Liberal Arts and the College of Arts & Sciences

The College of Arts & Sciences is the oldest, most diverse, and largest of all eight colleges at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  Our mission is to offer a comprehensive, broad-based education in the Liberal Arts (the study of language, literature, the natural sciences, the social sciences, and philosophy) in which you will learn about the human condition and the physical world.  This education teaches you to explore, to create, to interpret, to weigh ideas, evidence and the claims of authorities, to think logically, and to adapt to new situations. 

Students who choose to study in the College of Arts & Sciences sometimes have the practicality of their choice questioned by friends and parents.  Why should you study a subject that does not necessarily help train you for a job? 

The first answer is that a degree from Arts & Sciences does in fact give you abilities that employers value in a quickly changing and diverse work-place, including:

• Written and oral communications skills
• Critical and creative thinking
• Mathematical literacy
• Information literacy
• Experience with teamwork and problem-solving
• Knowledge of cultures other than your own
• The capacity to be a life-long learner

The magazine Business Week reports that chief executives are quick, creative learners who embrace change.  Those qualities are the products of a broadly based liberal education.  “Although disciplines such as marketing and finances will remain key,” the magazine predicts, “there will be more value placed on a liberal arts education that encourages lateral thinking.”

The second answer is that studying the Liberal Arts is a path to personal as well as career development.  Whatever your major, we will help you to:

• Discover, develop, and appreciate your creative potential.
• Understand and value your cultural heritage and the diverse cultural heritages of others.
• Prepare to be an active, responsible, and knowledgeable citizen in a world in which science and technology are becoming increasingly complex.
• Acquire the skills that will allow you to continue learning, both for your career and for your personal enrichment.

The knowledge gained and the methods learned from a Liberal Arts education enable students to form their own well-grounded opinions and beliefs, rather than deferring to an outside authority.  These skills are much more useful than a simple accumulation of facts.

“(An Arts & Sciences degree) made it easier for me to think of the big picture…and really helped me advance in my career.”
Jim Linderholm, President, CEO, and Chairman of NWS Consulting Group, Inc.