A College Degree – Choosing Between a Broad-Based Program and a Trade/Career Option

By Tom Hanson, Contributing Writer

Updated: 3/14/2010

There are essentially two distinct philosophies within the higher education community. Depending on your respective viewpoint, arguments can be made that either of these educational philosophies is the better one for a prospective student.

The Broad-Based Educational Philosophy

The first type of program is often referred to as a liberal arts-based approach to education. The philosophy behind a liberal arts education is to see that a student spends his/her college years studying a broad array of topics. Ultimately, the student is exposed to a wealth of different subjects and would learn various uses of technology, develop their interpersonal skills, and improve their critical thinking skills even as they develop specific subject mastery.

In the liberal arts world, a student often takes a general curriculum during the first two years of school. In addition, students do not declare a major until the end of their sophomore year so that they remain truly open-minded during the initial phase of study.

Experts indicate that in an ideal world, it is tough to argue against such a degree. The student will emerge with a wealth of knowledge, many new skills, and a college degree. That diploma then will generally help workers rise to the top of the application pile when promotions and or leadership positions become available. However, it must be noted that the primary goal of any liberal arts degree option is not to prepare a student for a specific career or job but to broadly prepare a student for many different career options.

The Career/Trade School Philosophy

In contrast, a different approach is to focus in on a specific career or job option. The philosophy here will be to focus on a specific topic and provide a wealth of courses that focus in on aspects of that topic. Instead of a generalized learning approach, students will be exposed to the specific technology and personal attributes necessary to be successful within this career option.

In such a school, there isn’t a broad-based generalized curriculum. Instead, beginning with the first year of school, the program will tie all courses to the field of interest. Any reading, writing or mathematics requirements will also be geared towards how those subjects would be used in the career or trade being considered.

With funds limited and time of the essence, some students literally chafe at any course that does not immediately advance their knowledge in their specific area of interest. In addition, relating all coursework to the specific career or trade option is a very important motivational tool for some students.

Making the Decision

Both types of programs are viable and each has its place in the world of higher education. The bottom line is to match the specific goals of the student with the degree option.

The generalized degree option is particularly useful to the student who is not yet clear on their career path or is not looking for a specific promotion. In such a case a broad-based approach should help the student understand better what types of jobs they in fact might be more inclined to pursue yet give the student that all-important piece of paper that ensures further career options.

On the other hand, if a person has a particular career path and job in mind, they may want to forgo the generalized study option for a program that is designed for that career path. In particular, if a career path is known, the specialized career or trade program option might in fact be the only viable method for taking the next step in that particular field.

Click Here to See All Online Schools