Title:
The liberal arts degree: perceptions of value among adult students, graduates, and employers
Author:
Carroll David Galvin
Thesis Advisor:
Kathryn Doherty
Committee Member:
Suzan Harkness
Committee Member:
Debra Franklin
Degree Granting Institution:
Notre Dame of Maryland University--School of Education
Place:
Baltimore (Md.)
Publisher:
Notre Dame of Maryland University
Date Created:
2022
Type of Resource:
text
Genre:
thesis
Language:
eng
Format:
application/pdf
Physical Form:
electronic
Digital Source:
born digital
Abstract:
Students, parents, and government leaders continue to question the value of higher education in general and of a liberal arts education in particular (Council of Independent Colleges, 2015; Fischer, 2022; Strauss, 2019). With students enrolling in liberal arts programs in significant numbers, and with the majority of those students now reflecting some characteristic of being nontraditional, how do these students, graduates, and their employers perceive the value of the Liberal Arts degree (Council of Independent Colleges, 2015; Guidry, 2018; Gulley, 2016; National Center for Education Statistics, 2015)? This study seeks to answer that question through case study analysis, the in-depth study of a single case, or multiple cases, illustrating a specific issue (Creswell and Poth, 2018; Stake, 1995). Using the theoretical work of Robert Merton (1949) on functionalism, and Becker and Mincer (1975) and McKernan and Ratcliffe (2002) on human capital theory, as well as the study’s setting within an institution of higher education, the researcher selected a case study approach that collected data from study participants to provide explanations of the value of the Liberal Arts degree for adult students, graduates, and employers. The findings of the study suggest that adult students more clearly subscribe to the human capital theory and were more likely to view the Liberal Arts degree as a means to an end. Graduate participants tended to consider aspects of their degree as valuable beyond the ability to progress in a specific career path or gain a monetary or financial benefit. Employer participants cited that while the skills or competencies traditionally associated with liberal arts degrees were indeed valuable, they also indicated that a candidate’s specific degree did not represent a major factor in their hiring decisions. The results of the study will inform improved marketing for the Liberal Arts degree, enhance enrollment, and provide a base of research for external, extramural funding. The study will better inform higher education administrators as to the wants and needs of liberal arts students today, the outcomes reported by graduates, and the needs of their employers.
Subject:
Academic theses
Subject:
Electronic dissertations
Subject:
Thèses et écrits académiques
Subject:
Thèses électroniques
Subject:
dissertations
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Level:
Doctoral
Discipline:
Higher Education Leadership for Changing Populations
Restrictions on Access:
Author has given permission to make this work available online.
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Identifier:
GalvinCD-22
