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Cedarville Magazine
accurate. While the professional programs
are a vital part of the economic landscape,
and Cedarville provides excellent majors
in those areas, liberal arts graduates are
highly sought by employers, make as much
if not more over the long term as STEM
graduates, and develop the skill base
essential for effective leadership.
Georgetown University’s Center on
Education and the Workforce found that
liberal arts majors are competing quite
well in the marketplace. A recent report
by the American Association of American
Colleges and Universities and the National
Center for Higher Education Management
Systems study noted that unemployment
rates for recent liberal arts graduates was
5.2% compared with 6.7% unemployment
in the overall economy. More and more
employers are looking to the liberal arts
for quality employees. The famous debate
between Bill Gates and the late Steve Jobs
demonstrated that there are differences of
opinion, but recent data is starting to tip the
scale in favor of Jobs’ point of view. While
Gates argued for focusing education in the technical fields, Jobs
noted that he purposefully hired humanities graduates because
they provided the creative input necessary for Apple to produce
innovative new products. Google reports a similar predilection for
these graduates — of the approximately 6,000 the company hires
each year, around 4,800 come from the liberal arts. Finally, a recent
study commissioned by the Association of Colleges and Universities
found that 70 percent of employers want colleges to place more
emphasis on the skill set developed in the humanities curriculum,
an important part of any career preparation.
Highlighting the importance of the liberal arts to employers, a
new study by the American Association of Colleges and Universities
found that while average starting salaries in the professional fields
still outpace those in the liberal arts, starting pay for such graduates
is on the rise. Of equal significance, a recent article in the
Chronicle
of Higher Education
noted that over the long term humanities and
social science graduates tend to outearn
professional graduates, especially if they go
on to earn graduate degrees.
Well Rounded
The importance of the liberal arts is only
underscoredwhen considering the process of
preparing the next generation for leadership.
At Cedarville, preparing young Christians
for leadership positions is central to our
mission. A cursory Google search reveals
a spate of articles highlighting the key skills
leaders need, including many engendered
by the liberal arts. These skills include
critical thinking, creativity, communication,
and decision-making. A recent study by
Grinnell College professor Mark Peltz found
that leaders in government, business, and
nonprofit organizations were five times
more likely to come from colleges offering
humanities and science-based programs
than their graduation demographics would
predict. With the moral decline of American
society at all levels, howmuchmore appealing
will Cedarville’s graduates be, equipped with
their liberal arts background, when they can
bring biblical ethics to the workplace.
Every Cedarville program includes a
general education curriculum based in the
liberal arts. In addition to the required core, students can choose
froma variety of liberal arts programs. Recognizing the reawakening
of employers to the benefits of liberally trained graduates, Cedarville
has recently introduced a liberal arts major. This challenging,
interdisciplinary major offers students the opportunity to study
courses inmath, science, history, political science, English, literature,
music, art, theatre, philosophy, and Bible. Students can then select a
concentration area for focused study.The program includes a travel-
study experience that enables students to participate in a cultural
Cedarville’s faculty members believe in the value
of the liberal arts. We want our graduates to be
educated individuals, not just trained employees.
