Liberal Arts & Sciences - is this the degree for you?

What is a Liberal Arts & Sciences degree? Liberal Arts and Sciences is not a new idea and in fact began in Ancient Greece aimed at facilitating high quality, academic studies to develop critical and analytical thinkers in a broad range of disciplines. Typically (but not exclusively) the Liberal Arts and Sciences Colleges today are small, selective, campus institutions where students work in small groups with lecturers who work with the students face-to-face offering a very personal and interactive style of learning. Using an interdisciplinary approach students can choose an individual study schedule from a range of majors (typically Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Formal Sciences and Languages as well as the Fine and performing Arts), with, most often, an additional mandatory core set of study skill modules. Students focus on an independent research project in the latter years of the programme. Each institution offers different modules according to their available facilities and resources. The degree is 3 to 4 years long.

Who are these programmes for? For dedicated, academically-inclined students who want to explore the interconnectedness of disciplines and global themes. For students who are keen to research and spend time collaborating in small groups rather than sitting in large lecture halls with 400 other students. For students who look forward to academic debate. And for students who are willing to explore beyond their comfort zones.

Where can I study Liberal Arts and Science degrees? The US has, in modern times, been the leaders in developing these programmes in specialized colleges as well as within universities. Recently, the EU has been busy catching up, with the Netherlands leading the way. The UK and other EU countries are now also joining the movement as they recognise the programme’s value in a world of ever-developing, diverse careers.

What future will I have with a Liberal and Science degree? In 2010, Steve Jobs was quoted as saying that “it’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough. It’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields the results that make our hearts sing.” Other CEOs are stating that student graduates of Liberal Arts degrees are capable of “the ability to think critically and communicate clearly” and “tend to outperform their more narrowly trained peers over time” (Steve Sadove, Forbes online, 2014).

So if you are a high school academic student looking for a unique university experience within a small community of learners and you want an interdisciplinary education that allows you to explore more than one field of study, then take a look now at Liberal Arts and Science programmes.

Liberal Arts & Science College example lists:

US: http://www.liberalartscolleges.com/

UK: http://search.ucas.com/search/providers?CountryCode=&RegionCode=&Lat=&Lng=&Feather=&Vac=5&AvailableIn=2016&Query=Liberal+Arts&ProviderQuery=&AcpId=&Location=&SubjectCode=

NL: https://www.studyfinder.nl/search?fulltext=Liberal+Arts&TypeOfInstitution=&Institution.Untouched=&Qualification=Bachelor&EducationType=&ECTS=&StartDate=2016-02-07&Duration=&InstructionLanguage=&callback_url=&rpp=25

DE: https://www.ucf.uni-freiburg.de/las http://www.berlin.bard.edu/

CANADA: http://www.schoolsincanada.com/HumanitiesAndLiberalArts.cfm

Example Articles:

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/majors/liberal-arts-sciences-general-studies-humanities-liberal-arts-sciences

http://www.topuniversities.com/blog/what-liberal-arts-education

http://www.fastcompany.com/3034947/the-future-of-work/why-top-tech-ceos-want-employees-with-liberal-arts-degrees

http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2014/09/05/employees-who-stand-out/#71c775414156

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/02/08/netherlands-growth-liberal-arts-colleges-has-influenced-higher-ed-sector-whole