University and College Education In The USA?

Question

What are some of the pros and cons of going to a Liberal Arts college or joining the Liberal Arts program? Also, what is the difference between Harvard College and Harvarad University?

Answer 1

Liberal arts pros --

Every school (just about) requires you to get a "general" education which means in general a liberal arts education. They require some coursework in multiple areas, typically english writing and literature, history, art or music, humanities, and math.

One plus about starting in Liberal Arts is that you don't have to limit yourself to a particular field of study, you can use these classes to explore your own interests and perhaps find something you love and then focus on that later. If you do that many of the courses you take may transfer to your later program or degree. If you start out in a specialized area (such as business for example) and later change you may find little of the courses you took are transferable.

In a more general sense, you will build a better foundation of knowledge that you can draw upon in later life. You should come away with a wider understanding of the world in which you live and function, and know better how to deal with that world. The world is complex and interrelated and liberal arts help you see the connections and complexity better than programs that focus tightly on one discipline.

A liberal arts undergraduate education is excellent preparation for Law School in particular, and if you add the necessary prerequisites may be good preparation for graduate Business or even some Medical schools.

A liberal arts education will be a solid plus if and when you later seek that MBA or other professional degree. My view is that Liberal Arts student are better prepared to keep on learning and less likely to shy away from new area of knowledge that may be required in a work context. That's a broad brush of course.

cons --

Depending on the major of course, liberal arts degrees are not directly applicable to many of the better paying jobs. They are not "vocational" or "occupational" but are focused on giving you the skills to learn more and a strong background in a wide range of areas. So they don't prepare you for most jobs directly.

Some people think of liberal arts as "soft" courses or programs and may think you can't do "hard" things like science, math, or business. That can be a trap especially in employment interview situations. But do you really want to work for people who are that rigid?

Overall, I would say if you don't know very clearly what you want to do start in Liberal arts. If you graduate with a BA or whatever you will be prepared to do well for yourself. If you decide on a more "money" heavy occupation than your degree permits, you'll be in an excellent position to pursue it educationally, or practically. Lost of people go into fields without degrees, after all, and what you need for that is smart thinking and ambition. No bar to the Liberal Arts Grad there.

Answer 2

Harvard College is the undergraduate division of Harvard University.

Liberal arts, broadly means, any humanities subjects which are literature, history, philosophy, etc.

Study the liberal arts and you will acquire knowledge, understanding of culture, and improved writing and reading. However, your education will not be highly marketable, so your job prospects after college will be weak.