Careers for Liberal Arts Majors

A hallmark of a liberal arts education, strong communication skills enable professionals to effectively convey concepts, practices, and instructions to diverse audiences. In addition to written communication, students learn to communicate orally to build personal and professional relationships and give strong public presentations.

Critical thinking involves acquiring and applying knowledge to solve a problem or achieve a designated goal. Professionals who can think critically know how to appraise arguments and find connections between ideas. They also understand the importance of turning a critical lens on themselves to reflect on their own ideas, assumptions, and opinions.

Regardless of their role, professionals often team up with employees and colleagues. Liberal arts graduates learn to collaborate with people inside and outside of their fields.

The ability to judge situations and people fairly is the foundation of effective management. Professionals who master this skill are able to synthesize relevant knowledge and experience with personal beliefs to form opinions and make decisions. Because the liberal arts emphasize mutliculturalism and equity, students in these fields know how to choose the right critical lens for the situation at hand.

The relative lack of hard skills taught in some liberal arts programs is one of their biggest critiques. However, liberal arts students can combine their leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills to come up with innovative solutions to major challenges in their fields.

American Educational Research Association: Founded in 1916, AERA advances educational research and programs in service of the public good. The association divides its activities into 12 divisions, including curriculum studies, education in the professions, and research methodologies. Members can network through national conferences and lecture webcasts. AERA also offers professional development courses, funding opportunities, and an online job board.

The Association of Art Museum Curators: AAMC serves over 1,300 members worldwide by providing educational research and leadership development opportunities. New curators benefit from internships and fellowships, best practices guides, and the support of experienced mentors. Members can access travel funds, webinars, and a listing of open curatorial positions. The association hosts regional networking events and national conferences.

Association for General Education and Liberal Studies: AGLS serves a community of practitioner-scholars dedicated to improving daily practices in general/liberal higher education. The association grants awards and funds to outstanding programs and leaders in the field. Resources for members include a library of research papers, a guide to programmatic evaluation, and up-to-date news through a blog platform. AGLS also hosts an annual national conference.

Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, and Writers: Established in 1994 by a group of academics and artists, the ALSCW supports literature in creative and academic settings. Members can expand their professional circle by attending local events and national conventions. They can also advance their careers through project funding and online job postings.

College Art Association of America: CAA is an international advocate for the visual arts. Members can explore employment, internship, and publishing opportunities through an online career center. The association also provides travel funds, publishing grants, and graduate fellowships. CAA publishes four journals dedicated to scholarly research, contemporary art movements, member projects, and reviews of recent works.

Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation Specialization – University of Colorado Boulder: This introductory specialization is suitable for professionals who want to transition into a business career. Students take courses in business writing, graphic design, and successful presentation, learning how to engage different audiences and build a personal brand. The series culminates in a capstone project, which requires a portfolio of works relevant to a student’s current profession or interests.

Leadership Essentials – Rochester Institute of Technology: This self-paced certificate program consists of three classes designed to help working professionals advance into leadership roles. Coursework includes critical thinking and business communication. Students also take a class on collaboration, learning how to build and motivate workplace teams.

Agile Innovation and Problem-Solving Skills – University System of Maryland: This four-week class helps professionals build a career in IT by teaching them best practices in agile software development. Students learn how to use their critical thinking skills to assess the risks associated with developing new business and product lines. They also gain the ability to manage cross-functional teams and apply test-driven design strategies.

Conflict Management Specialization – University of California, Irvine: Students who pursue this beginner specialization master fundamental conflict resolution skills, learning how to employ positive conflict and intercultural communication practices. Participants examine how factors like competing interests and power imbalances affect management strategies in a global society. The class culminates in a capstone project that tasks learners with analyzing and solving a specific conflict.

Journal of Arts and Humanities: This open-access publication delivers peer-reviewed articles on empirical research and theoretical discussions across fields like anthropology, development studies, linguistics, and creative writing. In addition to critical discourse and original studies, readers can access creative works 12 times per year in English, French, and Spanish.

International Journal of Liberal Arts and Social Science: A global platform for the liberal arts, IJLASS publishes research papers in over 25 disciplines, including economics, gender studies, public administration, and journalism. Academics, students, and practitioners can submit their work, which can be literature reviews, case studies, or analytical and simulation models.

Arts and Humanities in Higher Education: AHH serves arts and humanities educators by publishing content centered on critical research of current issues in college learning and teaching. Recent topics included the role of liberal arts in a skills economy and reshaping the classroom with blended learning practices. The journal accepts submissions on a rolling basis and does not charge any fees.

Confluence: Published by the Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs, Confluence is an international journal that showcases peer-reviewed research papers and essays by scholars in the liberal arts. Content also includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual works. This open-access publication accepts submissions from students, faculty, and alumni connected to one of its member institutions/programs.

Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies: This journal focuses on the synthesis of ethics, knowledge, and faith. Member institutions learn how to enhance classroom performance, attract honors students, and expand community outreach. Readers can also learn about conferences and professional development resources.

Liberal Studies Commons: This online library contains more than 4,100 open-access articles from educators, researchers, and practitioners across the globe. Content covers topics like disability and equity in education, student counseling and personnel services, and indigenous education. Recent articles also analyzed the effectiveness of implicit bias training in helping faculty engage their students in current social, cultural, and political events.