A Well-Rounded Education or a Narrowly Focused Skill Set?
Is it better to specialize in a narrow field while studying in college, or is your time better served by following a more liberal arts approach in which you study a little bit of everything? Most bachelors programs expose you to the latter, wanting to provide you with a well-rounded education. But in those cases where this approach is not compulsory, what are the pros and cons of specialization versus liberal arts degrees.

Specialization in Education
Specialization comes up more often in technical or scientific degrees, or with associate/vocational programs that don’t have many electives. The pros of these are numerous. You graduate extremely qualified and well-versed in very specific areas, making you a potentially attractive prospect once you graduate. Working in research labs or repair units is difficult if you have an English or history degree. Most employers want trained professionals.

The cons of this approach, however, are that you become a one-trick pony. This isn’t necessarily bad if your industry is thriving. But think of all the Betamax repairman out there who saw their futures dry up practically overnight. Their loneliness, however, only lasted 20 years or so. They were soon joined by hordes of VCR repairman once the DVD came out.

Liberal Arts Education
Liberal arts education can include technical and/or humanitarian classes, but the primary focus is on exposure to a wide variety of backgrounds and disciplines. You might walk away deeply knowledgeable about your given major (American history, for example), but the primary selling point of your degree is adaptability. How quickly can you learn new skills? How efficiently can you solve challenging problems? How soon can you master new situations?

The disadvantages of a liberal arts education are that you might have to work harder to market yourself when approaching jobs slightly out of your skill set. Can English majors become business consultants? Can business majors become English teachers? The answer to both is a resounding “yes,” but be prepared to confront occasional skepticism.