Is a BA in Lib Studies worthless?

I guess I didn't look at the date. After all of the "worthless" threads this question came to mind.

 

I have a friend that got a degree in music education. He taught for one year, and he hated it. Without the degree that he used for one year, he would not have been able to accomplish what he has in life.

The degree enabled him to be an officer in the reserves. Being an officer in the reserves provided educational opportunities in intelligence/technology. That led to top-secret type clearance status. That led to a job with a large military manufacturing company that requires high level clearance to work on their computers and networks. That led to LOADS of money.

Ponder that.

I had an academic scholarship after high school, but I was burned-out on school and hated the thought of four more years of sitting, listening, reading, writing, and test taking. Not having a degree of any sort from an accredited college has held me back in life. Knowing what I know now, if I had a chance at a do-over, I would have forced myself to earn the degree.

So, any degree is better than no degree; however, many degrees are better than other degrees. It depends on your academic and career goals.

 

I'm feeling much better about my "soon to graduate" degree from NYIT in Interdisciplinary Studies.

I know it's a bit different from a Liberal Arts degree due to the three concentrations, BUT I feel that type/major(?) has a stigma of not much utility.
(BUSINESS)
(BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE)
(TBD)

NYIT took many for my credits and set me on the quickest path to a BS in the shortest time. Honestly, I still feel a bit uneasy about it though, stupid I know..

 

I've been enjoying the topic and reading the different responses, since I have also vacillated.

My son will be finishing up his BA in Liberal Studies from TESC next December. His AS degrees are in Networking and IT Security but along the way he got burned out on computers and no longer really enjoys working on them. Maybe saturated would be a better word than burned out. He learned what he wanted to learn and then was ready to move on.

Subsequently he thought about a degree in communications, humanties, etc.and then ended up going with the BA in Liberal Studies at TESC. I don't think he really cares what his degree is in per se. He anxious to be done with school and being a DL learner has allowed him to live at home, stay around his friends at church, be involved in ministry (where ultimately he wants to end up), and make school a secondary focus which can be worked around his other activities.

I do know he has enjoyed the liberal studies in that it gives him more flexibility in picking out courses he's interested in rather than math, science, and history degree programs. From what I've read, most employers want a Bachelors and don't specify what it should be in.

Still, in his situation, I don't think a bachelors without work experience isn't going to be initially worth much. However, it has given him a broad base of knowledge and that's always a good thing. He's the type of person that can find something in common to converse with anyone about.

Either way the degree can be a "start" or it can be terminal. If he wants to go on (high unlikely), he can. Once he's finished he'll be able to focus on his passions--music and ministry--and hopefully be able to find a job in that area. Or he may decide to go to Hillsong or through a Master Commission program.

Whenever I start questioning if his whole academic experience has been a waste, I remind myself that learning is never in vain. And when I question if he's learned anything, I remind myself of times when I've seen the practical application of what he's learned. Ah, what we do for justification.

 

Is a BA in Lib Studies worthless?

I sure hope not!

Brian (BA LS TESC 2009)

 

It's not often that I get to revive a thread this old but I love tacking posts on to old threads. It seems that nearly half of all college grads are underemployed.


Nearly half of college grads are underemployed. But they

 

I was listening to a podcast recently about how only a STEM degree is useful. Another podcast added the arts and called it STEAM. I say go for what works for you and don't break the bank. You can always go back and add on to what you have.

 

A degree in a STEM discipline is only really useful if you intend to work in a STEM field. Having a degree in say, mathematics, does not serve your interest if your goal is to be an art therapist.

Nor is a STEM degree particularly useful, absent additional qualifications, for you to enter the field of accounting which offers one of the strongest ROIs, depending upon what you do, where you do it and how much work you put into furthering that career (I.e. You could be a payroll clerk making $13/hr for the entirety of your career or you can earn your CPA, other professional designations and work in progressively responsible areas).

People look at humanities and liberal arts degrees as having a poor ROI. But the "return" is only half the equation. The other half is the "investment" of time and money. If you rack up $100k in student loans for a bachelors degree, that degree better result in a significant return to have made it worth it. Four years plus $100k of debt, less the opportunity cost of what you might have been earning had you just worked the entire time, and it might not be the wisest decision.

But if you walk away from a degree program with very little, if any, debt and earning said degree didn't keep you from doing things that you wanted to do then the necessary return is much lower because you invested less.

Going to that top accounting program might be a good idea, particularly if those top accounting firms are actively recruiting at that school. But if you have to choose between a BA in English from either Penn State (in-state) or Muhlenberg, you're probably wiser to choose the former. Will you earn mega bucks? No. But if you can simply avoid burying yourself in a lifetime of debt that might be OK. Especially if your goal is to write for your local newspaper.

Aside from that, while most people associate STEM with either computer science or engineering, it also encompasses "science" and the return on degrees in natural and social science are notoriously low. You have a BS in Biology. Great. If you don't plan to go on to graduate or professional school, your options are somewhat limited if you intend to work in that field. Even degrees in math are losing some of their appeal. While I see a number of computer programmers with undergrad degrees in math, their numbers are dwindling. I have one hiring manager who specifically will not hire people with math degrees as developers unless they have certifications, graduate degrees in CS or some formal CS training beyond their degree.

 

As was mentioned above, accounting, as well as a number of other fields within business, such as information systems, finance and logistics, are also high demand/high pay. Students in any of these four are typically starting at $50 to $80K, and these are not just a few superstars in the program, they're typical salaries for decent 3.0 and up students. The fields also have very high mid or late career pay, partners in Big Four accounting firms will often make in excess of $500K a year--how many engineers and math and physics majors can boast that salary?

 

Yeah, but the downside is you have to be an accountant.:sigh1::no1::thanks:

 

In my experience/opinion, yes a completed undergraduate degree is worth your time. Almost always, especially vs not obtaining a degree. At a minimum, most any degree provides more options as compared to no degree. More career and life options in general.

I was in your situation a handful of years ago when I decided on working to obtain a B.S. In Liberal Arts from Excelsior College. My reason for choosing this degree program was simple, for me it was the most flexible and easiest to complete program available for my situation. My goal with Excelsior College and the B.S. L.A. Program was simple, graduate college. Period!

As much as I appreciate the opportunities that EC and the other similarly structured RA programs provide for academics like myself, I'm a realist.

At no point during the hiring process at most potential employers was a hiring manager or HR rep going to say "The ideal candidate for this role is going to have a non specific undergraduate major from a uniquely structure college that the vast majority of people have never heard of". Do not get me wrong for even a second, EC is a fantastic school that far exceeded my expectations. I would recommend the school to just about anyone, no question!

That being said, I understood what this degree was and was not right out of the gate. I think it is very important, understanding what you are signing up for when committing to a degree program.

This degree offers 2 BIG ADVANTAGES!

#1. You are a college graduate. You can apply for and check off all the boxes that a college graduate has earned the right to do. This is an excellent accomplishment for anyone! At a minimum you gained valuable academic exposure to a number of different subject areas and you proved that you can commit to something and complete it.

#2. You now have the ability to apply to and complete a graduate degree. The number of online and Brick & Mortor evening masters programs increase by the day. A decent number of programs, in my experience, do not require a particular undergraduate degree major. Any undergraduate degree will do, BSLA is not exception to this rule. This allows you to continue your studies into a particular speciality. This is the real advantage offered by the general studies / interdisciplinary studies / Liberal Arts options.

I knew that I wanted to move onto a graduate degree upon completing my undergraduate.

In the Chicagoland area, I had numerous options available to me with a BSLA in hand. I found an MBA program that was a perfect fit for my situation, Lewis University, with a decent regional rank and reputation. I didn't consider the more elite schools (Northwestern, University of Chicago, etc.) for a number of reasons. The acceptance of my BSLA was not one of them. Both of the two top tier schools mentioned above offered masters degree programs that believe I would've qualified for if I want to go that route. Northwestern as an example has/had a masters of communications management and a masters with a leadership / organization behavior focus designed for working professionals.

My point is that I had the option to gain a masters degree from a top tier school, an option that my BSLA made available. I hope my own personal experience help you make an informed decision. That's the whole point of this forum in my opinion. Good luck!