Liberal Arts education vs. Career-oriented education

Parents Forum
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<p>Here’s a lengthy, meaty trilogy of pieces that any long-time CC denizen should enjoy and quite possibly find a bit disconcerting. </p>

<p>Installment one: John Tierney’s write-up about the Maine Maritime Academy.
[An</a> Educational Surprise From Down East: The Maine Maritime Academy - James Fallows - The Atlantic](<a href=“An Educational Surprise From Down East: The Maine Maritime Academy - The Atlantic”>An Educational Surprise From Down East: The Maine Maritime Academy - The Atlantic)</p>

<p>Installment two: Tierney’s response when a professor at a top-notch LAC tweeted that MMA provided "vocational not broad-based education.” [Who</a> Are You Calling a Vocational School? In Defense of Maine Maritime - James Fallows - The Atlantic](<a href=“Who Are You Calling a Vocational School? In Defense of Maine Maritime - The Atlantic”>Who Are You Calling a Vocational School? In Defense of Maine Maritime - The Atlantic)</p>

<p>Installment three: The best of the reader response to installments one and two
[Career-Oriented</a> Education vs. the Liberal Arts - James Fallows - The Atlantic](<a href=“Career-Oriented Education vs. the Liberal Arts - The Atlantic”>Career-Oriented Education vs. the Liberal Arts - The Atlantic)</p>

2

<p>What none of these articles discuss is the fact that the existence of these high paying jobs in the maritime industry for graduates of the U.S. maritime academies is mostly the result of the Jones Act, which requires that vessels travelling between U.S. ports must be U.S. flagged and crewed. Without this government regulation, U.S. merchant marine officers would have far fewer job opportunities and far lower salaries.</p>

<p>That said, the Maine Maritime Academy is a fine place in a very lovely location. I have no doubt that it provides a great education. But crowing about the great salaries of its graduates without admitting that those great salaries are, for the most part, a function of restrictive U.S. law, is deceptive.</p>

3

<p>How much shipping (by ship) is actually between two US ports?</p>