BREAKING FREE

Allowing choice and variety, liberal arts education is letting students explore, grow more creative, become more employable.

- R Radhika

Imagine learning the principles of management from the fallen heroes in William Shakespeare's plays, or the nuances of governance and politics through war poetry. Such adventures in learning are being made possible by liberal arts education, an approach to higher education that emphasises the interconnectedness of disciplines rather than their differences.

Unlike the rigid traditional programmes offered in India's conventional universities, liberal arts institutions are attracting students by offering choices, a shift away from rote learning and versatile skills that fit diverse careers.

Most universities offer three-year undergraduate courses with a few exceptions that include a fourth year dedicated to research and thesis-writing. Instead of a pre-defined career path, the liberal arts programmes aim to solidify foundational learning before pursuing specialisations. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 also insists on higher education institutes becoming multidisciplinary by 2040.

A liberal arts programme also allows for the exploration of new and untrodden career paths. With a liberal arts degree, students can branch into a wide array of career options such as journalism, public relations, writing, law, politics, linguistics, publishing, social work, psychology, management, public policy, civil services, marketing and more.

Since this form of education emphasises discussions and the exchange of ideas, classes tend to be experiential, interactive. The programme cultivates critical thinking and creative problem-solving along the way.

No rigid barriers

Breaking the rigid barriers between professional and liberal education is one of the main agendas of these institutions. A discipline is not viewed from a single perspective.