“It is an education system suitable for the cultivation of a free human being.”
Liberal art education is a term used for a multi-disciplinary approach to education. It introduces new ways to teach students that helps them study several different academic fields that encourage critical and interdisciplinary thinking. This type of curriculum equips students with universal skills that can be taken to any desired career field. You can take a major in English and a minor in History or you can take up Economics as your major and Political Science as your minor subject.
The major course focuses on a single subject, whereas the minor course is designed to provide an understanding of a variety of disciplines. The four major programs covered in liberal arts education include Social Science, Natural Science, Humanities, and Arts.
[Note: Now Liberal education programs are offered by numerous public and private universities]
How liberal education helps students?
It gives students multiple perspective to analyze a situation
Improve their problem-solving skills
Helps them adapt to a dynamic environment
Helps them to navigate their personal and professional lives
Inculcates habits of intellectual curiosity
Encourages them to collaborate to get things done
Top 5 reasons to go for liberal education-
Broad range of skills -The area of study it covers include- Economics, Literature, Philosophy, Politics, Fine Arts, and Social and Physical Science. Few of them might not seem relevant to your future career but the range of skills it provides are unmatchable.
Enhances thought process - It betters your style of dealing with problems and helps you think broadly. Liberal arts education provides multiple viewpoints and paves the way for educational opportunities. Colleges with liberal education facilities provide interdisciplinary studies, internships, study abroad, and other such opportunities that go into educating the student.
Career opportunities - A Liberal Arts graduate can work in a wide variety of fields such as Advertising, Banking, Consulting Services, Corporate Communications, Marketing, Scientific Studies, Journalism, Social Work, Library Operations, Non Governmental Organizations, Publishing, and Media Instructor.
Makes you real- world ready- In terms of choosing a career pathway, there is no debate about the fact that most of the students end up working in a field that differs from their degree. The corporate world is competitive and having a broad range of skills can help you perform well in any job profile after graduating.
Enhances the sense of social responsibility- With lots of emphasis on social responsibility and opportunities for community engagement, liberal arts students spend considerable time on projects that makes them understand the social fabric of the country better.
How it differs from traditional education Traditional Education Liberal education-
Traditional Education | Liberal education |
No differentiation of instruction between students | More individual instructions |
Test- based assessments (quiz, long tests, periodical/quarter/ term exams) | Assessments of performance through formative and summative assessments. |
Every student needs to learn at same pace | Students learn at their own pace |
Students are expected to listen and assimilate information and lessons | Students learn by experience; they are given difference activities to improve their thinking capability |
Traditional education offers one expansive area of study | Liberal educations are more specific and broken down |
Conclusion
Students with liberal education can achieve the same level of knowledge as students at any other university. Liberal arts education covers a wider area of discipline where students can combine or involve two or more academic disciplines or fields of study.