Contrary to popular belief, students that study liberal arts have a high employability quotient. In fact, as per a recent survey conducted by The Association of Colleges and Universities, almost 93% of employers consider broad study in liberal arts to be critical. It is because liberal education offers the right skills and values to the students, enabling them to be moulded into star employees. However, this isn’t the only thing that has compelled many to believe that liberal education is the next big thing.
Before we move further, let’s first understand liberal education and the values and skills it offers.
What is Liberal Education?
Liberal education is a multi-disciplinary approach to undergraduate and graduate education. The modern context involves studying concepts and gaining knowledge on topics/ subjects that fall under liberal arts. Different institutions have included diverse subjects in their liberal arts degree. It can be broadly classified into humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and formal sciences.
Values of Liberal Education
Liberal education aims at developing critical thinking ability and broadens the knowledge horizons of the students. By studying human cultures, natural and physical sciences, analytical problems, it strives to offer an expansive intellectual base to them. Moreover, it prepares them to apply their knowledge to real-world problems and solve them in real-time.
What Makes Liberal Education Future-proof?
Now, let’s delve deeper and recognize what will make liberal education relevant in the time ahead of us.
1. Offers Adaptability in a Dynamic World
The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic was a perfect reminder that life is unpredictable. This world that we live in is ever-changing, and succeeding, we must be able to adapt. Liberal education offers several skills to the students like analytical problem solving, critical thinking, and Adaptability. It equips students with knowledge on different subjects to take on various problems and challenges. And guess what? Your virtue to adapt well to the present situation will help you sail through smoothly in this rapidly changing world. What’s important to add here is that it will extend to your personal life and professional life.
2. Prepares You for Jobs of the Future
It is possibly the most significant point that would explain the relevance of liberal education and its prospects. Students passing out from a liberal arts school are ready for their first jobs and jobs that haven’t been created. Yes, you heard that right! Many typical jobs today will disappear in the next few years, and many new jobs will come up that we don’t know about just yet. Well-rounded skill sets that include critical thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to collaborate effectively will help liberal arts students fare well in jobs created in the future.
3. Encourages Innovation
In liberal education, students aren’t just focused on a single area of study. Being an interdisciplinary study, it exposes them to stimulating ideas, inspiring concepts, and fresh experiences. It gives way to innovation and the birth of new ideas/ philosophies. Innovation-led future will require students that can take risks and think ahead of their time.
4. Produces Socially Responsible Students
The underlying essence of liberal education is to produce ‘free-thinking’ humans. It allows students to think and analyze things from different perspectives and be open to other opinions. As a result, liberal arts students are often more involved in volunteering and socially responsible activities than their STEM counterparts. With machines increasingly taking over the humans/human interactions and the world losing its natural elements, the future world will need such people more than ever.
With each passing year, liberal arts courses and colleges in India seem to gain more ground. Several prominent organizations hire students from several reputed liberal arts colleges. Employers increasingly recognize the value proposition these students bring to the table. Their diverse and well-rounded set of skills empowers them to work their way through different challenges and problems they may face in their profession.
Is Liberal Arts for You?
Is liberal arts a subject that interests you? Do you think you can make a career in this field? Are you confused? You need Mindler’s Career Assessment Test. With a 97% accuracy rate, this intelligently designed psychometric test helps you in choosing a career path that is perfect for you. After you’ve answered a few simple questions, you get a test result, followed by an in-person counselling session with a career expert. The third step is to help you prepare and plan for the path ahead. You can seek sessions for career counselling online and get all your questions answered by career experts. From picking the colleges and courses to assisting you throughout the application process, Mindler does it all for you.
Career Prospects in India
A degree in liberal arts opens up a wide range of career options for you. You can pick a career of your choice in marketing, journalism, finance, law, or several other fields. You would be skilled to work at varied profiles and positions. As a liberal arts student, you would be a sought-after candidate by several big organizations in India. Several companies hire students from the top liberal arts colleges in India. Deloitte, Ernst and Young, Bloomberg Quint, TCS Consulting, McKinsey & Company, Federal Bank, BCG, to name a few.
In a Nutshell
Liberal education, which offers diverse skill sets to the students, makes them well-rounded and highly valued in the professional arena. Studies show that employers believe that candidates with liberal arts degrees are more likely to perform well at an organization and excel in their field. Likewise, the prospects and scope of liberal education in India look bright.
Whether you want to figure out suitable career options or learn more about liberal arts education, Mindler is the best bet for you. To help you zero in on the best liberal arts college, offering a course matching your interests, connect with Mindler today.