What Can You Do with a Liberal Studies degree? Employers Want Liberal Arts Graduates

A degree in liberal studies allows you to translate skills and interests to match the career you want to make.

Surveys by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) show that most hiring managers care more about a job candidate’s skills than they do about a college major.¹ The skills you will learn getting a degree in liberal studies will help make you a most-wanted candidate in the job market.

According to a report from Emsi and the Strada Institute for the Future of Work, 82% of liberal arts majors held jobs that earned them an average salary of $55,000.²

Kent State University is one of six institutions in Ohio to offer the Online Master of Liberal Studies (MLS) degree, but the only one that allows students to take courses from any college or school in the university. A choose your own adventure to the career of your choice.

What Career Opportunities exist with a Master’s Degree in Liberal Studies?

The great thing about a liberal studies education is that it doesn’t just prepare you for one career. Instead, you learn skills applicable to many different careers. You get to choose!

Solid writing and communication skills are paramount to most positions, and the critical-thinking skills you learn can be applied to any field that requires analytical thought, such as business or education.³

Possible career areas include the following:

• Advertising manager
• Archivist
• Business analysis
• College recruiter
• Education administration
• Editor
• Fundraiser
• Graphic designer
• Human resources specialist
• Journalist
• Musician
• Nonprofit organization director
• Photographer
• Politician
• Public relations specialist
• Publicist
• Sales and marketing
• Social worker
• Translator/Interpreter
• Urban planner/city manager
• Writer

Keep in mind that this is not an all-inclusive list and there are many career options with a degree in liberal studies.

Kent State University Master of Liberal Studies

The Online Master’s Degree in Liberal Studies provides students with a unique opportunity to study at the graduate level in fields that are of interest and use to the individual. Under the guidance of the Program Director, students select courses from across the university to form their own individualized and integrated program of study.

For more information on Kent State’s Online Master of Liberal Arts, visit https://onlinedegrees.kent.edu/degrees/master-of-liberal-studies.

¹ Retrieved on April 6, 2021, from https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2007/winter/art01.pdf

² Retrieved on April 6, 2021, from https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/is-a-liberal-arts-degree-worth-it/#:~:text=Undergraduates%20learn%20to%20make%20persuasive,%2C%20and%20creative%20problem%2Dsolving

³Retrieved on April 6 2021, from https://learn.org/articles/What_is_Liberal_Studies.html