liberal arts are really what companies are looking for, are the vast majority of graduates masking their ArtSci degree with a Masters?
I think the answer is that while all education is an investment for the future, liberal arts provides an ROI that comes later, and in a more uncertain form. A liberal arts education gives you the tools to succeed in your jobs, but not much to push past the initial hurdle of entering the workforce. It may pay more dividends than other degrees, as the skills are transferable across any number of disciplines, but does not provide you an advantage in any specific area. And in the time of COVID-19 and mass unemployment, it is discomforting to hear about future payments when the present is so untenable.
Do I regret my liberal arts education? No. Do I wish that at this moment I had a degree in engineering or computer science or medicine? Sure. But I also recognize the freedom in having the certainty that no matter where I end up, I can succeed, and I will succeed, and I have laid a foundation that is strong enough to support whatever I build upon it. So, to my fellow liberal arts graduates, do not despair as I have (and my friends can attest to many unhinged rants about the value of our degree) but realize that the future will be kind upon you. And if it means that we have to do a little more work in the short term to get that first job or develop those tangible skills, that’s fine, God knows we’re good at working hard.
