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College of Arts & Sciences

UNL's Largest and Most Diverse College

Liberal Arts


Valuable workplace skills

Employers value the abilities you receive from a liberal arts education in a quickly-changing and diverse workplace:

  • 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

Personal development

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.

Our mission is to offer you a comprehensive, broad-based education in the Liberal Arts (humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences) to learn about the human condition and the physical world.  This education teaches you to:

  • explore, create, and interpret
  • weigh ideas, evidence, and the claims of authorities
  • think logically
  • adapt to new situations

Be competitive in the job market

When you seek employment as an Arts and Sciences graduate, you will find you have certain advantages over your competitors in the job market. More than ever employers are looking for the skills a broad-based education provides. Keep in close contact with your adviser to make sure your coursework, co-curricular, and service activities are taking you in the direction you want to go.

Natural and Mathematical Sciences

Students in the physical sciences and mathematics gain knowledge of the theoretical and physical aspects of the structures, processes, and interactions in the natural world. They enjoy using their logical reasoning skills and find the process of discovery very satisfying. Students often proceed to graduate or professional school or pursue careers in research, development, education, the computer industry, business, or with the government. A biological science graduate went on to do anthrax testing for the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology.

Social Sciences

Students in the social sciences have knowledge of the structures, processes, and interactions of past and present societies. Their focus may be the social, environmental, political, economic, or even biological issues related to group behavior. In addition to preparation for pursuing advanced studies, this education prepares graduates for employment inside and outside of their major fields in business and government. Graduates often find employment in education, business, human services, research, or with the government.

Humanities

Students in the humanities become well-rounded in the liberal arts, with experience in literature, history, philosophy, language, and intellectual history. In addition to preparation for pursuing advanced studies, this education prepares graduates for employment inside and outside of their major fields in business and government. Graduates have found employment in law firms, banks, higher education, schools, private industry, medicine, journalism, foreign service, writing, museum management, and government agencies. An English graduate became a internationally known interpreter of ancient scrolls.

Interdisciplinary Programs

Students who major in an interdisciplinary area will have the option of emphasizing the humanities, social science, or natural sciences, depending on the courses they choose to complete their major. Interdisciplinary studies students receive a broad liberal arts education, which will allow them to develop their research, analysis, and communication skills. Upon graduation, they will be prepared to pursue the same career options that are listed under each of the three areas of study.

Continue your education

Many students, depending on their academic and career goals, choose to extend their education by enrolling in graduate, medical, pharmacy, dentistry, business, or law schools.



A degree in Arts and Sciences provides a flexible education to meet the demands of the changing world.

You'll gain not only considerable knowledge as an Arts and Sciences student but also the skill of "learning how to learn."

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," says Jim Linderholm, President and CEO of NWS Consulting Group, Inc. "[It] really helped me advance in my career."

Articles

Chief executives are quick, creative learners who embrace change, writes Diane Brady for Newsweek - 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."

If you plan ahead with experience, relationships, and your 'hook', writes Sheila Curran in Newsweek, you can take the skills picked up with a liberal arts degree and discover your own path to success.