Liberal arts courses include English, political science, history, language and many other humanities studies. These courses typically require a lot of research, paper writing and argumentation in and out of class. As a result, liberal arts courses prepare students for a broad range of careers, and they typically allow for a number of interdisciplinary studies. For example, a student may be an English major but take a political science course that deals with the rhetoric of politicians. These interdisciplinary courses prepare students for any career that uses research, argumentation and critical thinking skills.
People who major in engineering and information technology typically have a lot of job opportunities in growing economies, because the demand for infrastructure jobs and Internet-related jobs is increasing. Engineers may work in city planning, construction, consulting, architecture or land design. Information technology majors may work in programming, social media, consulting, marketing, web design and many other Internet-based jobs. Both majors typically give students flexibility to pursue elective courses in which they can concentrate on a specific field.
Speech and communication majors may work in television, media, public relations, music industries, journalism or talent agencies. These majors teach critical thinking skills and focus on interpersonal communication, which are skills that are needed in almost any job. As a result, communication and speech are majors that provide many career options. Also, many students may specialize in certain trades through communications courses. At UCLA, for example, students often pair their communication major with another humanities area.
Business has many subcategories, which makes it a very flexible major. Marketing, finance, economics and accounting represent some of the many areas of business. Carolyn Woo, dean of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business, points out that an accountant could work anywhere from Wall Street to the CIA. Business majors are highly marketable and can enter entry-level positions at a variety of companies. The flexibility of the major allows them to choose a job that suits their needs.