<p>before getting a masters, a phd, or a professional degree?</p>
<p>I'm an international student, and have been given offers by several UK universities for Law. However, I'm inclined to go to the US since I have a really wide range of academic interests and am fascinated with the idea of a liberal arts education. </p>
<p>The problem is, I have no clear career goals at the moment and am not very sure what kinds of jobs a liberal arts degree can get me. I'm thinking of double-majoring in economics and another subject (could be math, philosophy, or history). Would I be able to get a high-paying job with good development/promotion prospects without a master's, a phd, or a professional degree? </p>
<p>(I will probably pursue a phd, but I also want to work for 2-5 years before that. As for a business degree, I'm not so interested as, unlike many undergrad econ majors, I don't fancy working at an investment bank.)</p>
<p>This is gonna sound like total BS to you, as well as many other folks on here. I say, go for your dreams, do what you love and the money will follow. If you have academic interests which you follow already has hobbies, you might as well see where it leads you.</p>
<p>Liberal arts is a very broad spectrum of different academics, you’ll want to find out what it is exactly that excites you, follow that path.</p>
<p>It depends on what kind of school you go to. I know someone who was an Art History major at Dartmouth and was able to pull strings and get a job as an investment banker. I know an English History major from Notre Dame who is now working for Lucasfilm as a movie producer. Employers don’t hire degrees, they hire problem-solving ability, communication skills, and work experience! If I were you, I’d try to get some internships in the fields you are interested in, because even if you don’t have the degree, you will have the work experience.</p>
<p>You can do nothing with a Liberal Arts Degree. Employers do not want problem solving skills.</p>
<p>If you want to pursue a PhD, maintain a super high GPA, volunteer with professors, use these same professors to get good recommendations later, hopefully those professors will have connections to schools where you want to get a masters PhD.
Volunteer and obtain internships at as many places as possible. </p>
<p>But also beware, many colleges are cutting their staffs due to budget cuts, plus many more people are getting PhDs nowadays, and government research positions are also being cut, so you need to plan ahead.</p>
<p>muer22, your advice is based on what? I’m an engineer by degree, so I certainly know how to follow the degree formula, but I meet tons of people that have a broad liberal arts degree and they are some of the brightest, most interesting people I know. I also know engineers with PhD degrees that make no more money than their bachelor counterparts. Companies do not want degrees … they want people that can get things done, are problem solvers, and that can be creative to approaching challenges when things are not obvious. They also want people that can communicate their ideas verbally and on paper.</p>
<p>I’m with the others … do what you are passionate about and do it well. There is no formula for success today that looks like what people did 30 or more years ago … it’s a new world.</p>
<p>An engineering degree will give you an advantage if you have to take a quantitative standardized test. If you have an Ivy League degree, degree from the Seven Sisters, or some other prestigious college then you may have a heads up with a liberal arts degree. But a degree from a good/alright college with no technical skills is not a good way to start your career or gain 2-5 years work experience. That is a path that should be avoided especially if you are an international student .</p>
<p>I don’t want to deter you, but assess how you will stay in the country if you have no special skills. WIth a technical degree/skills you can apply for an H1-B Visa. Also since you are an international student, if you can’t get an internship, volunteer.</p>