Liberal Arts Works Prepares Students for Careers

As students prepare to enter an increasingly competitive and uncertain workforce, a new interdisciplinary course at Seton Hall University aims to help bridge the gap between classroom learning and professional life. Beginning this semester, “Liberal Arts Works” (IDIS 1856-EXP), taught by Dr. Hellwig, will offer students practical career preparation while encouraging deeper reflection on purpose, ambition, and meaningful work.

Meeting Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m., the course was designed in response to a growing concern shared by many students: uncertainty about life after graduation. According to Dr. Hellwig, students today often feel pressure to distinguish themselves in a rapidly evolving job market shaped by economic instability and the growing influence of artificial intelligence. At the same time, many struggle to translate the skills they have developed in college into language that resonates in professional settings.

“A student may know how to write a strong paper, analyze a difficult text, or lead a thoughtful classroom discussion,” Dr. Hellwig explained. “But then they sit down for an interview, and somebody says, ‘Tell me about yourself’ or ‘Why should we hire you?’ and suddenly they struggle to explain what they know how to do.”

Rather than reducing higher education to technical job training, Liberal Arts Works seeks to integrate practical professional development with broader conversations about identity, vocation, and life after college. Students in the course will participate in mock interviews, create résumés and cover letters, research companies, engage in storytelling exercises, and connect with Seton Hall faculty and alumni professionals. Alongside these career-oriented activities, the course invites students to think critically about the kind of lives they hope to build beyond graduation.

“We wanted to create a course that takes students’ career concerns seriously without reducing college to job training alone,” Dr. Hellwig said. “Many students have life questions that their courses don’t directly answer. What kind of work fits my character and abilities? What does meaningful work actually look like? What kind of balance do I want between my work and the rest of my life? Those questions matter too.”

The course also challenges long-standing assumptions that liberal arts degrees lack practical value. Dr. Hellwig emphasized that students in the humanities and social sciences regularly cultivate highly transferable skills including communication, critical thinking, interpretation, and adaptability, but often struggle to present those strengths outside academic environments.

“One thing this course tries to do is help students become good adapters,” Dr. Hellwig said. “Students usually have interesting experiences worth sharing but putting them into words in person is different than writing a term paper.” Storytelling, in particular, will play a central role throughout the semester. Students will learn how to articulate their experiences through interview responses and professional conversations, helping them connect classroom learning to real-world situations with greater confidence and clarity.

The course also recognizes the realities of today’s workforce, where many graduates will navigate multiple careers, industries, and technologies throughout their lives. According to Dr. Hellwig, the adaptability fostered through a liberal arts education may be more valuable now than ever before.

“One strength of the liberal arts is that students spend a lot of time learning how to explain ideas and understand different perspectives,” Dr. Hellwig said. “Those abilities matter in almost any profession.” By the end of the semester, the instructors hope students will walk away not only with stronger professional skills, but with a clearer sense of self and direction.

“I hope students leave the course feeling better prepared to navigate the early stages of professional life,” Dr. Hellwig said. “Work is not just a paycheck. Work shapes major parts of our lives: how we spend our time, the relationships and ambitions we form, and how we view ourselves.”

While the course does not promise students a perfectly defined career path, it aims to equip them with the confidence, communication skills, and self-awareness necessary to pursue meaningful opportunities after graduation. In a time when many students feel pressure to justify the value of their education, Liberal Arts Works offers a reminder that the skills developed through the liberal arts remain deeply relevant in both the professional and personal fields of life.

For more information about the Liberal Arts Works course, please contact Dr. Timmerman and Dr. Hellwig. If you’d like to learn more about Philosophy at Seton Hall University, feel free to visit the Philosophy department page. 

Categories: Arts and Culture