Liberal Arts: A multifaceted approach to learning

Liberal Arts education facilitates self-discovery of one’s strengths and opportunities through a multi-disciplinary approach to education. It is a course that is designed in such a manner that it introduces students to four areas of study – arts, humanities, social sciences and sciences, thus enabling students to become critical and analytical thinkers within their immediate, as well as global environment.

This is also reflected in the draft National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 which states,“A liberal arts education enables an individual to develop both sides of the brain – the creative and analytical sides”. The pedagogy of Liberal Arts education is based on principles of self-discovery and exploration that promote the values of life-long learning and civic involvement.

The Liberal Arts curriculum covers a blend of history and ideology, philosophy, politics and society, environmental studies, literature, economics, psychology, sociology, mass media and journalism, marketing and entrepreneurship etc.,with students generally specialising in one of the disciplines. However, there is always a choice to take different courses from multiple disciplines, thus forming unique combinations that push the individual towards divergent thinking, creativity, innovation, problem-solving, managing change, leadership skills, adaptability and flexibility, and action and result orientation.

The four main pillars of Liberal Arts Education are: Knowledge, which helps to develop perspective, opinion, and flexible yet critical thoughts, on topics from diverse areas of interest; Research, which enables individuals to foster logical thinking, problem-solving, quantitative literacy and communication skills; Civic Responsibility, which helps to appreciate diversity and inclusivity; and Life Skills, through which skills, such as teamwork, leadership, empathetic outlook, resilience, and emotional and social intelligence, are polished and expounded.

In today’s work life, various behavioural competencies such as critical thinking, self-motivation, communication skills, strategic planning, managing teams and people, analytical abilities, data analysis, problem-solving are emphasized. Gone is the era where we needed a very specific education for a particular job that may or may not exist in future, rather, today we need education that would empower us for success and would allow us to design our own future in accordance with the rapidly-changing society. Typically, Liberal Arts education is broad-based and provides wide exposure to science, social science, humanities and basic mathematics.

Such holistic education enables students to understand the interconnectedness of real-world issues, and consequently, Liberal Arts education prepares the students for a lifetime of new and exciting opportunities, and widens their horizons for future career options, giving them more flexibility, better marketability and a robust bouquet of skills. Moreover, it prepares students to be confident to take on new challenges that the future might bring.

An education in Liberal Arts not only provides knowledge to students but also instils in them competencies that are essential to be successful in life. The multi-dimensional approach adopted in Liberal Arts also facilitates a better understanding of Indian and Global affairs and prepares students for a meaningful life.

About the author

Dr Mohita Junnarkar is an Associate Professor at NMIMS Jyoti Dalal School of Liberal Arts

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha