First Lady Backs Liberal Arts

The Obama administration's emphasis on the importance of college to get trained for a job has left some advocates for general education disappointed. On Tuesday, First Lady Michelle Obama, however, offered a strong endorsement of the liberal arts. Speaking at a program to encourage students to go to college, Obama was asked for her thoughts on the best college majors. While she noted the growth of careers in the health professions, she first suggested that students worry less about major than what educators tend to talk about as critical thinking and communication skills. "I have to say I’m not as up on the exact right college majors, but I think -- here’s my answer:  That’s the beauty of a liberal arts education, and I value liberal arts education because you’re really getting a broad skill set.  And I think one of the things that’s important to be able to do in life is learn how to read and write -- write really well and articulate your views.  So if you’re planning on going to graduate school, if you’re going to law school, for example, almost any liberal arts major that’s pushing you into writing where you have to write a thesis maybe, a large research paper at the end of the year, that kind of stuff is really good preparation for law school," she said.