What is Liberal Arts Education?

Modern foreign education includes a teaching model that is unfamiliar to the Russian audience, but widespread in other countries, called Liberal Arts - "free arts".Having originated in Europe, during antiquity, as a set of seven sciences that form the basis for further obtaining philosophical knowledge about the world, this model became the prototype of liberal education and gained recognition throughout the world. Nowadays, there are no universities offering university education according to the Liberal Arts model, except in Antarctica, and their number continues to grow. This model of education is most common in the United States, where about 600 universities, in almost all states, build their educational process in accordance with the principles of Liberal arts.

Liberal education focuses on teaching the humanities and social sciences, but also includes the study of the exact sciences - for example, mathematics.It represents a fundamental base from a number of disciplines that can be selected and combined at will, allowing you to get a unique education, and prepare for admission to the magistracy. The peculiarity of education based on the Liberal Arts model, in contrast to traditional university education, is the ability to combine several educational profiles. Choosing the main direction of study (major), you can pick up an additional (minor), which is not directly related to the main direction, but is of interest to the student himself. The opportunity is given to independently build the educational process, in accordance with the internal choice.So, for example, having chosen economics as a basic subject, you can supplement it with psychology, journalism or PR.

Another feature of the model is its flexibility: the student does not need to decide on the choice of direction before entering the university, this can be done later, already in the learning process, when there will be more opportunities to make an informed choice. The training itself takes place in small groups, which makes it possible for personal contact between the teacher and the student, receiving instant feedback. This approach promotes deep involvement in the process, gives a new impetus, awakens interest in classes.

The term "free arts" originated in the Hellenistic era to denoteseven disciplines, defined in antiquity as the occupations of free-born people and full members of society. These arts, or sciences, were divided into two parts: trivium - grammar, rhetoric and dialectics, which were studied first (hence the term "trivial sciences") and quadrivium - geometry, arithmetic, music and astronomy, the next stage of preparation for comprehending the world.

Now the list of taught disciplines has significantly expanded and adapted to changing economic conditions.Such education meets many of the tasks that modern society poses to specialists. For example, in this way it is possible to train specialists in several fields at the same time, which is a fundamental difference from the traditional highly specialized approach, where students develop professional skills for a specific job.

Such specialists are in high demand in the labor market. Employers prefer liberal college graduates because they have the skills to adapt to changing activities. The most demanded skills in liberal arts education, at all times, include written and oral communication skills, the ability to solve complex problems, get along well with other people.

As in antiquity, liberal education provides an excellent foundation for further education in health, law, business and other fields. Students trained in the Liberal Arts model are readily accepted into professional programs in various specialties.

Graduates have the necessary skills to become valuable members of society. The importance of liberal education goes far beyond its economic value. The ability to communicate and think critically, to express one's thoughts orally and in writing are the most valuable qualities for life in modern society. It prepares graduates who can adapt and thrive in an ever-changing world.

According to research by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC & U), the leading national association for the quality, sustainability and social status of liberal arts education, such students are highly sought after by employers and havehigher income than graduates of universities with a traditional education system. There are more Nobel laureates among them.

In the United States, there is a whole category of universities specializing in undergraduate education according to the above model: the so-called Liberal Arts colleges. Usually these educational institutions are very prestigious, and getting there is often no easier than the leading universities. The difference is that these colleges pay less attention to the academic work of teachers and more to the learning process itself: in these colleges you will find fewer outstanding scientists, but, quite possibly, more brilliant teachers .In Russia, the Liberal Arts education model is presented in two universities: St. Petersburg State University and RANEPA.

Svetlana Batalina