Insight into Pursuing Liberal Arts

Liberal arts education is a traditional academic course in western higher education. In earlier times, the main aim of a liberal arts education was to produce a person who was virtuous and ethical, knowledgeable in many fields, and highly articulate. In today’s context, the liberal arts degree is intended to develop well-rounded individuals with general knowledge of a wide range of subjects and mastery of a range of transferrable skills.

From earlier times to the present, the core matter of the traditional liberal arts curriculum remains the same, but the modern liberal arts curriculum allows the students to study and explore a much larger range of subjects.

The subjects that are taught under the modern liberal arts curriculum are:

1. Humanities

This includes art, literature, linguistics, philosophy, religion, ethics, modern foreign languages, music, theatre, speech, and classical languages like Latin and Greek.

2. Social Sciences

The subjects under this heading are history, psychology, law, sociology, politics, gender studies, anthropology, economics, geography, and business informatics.

3. Natural Sciences

Under this, you get to study astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics, botany, archaeology, zoology, geology, and earth sciences.

4. Formal Sciences

This includes mathematics, logic, statistics, and reasoning.

There are a lot of skills you’ll learn if you pursue the liberal arts. They are:

1. Preparation for work in a variety of sectors

2. Numerous career options

3. Liberal arts degrees are appealing to employers

4. Provides a foundation for graduate studies

5. Provides skills to become a valuable community member

Most people believe that studying liberal arts is a western concept, but that’s not true. There are a lot of colleges and universities in India that offer multiple courses in the field of liberal arts. These colleges and universities offer a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in liberal arts, where the students get to choose their major and minor subjects among modern liberal arts subjects.

Many colleges also offer a BA program where students can pick electives from at least two disciplines that are offered. Students can also pursue a master’s degree in Liberal Studies.

The top colleges in India for liberal arts are:

1. Christ University, Banglore

Duration of the course: 3 years

Total fees (per year): INR 2,05,000

2. Symbiosis, Pune

Duration of the course: 3 years

Total fees (per year): INR 3,85,000

3. OP Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana

Duration of the course: 3 years 

Total fees (in total): INR 18,50,000

4. Bennet University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh

Duration of the course: 3 years (+ 1 year for PG (optional))

Total fees (per year): INR 6,20,000 lakhs

5. Loyola College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Duration of the course: 3 years 

Total fees (per year): INR 13,842

The liberal arts provide a lot of job opportunities in major fields. Some of these jobs might require a master’s or doctorate degree in the subject.

A few such jobs are:

1. Academia: Under this, you can explore, research, and teach your chosen subject.

2. Art: With a knowledge of the liberal arts, you can also pursue a career in the arts, such as photography, commercial art, painting, interior design, graphic design, and visual design.

3. Education: You can further pursue your subject and add additional qualifications to become a teacher or professor.

4. Interpreter: Under liberal arts, you also learn foreign languages, which can help you become a qualified translator, transcriber, or interpreter. You can also become a foreign language teacher or work in the travel and tourism industry.

5. Marketing: You can also pursue a career in the marketing field with a liberal arts degree by becoming a PR professional, journalist, news editor, or copywriter.

Liberal arts allow you to explore many fields, and you can pursue any career based on your choice and preference.