Liberal Arts Degree

[Queen K]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_arts_education

The liberal arts degree is being used as some sort of catch all as a near euphemism for "basket weaving."

Nope, there's a lot of weighty and heavy subject matter in there and it's not easy to maintain a grade point average worthy of the money it costs to be in a program.

One of the great tragedies in our society is that a liberal arts degree has become so expensive to attain in person, in seats, in person with a real professor and one of the greatest liberating functions of the 'net has been make so much knowledge accessible in on-line university programs, such as Phoenix University.

So what do we mean when we say "liberal arts degree"? It's only as good as the subject matter chosen by the student.

[dirtybiker]

From my highly unedumucated view, it is a very expensive program that when you
come out of it with your degree, it deems you as person with a degree with no real
money earning value without even having the potential to pay back the tuition.

Fairydust and Unicorns in Utopia !

[Queen K]

http://langara.ca/programs-and-courses/ ... ments.html

Admission requirements to Nursing programs require a grade point average in Liberal Arts courses, English and Stats being important. To me it doesnt' seem very big of GPA, but I also know what it means to attain any GPA.


Admission Requirements

Please refer to the information regarding general requirements for Admission and Application to Langara College programs.

Admission Requirements

A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.33 on courses required for admission (see #2).
Applicants must complete the following courses with a minimum "C+" grade:
English 1127 or 1128;
English 1129 or 1130;
Biology 1190* (must be completed within FIVE years prior to the application deadline);
Biology 1191* (must be completed within FIVE years prior to the application deadline); and
Statistics 1124 with a minimum "C+" grade or Statistics 1123 with a minimum "A" grade (must be completed within FIVE years prior to the application deadline)

You can't be a Nurse or get into the RN programs without Liberal arts courses. And they are picky as to who wins a seat, so the GPA is important and you have to study to maintain that "A" grade. Sure there is a minimum C+, but who really believes they are filling seats for the program with a C+ average student?

Please note: English, Biology and Stats are all listed under the Liberal Arts Degree programs.

[Queen K]

Admission requirements and deadlines will be determined by:
1) Your educational background – this means the CEGEP, high school or university diploma you will obtain (or have already obtained) prior to beginning your studies at McGill.

2) The program you apply to – certain programs require the completion of specific prerequisite courses and some are more competitive than others. Application and document submission deadlines also vary for certain programs. You should have a good idea of what you want to study before consulting the requirements & deadlines.

Want to get into programs at McGill?

Better know what those prerequisites are. I'll bet they're liberal art courses.

[Lady tehMa]

Back when I was looking to be a Med Lab Tech, I was told I was not allowed to take the courses directly related to it until I had completed 2 years of "University Transfer" courses.

I was told I could take anything I wanted. I did require certain courses like Biology and Chemistry (that makes sense) but I was also told I might want to take Calculus (which would not help me in the least), and have fun and take Psycology "it's an easy class, no one fails it", or French. English wasn't suggested (I took it anyway).

Why not just have the course you want offer the grounding you NEED, and dispense with the stuff you will never use? Universities are geared to create professional students - I'm fairly sure that they could cut down time to get the degree if only they offered the specific courses needed. Of course, that would not serve the universities who make so much money off of the students . . .

[Queen K]

I'm on a tear today, don't know why.

Here goes, to get into the Business Honour Program at OUC, you need prerequisites which looks suspiciously like liberal arts subjects, don't forget, liberal arts include math/stats/ etc.


http://webapps-5.okanagan.bc.ca/ok/Cale ... ursProgram

BUAD 492 is needed to get in, so what entails getting a BUAD 492?

One of the most frustrating aspects of researching all this is that the university doesn't make it easy to find the prerequisites for anything. Which means, it could be all a racket somehow.

Off to research BUAD 492.

[Ka-El]

From my highly unedumucated view, it is a very expensive program that when you
come out of it with your degree, it deems you as person with a degree with no real
money earning value without even having the potential to pay back the tuition.

Stephen Harper (as just one example of someone who holds a Liberal Arts degree) might disagree. One thing that has become very clear in reading the popular criticisms of a Liberal Arts education is that those people making the criticisms have absolutely no idea of what a Liberal Arts education means or includes. It is another one of those situations where people with the least knowledge of a subject often have such strong opinions of it. Yes, it is easy to say students will never use what they learned studying Beowulf or philosophy – and, of course, the last thing we want people being able to do nowadays is being able to critically evaluate or construct logical arguments. Such a waste of time (especially when we can just google The Rebel)

[Lady tehMa]

From my highly unedumucated view, it is a very expensive program that when you
come out of it with your degree, it deems you as person with a degree with no real
money earning value without even having the potential to pay back the tuition.

Stephen Harper (as just one example of someone who holds a Liberal Arts degree) might disagree. One thing that has become very clear in reading the popular criticisms of a Liberal Arts education is that those people making the criticisms have absolutely no idea of what a Liberal Arts education means or includes. It is another one of those situations where people with the least knowledge of a subject often have such strong opinions of it. Yes, it is easy to say students will never use what they learned studying Beowulf or philosophy – and, of course, the last thing we want people being able to do nowadays is being able to critically evaluate or construct logical arguments. Such a waste of time (especially when we can just google The Rebel)

Then have a course in critical thinking, instead of making our students waste money they don't have to putter about with things they don't need.

[spooker]

Why not just have the course you want offer the grounding you NEED, and dispense with the stuff you will never use? Universities are geared to create professional students - I'm fairly sure that they could cut down time to get the degree if only they offered the specific courses needed. Of course, that would not serve the universities who make so much money off of the students . . .

My degree course required accounting courses, but had no real affect on my skills for my BSc ... nonetheless I've found those accounting courses coming in handy when I want to understand municipal budgets and how my taxes are calculated/gathered ...

Personally I respect a "renaissance" person for the fact that it's allows us to have more interesting conversations ... many times I have an idea that I would like to get a second opinion on but someone who has only studied in their narrow field of expertise wouldn't be able to help me unless my idea applies to that area ...

What about the student who changes their field of study due to being exposed to something that wasn't in the same vein as their current interest? People's interests are fluid and getting a bit of grounding in all of that early makes it easier in the future to change direction ... who's to say that someone will be a Lab/Med Tech for the rest of their days? Sounds like many of the plots of a dystopian future film where everyone takes a test as a 12-year-old then gets told what part they'll play in society and that's it ...

My wife has a BFA ... I value her opinion even though she's sees me ignore it at times on the basis of my "logic" ...

If I just stuck to learning things I "think" I need at this particular point in time I think my life would be less for it ... many people don't feel the need for "English" and sadly I have seen the usage of said language go downhill for that reason ...

[Queen K]

Entry into the third year of the degree program:

Successful completion of a recognized Business Administration diploma program or equivalent with a minimum grade average of 67%; or completion of 60 university-level credits (with a minimum of 24 credits at the 200-level or higher) with a minimum grade average of 67%; or completion of an Associate Degree in Arts or Science with a minimum grade average of 67%.
Applicants must submit a statement (500 words maximum) outlining their personal objectives and career goals.
Applicants must submit a statement (500 word maximum) outlining their work experience and community involvement.

Want to get into the third year? Better have courses under the umbrella of the liberal arts subjects.

As a personal note, I find the 67% grade average a bit depressing, try that in Japan.

[Queen K]

Another depressing bit, my own degree is much too antiquated now. I would not qualify for much of any thing right now.

[dirtybiker]

Stephen Harper (as just one example of someone who holds a Liberal Arts degree) might disagree. One thing that has become very clear in reading the popular criticisms of a Liberal Arts education is that those people making the criticisms have absolutely no idea of what a Liberal Arts education means or includes. It is another one of those situations where people with the least knowledge of a subject often have such strong opinions of it. Yes, it is easy to say students will never use what they learned studying Beowulf or philosophy – and, of course, the last thing we want people being able to do nowadays is being able to critically evaluate or construct logical arguments. Such a waste of time (especially when we can just google The Rebel)

I fully agree with you, I have no research, nor a want to.

I have a generations worth of relatives that have made a Career out of padding their degrees
and credentials, add nauseum.
Sorry, I work with my hands for a living !

[Queen K]

^As do I. I'm not a RN.

Here's an interesting article, defending a classical liberal arts education, as if they didnt' know their courses are prerequisites to attain higher education.

http://www.vancouversun.com/UVic+presid ... tory.htmla

[JollyGreenBully]

The LA degree I have says it's from The Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies. That's exactly what these degrees entail - creative and critical thought. Anyone who thinks learning to be more of a critical thinker is nonsense is sorely mistaken. These degrees are quite often used as stepping-stones to go into vocational programs as well such as law, teaching, certified psychology programs, etc.

[Queen K]

I have to go, but I'm not done here either.