At some of the top liberal arts degree programs in the nation, you will find a wide range of academic majors and minors for students to choose from.
Arts and Literature
What’s a liberal arts degree program without the arts? At many liberal arts schools, majors include art history, studio art, dance, music, theatre, literature and creative writing. Some schools feature untraditional arts degree programs, like film and media studies. Even if you want to earn your degree in a subject with somewhat of a more certain job market, you can still spend some of your time at college studying the arts in-depth by pursuing a minor in art.
Foreign Languages and Cultures
With ever-evolving technology, the world really is becoming a small place. Businesses are increasingly going global. Being familiar with another language or culture is a plus now sought after by employers that range from the military to corporations.
If you have a knack for learning languages, a liberal arts school that offers degree programs in a number of different languages and cultures could be an excellent choice for you. You can major in languages and cultures ranging from French to Islamic studies, from Greek to Asian civilizations, or from Russian to Italian Studies.
Physical and Natural Sciences
Many liberal arts schools shine at providing an undergraduate science education. Biology, chemistry, physics and math are majors that you will find at nearly any liberal arts institution.
Degree programs in astronomy, biochemistry, geosciences, cognitive science and statistics aren’t unusual at these institutions, either. In fact, some liberal arts schools are even ground-breaking in their science degree program offerings. Amherst College was the first school of any kind to create an undergraduate degree program in neuroscience.
Social Sciences
If you’re interested in the behavior of humans and societies, a degree program in the social sciences can help you turn your passion into a career. Liberal arts schools often offer degrees in subjects like sociology, psychology, geography and economics.
The Humanities
Humanities can be something of a fuzzy term, but they generally include any study of human culture. Literature, languages, social sciences and art can fit into the category of humanities, but so can subjects like history, anthropology, philosophy, religion and theology. Studying the humanities will help you understand the big-picture aspects of culture and society as well as develop your skills in critical thinking and communication.
Engineering
Some prestigious liberal arts schools, like Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, offer high-ranking degree programs in engineering in addition to academic subjects traditionally classified as liberal arts. In fact, Harvey Mudd College, a liberal arts institution in Claremont, CA, happens to rank number-one on U.S. News & World Report’s list of the best undergraduate engineering degree programs.
Interdisciplinary Studies
You could study art at an art school, engineering at a technical institute or research institution and the sciences at humanities at your average public or private four-year college. However, many liberal arts degree programs offer something you won’t find elsewhere in academia: a chance to pursue an interdisciplinary major. Interdisciplinary studies allow you to combine distinct subjects of study to develop expertise in a niche that traditional degree programs aren’t enough to fill. For example, you might earn your degree in art history and architecture or in mathematics and computer science. Some liberal arts schools have existing interdisciplinary majors, while others invite students to construct their own.
Whether your interests lie in science or the arts, humanities or engineering or something completely unique, there’s likely to be a degree program for you.