Future of Liberal Arts: Scope, Challenges, and Opportunities

Liberal arts provide a cross-disciplinary education methodology combining two or more disciplines in a single degree. It combines STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with arts and humanities subjects to develop students' thinking and understanding. The low enrolment in humanities courses because of fewer career prospects has resulted in many providers coming with liberal arts degrees.

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Very limited colleges in India offer liberal arts degrees but the trend is expected to change with the implementation of the National Education Policy of India (NEP) 2020. A large focus of NEP is to equip students with soft skills like communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking in addition to technical training.

With the current job market, we can sense the need for professionals with both soft and hard skills. We are in an era where technology is changing at a very fast pace and it has become important to have professionals who can take up any challenge in the future.

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Challenges in Liberal Arts Education

There is indeed a need for liberal arts education to develop a student’s overall personality so that they can overcome any professional and personal challenges. But, there are various problems that authorities can face during its implementation.

Course Recognition: There is a valid concern that a liberal arts education might not be as directly recognised in the job market as a specialised degree. For example, a computer science major student might appear to have an advantage over someone with a liberal arts degree that includes computer science alongside history and philosophy.

Flexibility: Another challenge is the right combination of subjects. There are many subjects of humanities and social sciences, and merging them with STEM can be challenging. However, this can be overcome by giving students the flexibility to choose combinations of subjects, as per their interests.

Adaptability to Change: The technology around us is changing very fast and so are industry trends. So, while providing liberal arts education, it is also important to update the course content regularly to meet the industrial need.

Eligibility for Government Jobs: Degrees also open gates for many government jobs. But, as of now, liberal arts degrees are not considered for many government jobs. So, authorities should also make sure that liberal arts degrees are also provided with equal importance in the public sector.

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Future of Liberal Arts

The future of liberal arts education depends on the authorities and how the degree is offered. How quickly authorities adapt to industrial trends and incorporate those trends with other subjects is also important.

The liberal arts student brings a valuable skillset to the table. The strength of a liberal arts education lies in its development of transferable skills. Critical thinking, communication, problem-solving, and adaptability are highly sought after by employers across various industries. Management is the role that graduates can be best suited to because of the above-mentioned skillset.

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The liberal arts graduate can approach problems from different angles, think creatively, and effectively communicate solutions. This well-rounded skill set can make them a strong candidate, especially in fields that value these adaptable strengths.

In today's dynamic job market, employers often recognise the value of a liberal arts education alongside specialised training. A liberal arts education can equip graduates for long-term success and career flexibility. However, the opportunities are limited as of now, but it is expected to increase in the future.

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