Liberal Arts

Liberal Arts Program at Fisher College

"It is not so very important for a person to learn facts. For that he does not really need a college. He can learn them from books. The value of an education is a liberal arts college is not learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think something that cannot be learned from textbooks."
- Albert Einstein

Many students ask, "What can a Liberal Arts degree do for me?" Well, to start, a major in the Liberal Arts at Fisher can offer you a wide overview of the arts, sciences, and humanities. The many areas of study within a liberal arts degree include English language and literature, history (world and western), women's studies, modern languages, math, sociology, fine arts, performing arts, and political science, just to name a few.

A liberal arts degree can enable you to continue on to a more specific degree program or can be used as a strong basis for the communication, reasoning, and thinking skills you have developed in order to enter into a wide choice of careers. Liberal arts degrees are appealing to employers who are looking for someone who has the proven ability to think about different topics and has not been trained to work in only one frame of mind. Every career, from teaching, to industrial work, to fashion, requires an understanding of society and culture. A major in Liberal Arts will give you the tools to forever examine, investigate, and analyze our ever-changing world. Moreover, since most college graduates in the 21st century are predicted to change degrees at least once and possibly several times, the highly transferable abilities that are a hallmark of a liberal education will help make that career change smooth and successful.

The Liberal Arts program at Fisher provides you with a well-rounded education in preparation for transfer to a baccalaureate program or for some entry-level career positions. The program's curriculum is specifically designed to fulfill the core requirements taken in the first two years of most bachelor's degree programs, including, of course, the programs offered at Fisher.

And, while a concentration is not required for graduation, concentrations are available in Humanities, Justice Studies, Social Sciences, and Women's Studies. Only one concentration per degree is allowed.

Liberal Arts Program Requirements
First Year		Credit hours
EN101	English I	3
EN102	English II	3
IS105	Common Experience	3
HIXXX	History Requirement I*	3
HIXXX	History Requirement II*	3
	Foreign Language**	6
	Math/Science Elective***	6-8
	Free Electives	6
	Total Credits	30-32
Second Year		Credit hours
CM105	Public Speaking	3
EN201	Intermediate Writing	3
CS101	Computer Concepts and Applications
	Humanities Elective	6
	Literature Elective****	3
	Math/Science Elective***	3/4
	Social Sciences Electives	6
	Free Electives	6
	Total Credits	30/31
* Two courses selected from HI101, HI102, HI203, and HI204.
** A minimum of one year of college-level foreign language competency is required but can be waived through demonstrating elementary-level competency in a foreign language. If the language requirement is waived, free electives must be substituted. Completion of intermediate-level foreign language is recommended for transfer.
*** At least three (3) credits in math, three (3) credits in science, and three (3) additional credits in math, science, or computer programming are required. MA106, MA107, MA109, MA110 or MA121 will satisfy the minimum college math requirement. MA107 and a science course with a lab are recommended for transfer.
**** Any EN course except EN 001, EN 101, EN 102, EN 201, or ESL courses. Minimum credits required for graduation--60.

Graduate Competencies

Potential Careers and Earnings

Again, a common question students ask is, "What careers are available for Liberal Arts graduates?" The simplest answer is: many. The best thing about a liberal arts degree is that upon graduation, you will find more opportunities open to you because you have a broader base of knowledge than a candidate who has specialized in only one discipline. As with any job pursuit, however, the ultimate answer lies in your own preparation and determination.

Liberal Arts careers include:

Teaching
Media and Communications
Advertising
Journalism
Entertainment (film, theater, music, etc.)
Public Service
Government and Law
Medicine/Scientific Research
Business
Editing

These are just a sampling of the many opportunities open to graduates of the program. You might also have the opportunity to work as, say, a woman's right advocate, a museum/theater donations supervisor, or a director of a tutoring center. Your options depend on your specific goals and your dedication to studying and learning.

Internships

Student Testimonials

Kaleigh Giles, Fisher Liberal Arts student "The experience I have had in the Liberal Arts program here at Fisher was more than I could have ever asked for. The professors are amazing and so knowledgeable in their fields of study. I now know that my Liberal Arts education will prepare me for any endeavor in the future and that the knowledge I have gained from the program will stay with me forever. The academic as well as personal growth that I have achieved while here is a direct result of Fisher's mission for its students to grow and succeed as not only students but also as intellectually curious individuals." -Kaleigh Giles (Class of 2009)

"My experience with the Liberal Arts Program at Fisher was nothing short of amazing. The classes available were extremely valuable, fun, and exciting and helped to provide a solid educational foundation for my further studies. If you plan on transferring to another school after graduation, I would highly recommend this major because most of the credits are transferrable even at a school like Berklee which is where I now attend. All of the teachers I had within the major are excellent and ready and willing to help you with whatever you need to do well at the school"
-Emily Hulslander (Class of 2006)

"The public speaking skills I gained from Fisher College Liberal Arts provided me ability to present workshops at national conferences" - Trevor Wright (Class of 2005)

"Small class sizes are the reason I chose Fisher. I did not want to be another face in the crowd; I wanted to build relationships with the teachers in my classes. Here, my voice is heard and it matters." - Zandra Bogar (Class of 2010)

"There are certain faculty members that become more than just professors in a classroom. They become mentors, confidants, inspiration. Teachers like Neil Trotta, Danielle Herget, Karen Myers, and Dean Walton have helped to not only give me a quality education but shape me into the person I always wanted to be. Just by simply caring." - Lauren Shea (Class of 2008)

Faculty Profiles

Dr. Dean Walton
Chair of Division I: Liberal Arts & Sciences
Professor, English

I began teaching at Fisher in 1981 and have enjoyed every year of the experience. I have watched the College develop from a two-year women's college to a co-ed baccalaureate college...read more

Dr. Danielle Herget
Associate Professor, Liberal Arts

Strangely enough, I started college as an astrophysics major (and still actually quite enjoy it as a hobby today!). After my freshman year of school, however, I kept thinking back to a particularly favorite class from my senior year of high school, my AP English Literature course...read more

Dr. Maryalice Guilford
Associate Professor, History & Director of the Honors Program

I joined the Fisher College community in fall 2005. Before that I combined work in the nonprofit sector and grassroots community development with teaching history and journalism at Suffolk University, the University of Rhode Island, Emerson College, Pine Manor College, Emmanuel College, and Lasell College...read more

Susan Jordan
Associate Professor, English and Women's Studies

I joined the faculty of Fisher College in the fall of 1997. Prior to that time, I was in Student Affairs at Simmons College for almost twenty years and spent a brief time as the Academic Director for the Boston Language Institute...read more

Natalie Sforza
Assistant Professor, English

My grandmother used to tell me that I would become a teacher and marry a doctor. So I went to college. However, I didn't plan on becoming a teacher or finding a pre-med student to marry. I went because I thought that was what I should do. It didn't hurt that I loved books too...read more

J. Steven Pelles
Assistant Professor, Mathematics

My interest in mathematics started when I was fourteen and I took my first full-blown algebra course in the ninth grade. I was fascinated by the logic of algebraic structures and how they are all based on arithmetic operations...read more

Willem J. Wallinga
Assistant Professor, Mathematics

I have been teaching mathematics, in one capacity or another, since 1998. During this time, it has been my pleasure to work with a wide variety of students from the New England area...read more