Worth
There’s no arguing that technical and occupational “hard skills” acquired in STEM, healthcare, and related fields are highly desirable. However, don’t count yourself out if you’re a liberal arts-minded person. Characteristics like flexibility, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and robust communication skills are the “soft skills” liberal arts majors develop over their course of study. In the working world, changes in technologies, practices, procedures, and careers happen over a lifetime. A liberal arts education prepares you to adapt to new challenges and unanticipated opportunities.
Merit
A Jesuit, Catholic, humanistic education leads many of our students to a career of helping people in need through social work, global assistance, environmental issues, social and political justice—to name a few. You’ll be prepared to interact with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. There is unique value knowing you can follow your heart and make a difference in the lives of others.
Importance
The University Core curriculum prepares students to become women and men for a more just and humane global community in a profession, career or calling. A Gonzaga degree equips you with skills and a sense of purpose to think outside the box when you ask yourself, “What can I to do with a liberal arts degree?”
The Power of a Liberal Arts Degree
When people ask me about a liberal arts degree and how it sets them up for success in their career; I tell them that having the foundations of history, English, math, science—these are fundamental pieces of knowledge that you'll never get in the working world.
In the working world, you'll have opportunities to go to training classes about a certain domain...and those companies will train you in their science. They're not going to train you on how to solve problems, interact with people, and how to develop your own interpersonal confidence. These are things that are really important—that a liberal arts education gives you.