Decades ago, it wasn’t unusual for a person to spend an entire lifetime working for the same company. Back then, the career flow typically moved the employee from entry level to mid-management, up the ladder to a bigger office, and eventually out the retirement door to enjoy the happy golden years. Today,however, career planning has changed dramatically.
Most people still hope for a lifetime of fulfilling work – and many might enjoy staying in the same field for decades – but now this dream requires a new approach. Choosing your educational path wisely will be one of the first steps you’ll take in meeting this challenge.
While some industries demand a narrow path of study, choosing a degree in liberal arts may be the best decision for the student who wants a flexible approach with the greatest possibility of a lifetime of secure employment.
Why is flexibility so important? According to Pew Research, in the first ten years of work, a person will change their job an average of seven times – just in their twenties alone. It’s not uncommon for thispattern to continue throughout adulthood.
Because employment in Iowa today is in a constant state of flux, the liberal arts student will be uniquely positioned – due to their training – to take advantage of new opportunities as they arise, establishing a skillset that transfers from job to job.
Liberal arts colleges in Iowa offer many ways to achieve these necessary skills through a bachelor’s ormaster’s degree. Each program has options in a broad range of liberal studies fields. Schools in Iowa aremeeting these growing demands with traditional, and cutting-edge programs in the arts and humanities, sciences, social sciences, and educational concentrations.
Become Part of the Film, Media and Performing Arts Scene in Iowa with a Degree in Liberal Studies
Iowa’s performing arts are alive and well despite recent challenges. While some stage doors temporarily closed, others opened for the very first time in new and promising venues. For instance, the Iowa Arts Council recognized that the digital space was a viable option and created an online performing arts site that now streams performances for spectators to enjoy in their own homes.
This new venue introduced opportunities for emerging artists such as American Idol performer, AndrewHoyt, who wrote Good Morning Des Moines, to showcase his talents and kick off a growing career. For liberal arts students in performing arts, adapting to a future where streaming performances are a regular thing, the stage may begin to take on the look and feel of a production set.
Digital media is another field that is wide open to liberal arts grads. Just as more and more theater and performing arts companies take their online presence more seriously, so too are companies in the world of business. Most know that creating content for online consumption has become critical to their success, and that doesn’t just mean having a Facebook page anymore.
There has never been a more promising time than now for liberal arts graduates to find jobs in Iowa that give them a creative outlet, even in the business world. This would include skills in the graphic arts, computer animation, digital media production, and photography.
Film studies is another aspect of a liberal arts education that opens the door to a ton of awesome opportunities in Des Moines and around Iowa. Someone has to produce the endless torrent of streaming content pouring out through the web, and the millions of short films and series that people love to digest in 20-minute bites. Behind much of it, you’ll find some talented liberal studies grads who earned their bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the world-class liberal arts colleges right here in Iowa.
Join the Scientific Community in Iowa with a Degree in Liberal Arts
From the privately-owned Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin rockets shooting celebrities into space, to the white coats going ever deeper into the microscopic world of virology, science not only makes breakthroughs, it makes state economies hum. That’s as true in Iowa as anywhere else, and it’s the colleges of liberal arts and sciences here that provide a jumping off point to those high-paying, high-tech careers.
Imagine being the astrophysicist who saves the planet by calculating the trajectory of the near-earth asteroid, Apophis, that is sailing towards earth with its tentative arrival date of 2029. Or an Iowa scientistbuilding 3D-heterostructured materials for the U.S. Department of Energy at Ames Laboratory.
Careers of the future are wide open to the students of today earning online degrees in liberal studies and passing through the halls of Iowa’s top liberal arts colleges. Jobs in Ames, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines and other larger cities allow students ample opportunities to put their talents to good use, and a bachelor’s or master’s in liberal arts with the right concentration in the sciences is the means to get there. Whether it’s an engineer at Rockwell Collins designing avionics and IT systems or a geneticist at Hyline North America maximizing crop yields, you can be sure liberal studies graduates are leaving their mark in Iowa.
How a Liberal Arts Education in Iowa Can Prepare You to Work in the Social Sciences
Getting a master’s degree in liberal arts with a concentration in the social sciences in Iowa presents an extensive list of possibilities, and depending on the focus, can be as broad, or narrow as a student desires. For instance, a master’s in liberal arts with a concentration in psychology can lead to clinical work,private practice, government employment, or corporate positions.
A tighter focus, such as a liberal arts degree in philosophy and cultural theory with a concentration in ancient Mesopotamian and Antediluvian culture, for instance, would afford a student more of a niche career path that could be applicable in archeology, museum curation, or writing.
Liberal arts degrees in the social sciences give students a wide range of job possibilities, and all of them contribute something meaningful to society, right here in Iowa and around the world. It’s also a great choice for entry-level careers due to its broad scope of training. With a liberal arts degree with a concentration in the social sciences, you’ll come away with a strong foundation of general education that could take you and your career almost anywhere.
Colleges of Liberal Arts in Iowa Offering Bachelor’s and Master’s
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other
- Bachelor's and Master's Degrees
Buena Vista University welcomes nearly 2000 students each year. This mid-sized college, with its rollinggreen lawns and expansive open areas, is a tranquil setting for serious study. The college boasts a 96%post-graduation employment rate.
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, Liberal Studies
- Bachelor's and Master's Degrees
Clarke was founded in the 1800s by Mary Frances Clarke, an immigrant who saw education as a way out of the poverty she witnessed in Ireland. The school offers a solid liberal studies program with degree programs that include a master’s in education, and justice and peace studies.
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, Liberal Studies, General Studies
- Bachelor's and Master's Degrees
Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa is ranked as one of the top private colleges in the country. Here a student will encounter a small-town vibe with fun quirky things to do – like hanging your shoes from their famous “shoe tree” – while enjoying a campus atmosphere of collaborative learning.
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, Liberal Studies
- Bachelor's and Master's Degrees
Dordt University takes a reformed, Christian approach to life and education. They offer two-year associate of arts, or associate of science degrees, as well as bachelor’s degrees in the sciences, arts, social work, and engineering. Master’s degrees include education and medicine.
Drake University
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, Liberal Studies
- Bachelor's and Master's Degrees
With its tall spires gracing blue skies in summer and a sea of vibrant reds and orange trees in fall, Drake University campus is a pastoral setting for the liberal arts student. Drake offers a collaborative learning style that prepares the liberal arts graduate for a community-oriented future.
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
- Bachelor's and Master's Degrees
In 1895, Graceland University began developing programs that they believed could “change the world.” The school offers students a top-notch education that will equip them to affect that change. Graceland provides in-person and online liberal arts degrees, meeting a wide range of student needs.
Grand View University
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, Liberal Studies
- Bachelor's and Master's Degrees
Grandview University provides a generous selection of liberal studies that prepare students for careers in many areas including a master’s in mental health counseling, investigative journalism, or museum management. The school community focus is evident in the assertion that for Grand View students, the “whole city is their classroom.”
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, Liberal Studies
- Bachelor's and Master's Degrees
Loras College is ranked in the top private colleges in Iowa. They believe in removing barriers to learning byoffering 100% of their undergraduate students financial aid. They also boast a 98.8% employment rate after graduation.
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, Liberal Studies
- Bachelor's and Master's Degrees
Maharishi International University offers unique liberal arts degrees for students who are keen to follow cultural trends in areas such as health, spirituality, and business. The programs include concentrations in regenerative agriculture, Ayurvedic counseling, sustainability reporting and even self-designed master and undergrad programs.
Mount Mercy University
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, Liberal Studies
- Bachelor's and Master's Degrees
Service, social responsibility and leadership ethics have been at the forefront of education at Mount Mercy since its inception. They offer degree programs in liberal studies that are student-focused by design.
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, Liberal Studies
- Bachelor's and Master's Degrees
Northwestern College offers a range of degree programs, both online and off, for the liberal studies student. From certifications to graduate degrees in liberal studies, the college seeks to focus on superior coursework and empowering students to “follow Christ and pursue God’s redeeming work” around our world.
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, Liberal Studies
- Bachelor's and Master's Degrees
Simpson college is well known for having the only speech and debate program throughout all of Iowa’s private college system. For the liberal studies student wishing to pursue a career in politics, for instance, Simpson offers the training and experience needed for an enduring career in the political scene.
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, Liberal Studies
- Bachelor's and Master's Degrees
Situated on the scenic bluffs of the Mississippi, the University of Dubuque – or UD to alums – gives students a tranquil place to engage in a vibrant community and world-class education. Their approach to learning is focused on developing professional vocations achieved by providing a strong liberal arts program.
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, Liberal Studies
- Bachelor's and Master's Degrees
Upper Iowa University believes in removing any barriers to education by allowing for a variety of degree tracks including dual enrollment, military, transfer students, international students, as well as graduate orreentry learners. The school’s approach to flexible studies helps students achieve their educational goals.
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other
- Bachelor's and Master's Degrees
Wartburg college believes that an education is an investment in the future. Some of their most popular liberal studies programs include business administration, music therapy, and education. The college boasts a student body that represents more than twenty Christian denominations as well as several other world religions.
