Bravo! Finally - someone sticking up for the liberal arts majors! I wasn't an English major, but I took a load of English classes (to supplement my Political Science degree). I've worked in major areas of the business world and you can definitely see the difference between the hardcore business majors and the people who studied liberal arts.
My bf studied physics and engineering in college, but now is pursuing an MPD degree where he is required to take classes in effective communication and presentation skills - let's just say he has me helping him with his homework (a lot!).

I was a history major who took a lot of English classes, and I think the liberal arts provide a strong background for a wide variety of careers, precisely for the reasons you mention. You want research, analysis, and a coherent explanation of the results? Hire a liberal arts major.

Fortunately for me, I had parents who told me to study what I loved, and trusted me to figure out what I would do with that. I'm in my second career, and neither was something I would have predicted, but both were really rewarding and interesting.

I'm amazed, though, at how many people would ask my major, stare at me, and then say, "So are you going to teach?"

Love it. I'm a political science major, and have also taken a wide range of English and history classes. I definitely agree it is frustrating to be told we have "easy" majors -- the kind of work we do isn't memorizing things or solving problem sets but is challenging in its own right.

The great thing about all liberal arts classes is that they teach you to think critically and write well. I still always get asked if I'm going to law school or teaching though, as no one seems to understand the point of a liberal arts degree otherwise....

Whenever I've interviewed people, I always look at a business degree as the "I had no idea what to do, but I had to make a decision" degree, whether it was warranted or not. My first boss had his degree in Psychology, and my current boss has a degree in marketing (both working in financial services / operations).

I've always taken the degree to show that you can be taught a set of skills and tasks, and complete them. Unless it's a specialized field, you're not really going to learn your job in college anyway, just the tools needed.

@Norcross

Your comment about business degrees made me stop and think. Like you, I don't think any boss I've worked for so far has had a business degree. And of all the people I've talked to about getting an MBA (something I was considering) have told me not to, including those who hold MBAs themselves!

@caboyd

I didn't realize how valuable my critical thinking and writing skills were until I spent a few years in the workforce. I don't think that most universities spend enough time marketing the practical value of a liberal arts education.

Funny...The first thing I thought when I read this post was "BRAVO," and that was exactly the first word of the first comment.

Knowing how to write and communicate well are key to success in business and life. In fact, I recently posted on a study done by Harvard about the state of the MBA. What do you think they found? MBAs have learned little about such skills as giving presentations, navigating corporate politics or leading co-workers. All of these involve communication and analytical skills that are easily learned in a liberal arts classroom:

http://keppiecareers.wordpress.com/2008/11/06/

While you can teach a liberal arts graduate about technical aspects of business, it is much more difficult to teach someone who doesn't write or speak well to communicate more effectively. Caboyd's point that it is up to liberal arts students to learn how to translate and market their skills is right on the mark. The onus is on the job seeker to know what he or she has to offer. Don't underestimate the value of great writing skills...They are few and far between!

Precisely ! Since proper articulation and eloquency in speaking
leads to a win win situation in every aspect of one's personality . However, as far as an MBA is concerned, its a great platform to sharpen the managerial and leadership traits of a person so as to help him/her in leading from the front. Moreover, the pedagogy from MBA imbibes out-of-the-box thinking ability in a person.
But, impeccable professional english with proper business communication is imperative before one goes for an MBA.

I was directed to this post by Nisha Chittal after I posted a blog entry about finding my liberal arts education useless. I enjoyed reading your post + comments on why a liberal arts curriculum can be worthwhile after you graduate college.

Getting a degree in psychology or history is not the preferred option among youngsters, it is same when it comes to getting a bachelors or masters degree in a language. It is important to know how to utilize our degrees to a greater extent that gives us the positive and productive results in the area of our interest. Sure i agree with your point.