Meet Kavita Jain. A very bright girl, she is currently a grade X student in a CBSE school. While most of her classmates dream of becoming Engineers, Doctors, or Lawyers; Kavita is undecided between Economics & and Psychology. She is also good at Math but does not want to become an engineer. Her parents are unable to guide her as they are aware of only three primary streams – Science, Commerce, and Arts. Kavita is confused about her academic plans. Does this sound familiar?
This situation occurs every year with thousands of Indian students who wish to pursue interdisciplinary careers but are ultimately forced to pursue the unidirectional academic pathways. In the past, students only focused on obtaining professional degrees in mainstream academia. However, the world today needs leaders who are cross-functional and capable of solving complex problems through analytical and out-of-the-box thinking. This is where Liberal Arts education becomes important.
What is Liberal Arts Education?
Traditionally, undergraduate courses in India, except for professional degrees such as B.Tech. and M.B.B.S., usually last three years. The New Education Policy (NEP) proposes to adjust the length of degree programs to four years, “to allow students to experience the full range of holistic and multidisciplinary education in addition to a focus on the chosen major and minors as per the choices of the student”. The NEP states that the four-year multidisciplinary Bachelor’s program “shall be the preferred option. The four-year Bachelor’s program with focus on interdisciplinary majors and minors is similar to the U.S. model of Liberal Arts education.
Liberal arts education is designed to develop broad academic and intellectual abilities as opposed to dedicated professional or skilled training. Our traditional university system provides a three-year education and confers Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), and Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) degrees. On the other hand, a Liberal Arts college provides a four-year education with the ability to choose majors and minors from Languages, Humanities, Math, Science and Social Sciences. For example, at a Liberal Arts college, Kavita can choose to pursue a major in Economics with minors in Math and Psychology.
This flexibility to learn and choose from a variety of subjects before finalizing their career path is a unique aspect of Liberal Arts colleges and prepares cross-functional leaders capable of solving complex problems. The best part about liberal arts education is that students get opportunities to explore and analyse multiple subjects in depth through experiential learning. This education is also well suited to students that plan to pursue postgraduate education abroad.
Why Liberal Arts education?
- Problem Solving aptitude – Students are empowered with a creative mindset which enables them to solve real-world challenges through multi-dimensional learning approach. Students are able to see a problem from different viewpoints and perspectives and solve it effectively through critical thinking skills.
- Public Speaking skills – Through extensive participation in global exchange programs, leadership seminars, technical workshops, and project presentations, Liberal Arts colleges burnish the communication capabilities of its students.
- Creativity & Imagination – By working and studying alongside a mixed cohort of students, belonging to different majors and interests, Liberal Arts students hone their ability to ask the right questions and work creatively on every assignment, leading to innovative outcomes.
- Adaptability – Upon graduating from a Liberal Arts college, students can pursue a career in academia, journalism, mass media, politics, law, business management, policy making, civil services, social service, psychology, writing and a variety of other professions. Additionally, having developed other vital skills mentioned above, these students can easily transition from one role into another seamlessly.
