Survivor Face-Off

Career vs. Liberal Arts Majors

If Survivor ever airs a college version, it could do worse than to cast a tribe of liberal arts students against a tribe of students majoring in career-oriented fields. Just picture the civil engineering major working alongside her pal from the school of architecture to erect a solid lean-to while the business major sits nearby tapping out a duty roster on his Palm Pilot.

But the outcome might not be as certain as you'd think. Some would say the English major, having read everything from Lord of the Flies and The Tempest to Robinson Crusoe, would have learned a thing or two about human nature under duress. Of course, the poli. sci. student could promote justice and equality within the tribe—and maybe forge a few alliances on the sly. And don't forget the media studies major who wrote a term paper on the social dynamics of TV reality shows.

The truth is that each type of major has its selling points. Which tribe is right for you?

Career-Oriented Majors

Some careers require very specific training. Next time you're in the emergency room, you'll find it reassuring to know that the technicians, nurses, and doctors all took classes that taught them what to do in situations similar to, and sometimes exactly like, the one in which you find yourself.

Patients aren't the only ones reassured. If you sign up to study nursing, you'll be able to see well into your future. You'll know that once your schooling is complete, you'll take a licensing exam that will qualify you for a certain type of job.

There is so much specific knowledge that must be mastered for some careers that, in a way, students begin them in high school. For example, future engineers often load up on advanced courses in science and math and, as high school seniors, apply directly to a university's school of engineering.

Of course, some professionals don't pursue career-oriented training until after they've earned a bachelor's degree. If you want to become a doctor or a lawyer, for example, you can choose from a wide range of undergraduate majors, including those in the liberal arts. In fact, most future lawyers study the liberal arts as undergrads, majoring in such fields as political science or English.

Liberal Arts Majors

If you major in the liberal arts, you'll find that you have to create your own career path. If you feel that such opportunity and freedom is worth some uncertainty, you may have what it takes.

Just because there's no clearly defined career path for the liberal arts major, doesn't mean that you won't pick up valuable career skills. Far from it. With a liberal arts education, you'll study a broad range of topics. You'll build a sophisticated vocabulary and develop intellectual skills, such as reasoning and judgment, as opposed to technical skills targeted to a specific profession.

With preparation like this, liberal arts graduates can adapt to an unending variety of careers. Like what? Here are a handful of popular liberal arts majors and some of the careers they can lead to:

Anthropology: archeologists, museum curators
Communication: newspaper reporters, advertising and marketing executives
English: editors, teachers
History: college professors, archivists
Languages and Linguistics: foreign service officers, interpreters
Political science: policy analysts, lawyers
Sociology: market researchers, jury consultants

Where to Learn More

Read more about any college major in the Major & Career Profiles.