The Observer, March 2, 2007
Volume XXXIX, Issue 19
Ask Amy...
For everyone who says that a liberal arts degree doesn't prepare you for anything, you'll find many Case alumni who claim it prepares you for everything.
The one thing that's pretty much certain is that liberal arts majors will tend to pull a smaller starting salary than friends who majored in business or engineering. Here are the numbers for expected starting salaries for various majors, as reported in the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Winter 2007 Salary Survey:
•English: $32,400
•History: $37,750
•Political Science/Government:
$29,900
•Psychology: $28,820
•Sociology: $29,808
Meanwhile, more technical majors are living the high life with the following salaries, also reported in the NACE Winter 2007 Salary Survey:
•Accounting: $46,508
•Business Administration/Managment:
$43,523
•Biomedical Engineering: $55,400
•Chemical Engineering: $60,054
•Finance: $47,905
•Computer Science: $51,070
Given the evidence, why would anyone in their right mind opt for the liberal arts degree? With most liberal arts majors, it's not all about the money. It's about the love for what they are learning.
Employers are also a big fan of a liberal arts education. After graduation, Case Arts and Sciences alumni find themselves in different industry roles. According to the Fall 2006 First Destination Survey, the following companies hired 2006 Case Arts and Sciences graduates:
•General Electric
•AT Kearney
•Accenture
•Melmark New England
•Cleveland Clinic Foundation
•Software Freedom Law Center
•Gedas USA
•Wolf & Akers
•NYC Department of Education
•Ben Venue Laboratories
•Epic Systems
In fact, last week, the following companies were seeking Arts and Sciences majors at the Get Experienced! Internship and Career Fair:
•Ameriprise Financial
•Beech Brook
•Bloomberg
•Bristol West Insurance
•Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation
•Earth Day Coalition
•Nationwide Insurance
•New York Life
•Northwestern Mutual Financial Network
•Ohio Citizen Action
•Social Security Administration
•Walgreens
In summary, if you were to ask Arts and Sciences alumni if they regret their undergraduate education, they would probably answer, "not for a second." In fact, they state that their broad education has provided a solid foundation in just about everything. It may take them a few more years to get a solid long-term track, but the opportunity to apply their education to different experiences will give them a way to find out what they really like to do.
The professional world is rapidly changing. Overspecialization can sometimes put up walls rather than open doors. That's the great thing about going back to school after you've been in the workforce a while. More than ever, it pays to try a few different things, or even keep reinventing yourself throughout your career. Yet, in the end, the purpose of our work is not just to make a living, but to make a successful and satisfying life. And, when it's all over, we will be judged not by what we have, but by what we have become.
