AUBG follows a unique liberal arts model of education, adopted from the U.S. and originally developed in Europe. This method equips you with transferable skills and prepares you for versatile jobs with a liberal arts degree beyond your specialization.
Think of it as a foundation that teaches you all the much-needed skills for today’s job market, together with the theory and background, and, very importantly, practice and real-world examples. It’s a holistic approach to education designed for the needs of the modern world.
By understanding how liberal arts education works, you can make the most of it and land not only your first career but also be prepared to grow into your next one.
What is a liberal arts education?
An undergraduate degree provides you with the fundamentals of how the professional world functions, especially one at a liberal arts university like AUBG, where the focus is on building future-proof skills and empowering you.
“What you need to get from your bachelor’s degree is the essential analytical and critical thinking skills, the ability to write, the ability to think, the ability to reflect upon problems. And then the specialisation comes later,” said Sean Homer, Professor in Literature at AUBG. That’s precisely what a liberal arts education focuses on.
The educational environmental is also key. The liberal arts model prioritizes interdisciplinary learning, small class sizes, and applied problem-solving. “These are attributes that research increasingly links to adaptability and resilience,” said Provost and Interim President Dr. J.D. Mininger. “Without them, we’d become more susceptible to political systems that rely on control over our ideas.”
Through this type of education, you choose to focus on disciplines that truly interest you, while having the freedom to try on different hats before making your final major(s) and minor(s) selection. You also complete certain foundation and general education courses, which are the building blocks of your education, and even your personality.
Is a liberal arts degree worth it?
“The expectation is that most people today will have at least three careers in their lifetime,” said Professor Homer. “We have to get out of the mindset that majors or specializations lead directly to career paths, because they don’t anymore.”
The world has changed tremendously. It’s no longer guaranteed that a business degree leads directly to a business career, or that a major in Political Science places you in the political arena. Many people upskill, pivot, or drastically switch careers multiple times throughout their lives.
Employers are no longer looking only for specialization, but for transferable and adaptable skills. They want employees who can thrive in different environments, because business and global landscapes change constantly.
So a liberal arts degree gives you the toolkit to adapt, evolve, and grow professionally over time.
Is it a match?
This idea takes the pressure off choosing “the one” when it comes to your undergraduate degree. In fact, the broader, or more unusual, your combination of majors and minors is, the more competitive and valuable you become on the job market.
“What I like about the liberal arts structure is the combination of what might appear to be incompatible majors,” Professor Homer said. “I think it is interesting when someone does computer science and literature, or business administration and journalism and mass communication, for example. Certainly, there are clear synergies between some majors, such as literature and creative writing, or business administration and economics.”
However, it’s the unexpected pairings that makes graduates stand out, giving them a competitive edge when recruiters pick up their CV from a large pile.
What jobs can you get with a liberal arts degree?
A liberal arts education provides many possibilities for combining disciplines, and even more potential career paths.
We’re prepared guides for each major offered at AUBG and how it can be combined with others, presenting you with both expected and unexpected matches, as well as traditional and emerging careers.
Finding a job with a liberal arts degree doesn’t just take you on a single, predetermined path but teaches you how to navigate many of them. Rather than limiting you, a liberal arts education expands your possibilities and prepares you for a career in business, technology, public service, the arts, or fields that don’t yet exist.
