What the heck is a degree in liberal studies?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Robbie, Jan 22, 2010.

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  1. Robbie

    Robbie New Member

    I have seen this degree pop up a few times. Even Duke U is now offering a MS in Liberal Studies. I always thought graduate degrees where in a specific discipline. Is a Liberal Studies degree comparable to a degree in recreation (not therapeutic recreation) to be an easy degree for those who don't want to or can't make it in a specific discipline. I just don't get it.

    I have a friend who has a recreation degree from a regionally accredited college (Mt Olive), he said he went into that program because it was an easy degree to get. This is true of another guy I worked with at a state hospital a few years back, said he did it because it was easy. BTW, neither are the brightest bulbs in a dark room. I am under the impression a degree in Liberal Studies equates to the same thing.
     
  2. -kevin-

    -kevin- Resident Redneck

    I like this definition:

    Liberal Studies

    "Liberal Arts and Sciences (“Liberal Studies”)
    Studies that enhance the abilities of individuals to understand, to judge, to communicate and take action with each other about the nature, quality and conditions of their lives. This learning generally has a strong theoretical and conceptual content...."


    A Liberal Studies education can be very rigorous if designed correctly.

    Liberal Arts Education
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 22, 2010
  3. emmzee

    emmzee New Member

    Another question re a Liberal Studies degree (that I'd inquired about before here but never really heard an answer) is whether it leads anywhere? Ie, can taking a liberal studies degree lead to acceptance into a doctoral program? I mean I know it *can* anything is possible, some people get accepted with only a BA or BSc sometimes, etc ;) But is it at all likely to get into a PhD program (in arts/humanities) with a MLS or MA in Liberal Studies?

    Such a degree is interesting to me because ideally I'd like to integrate the two fields that I'm most interested in (IT and religion) and create a degree which combines them both ... so a "make your own degree" program sounds good, but ... if my goal is eventually to get into a decent doctoral program, I don't think a MLS degree would get me there?
     
  4. -kevin-

    -kevin- Resident Redneck

    Since your interests may be varied use the following search term:

    doctor of liberal studies site:.edu

    you might also want to search on doctor of arts, interdisciplinary studies, or other field of interest

    lots of good programs will be available (but not necessarily DL in nature)

    To directly answer your question, yes a Masters in Liberal Studies can prepare one for further study, but degree content may limit availablity of doctoral study.
     
  5. Malajac

    Malajac Member



    So, potential careers: journalist, publicist, philosopher :D, writing, public relations, media, religious office, human rights and other activism, interdisciplinary studies...

    Sounds reasonable to me. I don't see the Master's as exclusively providing a specific focus and specialization but more generally advanced research skills and methodology, a deeper analysis of topics etc etc.

    Why not?

    Something I've read recently, perhaps relevant here:


    The education of historians for the twenty-first century
    By Thomas Bender, American Historical Association

     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 22, 2010
  6. BillDayson

    BillDayson New Member

    'Liberal studies' isn't synonymous with 'liberal arts'.

    The term 'liberal arts' derives from the medieval university curriculum and refers to skills appropriate to an aristocrat rather than to a servant. Literature, philosophy and astronomy are liberal arts subjects, business administration, animal husbandry and nursing are not. Liberal arts students typically pursue a major in a traditional academic subject, something high-toned from the arts and sciences.

    'Liberal studies' is something different. It is a general education degree program without a specialized major. It may have a specialization area, but typically devotes fewer units to it than a major, and more units to general education.

    Is a liberal studies degree valuable? Sure.

    Any education is valuable. While one's preparation in this kind of program is not deep, it is broad. Ideally that kind of interdisciplinary focus might allow a student to make connections that would be impossible for a specialist. And a broad education arguably produces people better able to deal with the diverse challenges of citizenship.

    Will a liberal studies degree get you a job? Depends.

    Liberal studies programs were originally created to produce multiple-subjects/elementary-school teachers. They are obviously job-preparatory in that field. Many job openings specify only that the applicant have a bachelor's degree in any subject. The idea is to attract professional-level people: literate applicants who can write and speak well, who can analyze and comprehend complex information and make informed decisions.

    But many job announcements do specify particular majors. Employers want BSEEs or people with degrees in the health professions. This is more common in the more technical fields. A general liberal studies graduate would not be qualified for these kind of positions.

    As far as graduate admissions go, it varies. Most graduate programs require a bachelor's degree in the same (or a related) field. Certainly this is true in the traditional liberal arts subjects and in technical fields. You can't normally get into a mathematics graduate program unless you have the equivalent of a mathematics bachelors degree.

    But there are other fields that don't normally require a bachelors degree in the same subject for graduate admissions. Law and (increasingly) business administration are examples. A liberal studies degree might be fine for admission into these subjects. In fact, a well-designed liberal studies program might be an excellent pre-law degree. Finally, there are a number of liberal studies masters degree programs out there. Many of these appear to be career advancement degrees aimed at K-12 school teachers.
     
  7. Y-rag

    Y-rag Guest

    Where you been hiding Robbie? It is the most popular "useless" degree known to man/woman. I know, I have one. There are many sites that tell you what it can be used for. That should tell you a little sumpin, sumpin. What can you do/w/it? Paper airplane........ If you use your concentrations wisely, it can be valuable. It's for those looking for the quick,easy way out of the maze or for those who are sure their unsure of what they want to be when they grow up.
    It allows you to pick and choose classes moreso than having a major. Here's a little bit more info.
    http://www.campusgrotto.com/average-starting-salary-by-degree-for-2009.html
    It's right up (down) there w/psychology, sociology and english degrees. To do it again, I'd do the Bus Admin degree, which I'm actually close to getting. Shoulda done it right the first time but ya live and learn......
     
  8. scaredrain

    scaredrain Member

    No real surprise that Duke University is offering a Masters in Liberal Studies, they have seen the success of UNC Greensboro's online Masters and Bachelor degrees in Liberal Studies. NC State University also has a similar program which is not heavily advertised but is available somewhat at a distance with a few classes taken in person. I would not say that the degrees are easy, it will still take time and a person has to complete the work they are assigned. Normally these degrees also have a major project to complete at the end, whether its a thesis, portfolio, or a combination of the two. So while the course work may be easy the final project may or may not be.
     
  9. scaredrain

    scaredrain Member

    It can allow for one to get into a PhD program, a friend of mine has a Masters of Liberal Arts from Rollins College and she was able to get into a PhD program at Florida Atlantic University, she earned a PhD and is now a professor of communication at a university in Florida.
     
  10. Malajac

    Malajac Member

    Regarding Liberal Studies Bachelor's, we don't have such an animal here (at least not one that I know of). The role of the program that far too many people enroll in and many of them don't end up working in the field is taken by Economics related fields (including Management, Marketing etc), Political Science (including Journalism) and Law. Statistics also show that unemployed graduates come mostly from these fields.

    On the other hand, I also keep bumping into mechanical engineers doing every possible kind of work, from engineering to military to small business ownership to journalism to education to government officials / politicians.

    However, one of the (many) things we here as a society lack are quality salespeople / customer relations people. Maybe the introduction of a broad based degree program such as Liberal Studies could help there.
     

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