Careers and Liberal Education
Honors Program graduates have gone on to careers in law, business,
education, psychology, criminal justice, computer science, medicine,
and government service. Liberal education provides a set of
intellectual skills and mental habits that can be employed in the most
diverse settings. Below we give some examples of the uses of liberal
education.
Law
- Many Honors Program graduates have been pre-law students. Law is a
study for which the program is ideally suited. One law school graduate
writes, "… during my first year of law school, the Socratic method was
the sole means of instruction. Although this method of teaching
intimidated many of my classmates, I was comfortable speaking in class
due to the experience I had gained at Whitney Young." Another lawyer
writes, "I realized after I got to Harvard Law School the advantages I
gained by coming to Whitney Young for my undergraduate education. For
example, in legal education you read cases -- the original sources,
ones other people have looked at for the last 150 years -- and try to
figure them out. And that's exactly what we had been doing in Whitney
Young. I also found that the people at Harvard Law -- some of the top
students in the country, graduates of schools like Columbia, Dartmouth,
and so on -- considered me one of the brethren since I went through a
Great Books program. They considered me up to snuff."
Business
- Many businesses are becoming aware that it is easier to train an
employee who is broadly educated than to educate one who is narrowly
trained. As the pace of change in business increases, the ability to
learn on one's own becomes increasingly important. Life-long learning
is no longer a luxury; it is a business necessity. One former student
writes, "I was majoring in mechanical engineering and did not think
that a liberal studies degree would do me any good. However, since
working in my present job as an information and referral specialist, I
use the skills and knowledge that I learned while I was at Whitney
Young daily." If you want a career in business your best bet is to
acquire a mix of specialized business knowledge and general skills.
Specialized training may help you land your first job, while your
long-term career prospects depend heavily on your ability to read,
write, speak, listen, analyze and think -- just what one acquires
through liberal education.
Graduate School
- Honors Program graduates have pursued graduate studies in a variety
of fields including psychology, education, philosophy, political
science, and public policy. Generally students report that the Honors
Program has prepared them well for the rigorous demands of graduate
study. One writes, "As a graduate student majoring in counseling
psychology, reading, writing, analytical thinking, and communication
play a major role in my academic life. As an Honors Program graduate, I
learned the skills necessary to succeed... As a result of the excellent
instruction I received in the program, I will be graduating from a
rigorous graduate program with a 4.0 G.P.A.." Another graduate student
writes, "The education that I pursued in the Whitney Young Honor’s
Program is serving me well. I was well prepared for the massive amounts
of reading on the master’s level." Substantial amounts of reading,
self-directed inquiry, and intellectual seriousness are common themes
of the Honors Program and most graduate schools.
Medicine
- Pre-med students who combine liberal studies with biology or
chemistry degrees have found that their breadth of background is
attractive to medical schools. As one medical school put in when describing its selection criteria: “Often the physician’s ability to communicate
effectively will determine the degree of success in the diagnosis and
management of a patient’s health.... Thus, consideration is given to
the communication skills demonstrated by each applicant. Communication
is a two-way process and involves the ability to listen perceptively,
as well as to speak and write clearly.” Liberal education thus becomes
an important ingredient in pre-medical training.
Public Service
- Honors Program students have the opportunity to pursue careers in
government and public service as well. KSU is located in the capital of
Kentucky, providing exceptional access to state offices and state
employment. Several of our students have also obtained internships in
Washington, DC, especially at the Office of Leadership Analysis. One
graduate writes: "I am having a blast … I have traveled extensively
throughout Africa, met numerous high-level officials, … all in less
than a year…. The professors at the college taught me how to 'think';
they taught me how to say something about something, as opposed to
saying something that is already known. This is a skill I now use on a
daily basis."
Education
- America has recently become deeply concerned about the preparation
of elementary and secondary teachers, not just in educational theory of
classroom techniques, but especially in general knowledge. An Honors
core curriculum of liberal studies courses accompanying a degree in
education would given any student a significant advantage in meeting
these increasingly important standards for teachers. One former student
also notes the value of the program's approach for prospective
teachers: "I'll be finishing my master's degree [in education] … and I
want to thank you so much for your wonderful teaching methods. … I have
been taught … that we empower the students to seek out their own
education. I can do this so much easier now because of the Honors
Program. The way you taught me is the way we are now being told to
teach the little ones."
Personal Advancement
- Many students originally come to the Honors Program to help fulfill
specific career plans, yet when they leave they feel they have also
received something more valuable. One graduate writes: "My four years
of study in the Honors Program provided me with an exceptional
education, both personally and intellectually. … I came away from my
college experience as a more enlightened individual, with a heightened
sense of awareness and increased self-confidence." Both traditional and
non-traditional students report personal benefits. Young people value
the chance to think and talk about what sort of life is worth having,
as they begin to make important life decisions on their own. People who
are not so young value perhaps even more the opportunity to reflect. As
one recent graduate writes: "… the questions we struggled with in the
great books program remain integral to my search for truth and meaning
-- what is virtue? What is the good? What is the highest expression of
human existence? … The biggest legacy of the liberal arts is being able
to see the world as it lives and breathes and being a better person for
it."