Liberal Arts

[RoseyPoseyPi]

DC is thinking of applying for this, as the multidisciplinary aspect really appeals (they are ADHD)

But presumably it would mean lectures with different faculties? Does that affect the cohesiveness of the course or the cohort?

Thanks

There have been some very informative MN threads in recent years about Liberal Arts degrees and @NCTDN and @MajesticWhine in particular have been helpful in the past and may be able to comment.

I have a DC who was interested in LANS at the U of Birmingham, more from the NatSci perspective, but, like your DC, drawn to the variety and potentially bespoke nature. Interestingly that course has exclusive group project modules and long vacation activities for the LANS cohort precisely to ensure they gel. When they looked at the Student Satisfaction data, engagement with the course was very high but, if I remember correctly, the score for how well organised was noticeably weaker, suggesting the student does have to 'work at making it work'.

DD never looked at Birmingham. She lived the nature of the course - at the end of the second year she has friends saying they wish they'd done an more open ended course as they don't know weekday to do with their degree.Liberal arts keeps it open (which is good for dd as she still doesn't have a clue about a career!).
You definitely need to be motivated to mix between the groups and for her there have been some timetable clashes which needed sorting.
Any questions feel free to ask.

I thought about this sort of course for my child, but concealed that as he poor executive function, not untypical for adhd, I was concerned about the extra degree of self organisation such degrees often require. If there really was a department looking after them maybe, but I think generally joint degrees leave a bit homeless. Exeter talk a good game but I didn’t get as far as really investigating. The UCL arts and Scrinces programme looks amazing and has a physical place for them to hang out which was promising (but not quite liberal arts )

Thank you for mentioning me @PerpetualOptimist
DD has recently graduated in Liberal arts at Exeter. She did 4 years including a year abroad. think my answer to your question is yes, definitely. She did not know many of her liberal arts cohort because they were all doing different things. In first year they were taught together for a general liberal arts module, but after that, there were hardly any links at all. She was not interested in the “group photo” at graduation which says it all really.
For DD this did not negatively impact her experience. She made very good friends in lots of different ways not related to the department. She majored in Spanish and she met lots of people doing that. Her dissertation supervisor and other tutors all seemed very attentive.
I think this degree is good for someone who wants variety and also better suited to someone quite motivated and sociable who would not rely on their department or faculty for meeting people.

My DD is also interested in Liberal Arts due to the open/interdisciplinary aspects. So far she's looked at Durham, KCL, Manchester and Royal Holloway.

Durham is currently leading because she liked the way each dept had a named Liberal Arts facilitator to help students coordinate their course choices and work in with different depts' expectations. She was surprised to not be as impressed with KCL, given how well-regarded their programme is.

She's likely going to need to see a few more unis in Sept before she makes her choices.

Thank you all for the info.

But presumably it would mean lectures with different faculties? Does that affect the cohesiveness of the course or the cohort?

At my place, there's a core curriculum through the 3 years, with various pathways. It's pretty organised & structured - but we only teach it in the Arts & Humanities.

Have a look at a few & try and get beyond the UCAS advertorial guff into bits of each university's website which are for current students. That's where you'll see info about structures & choices.

I think the uni chosen affects the type of liberal arts. My dad knew she wanted a language / English based course rather than any sciences. They have to take a language but I know there's other places where they have to take a science.

DD not dad

DS is doing LANS at Birmingham - currently coming to the end of his year abroad spent in Berlin. His advice (for what it's worth!) is that Liberal Arts is good for flexibility, but that people who do well and really love it go into it with an idea of the modules they want to take. He knew he was interested in politics and international relations so has mainly focussed on those subjects, adding modules in anthropology, philosophy and sociology which overlap and deepen his understanding of his area of interest. He's planning to add German in his final year after vastly improving his language skills during his year abroad while studying politics and international relations at a German uni. People who choose it because they don't know what they want to study and think Liberal Arts means they won't have to decide can struggle to put together a coherent programme.

I would really recommend Warwick - at the open day they made a point of saying that they don't let you graduate with a basketful of interesting modules, but help you to build a sensible degree. The teaching style looked really interesting and inspiring too, although DD firmed UCL BASc in the end.