Program Overview:

The BA in Liberal Arts is a cross-disciplinary degree that draws on the combined expertise of the faculties of Historical Studies, Arts, Business and Industries, Media Studies, Global Economics, Law and Political Science. It is an interdisciplinary program stemming from the philosophy of Humanities, exploring global issues from political science, economic, sociological, and historical lens – especially keeping the extraordinary times we live in. It is designed keeping the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations in mind - Building on the principle of ‘leaving no one behind’, emphasises a holistic approach to achieving sustainable development for all.

The Program also emphasises a research orientation in the syllabus, pedagogy and all other initiatives. The core strength is to make students of the program, high value candidates in the placement sector and in centres of advanced learning too.

Programe Description:

The influence and presence of the past is felt everywhere and every day in our lives. Movies, newspapers or the internet bombard us and expose us to the past – both familiar and unfamiliar. However, the barrage of information and the forces of globalisation have led to increasing questions on the relevance and the value of the past – indeed a denial even. The Liberal Arts Program refers to the concept of globalisation in all its forms – including political, biological, digital, cultural, economic, and most importantly – historical. This will be an interdisciplinary exploration of a set of global issues through a very comprehensive lens and will delve into people, commodities, ideas, heritage and even diseases moving around the world - with a focus shifting to integrate mathematical, logical, analytical and creative skills in higher education. The Liberal Arts Program is meant to foster innovative problem solving by providing students with a variety of methods and analytic tools.

We at Christ firmly believe that new ideas come from ‘thinking outside the box’ and developing new perspectives that combine diverse ways of knowing the world. And with our enabling environment, empowered leadership and governance structure, we are breaking away from the pattern of conventional and rigid program and creating student-centric, flexible learning systems, and allow students to explore and curate their own visions and aspirations – incorporating creative expressions like music, theatre, art and sports into the curriculum as well.

A BA in Liberal Arts will provide one with a passport to enter a highly rewarding career in fields including international relations, international business, foreign diplomacy, non-profit organisations, and more. Our majors’ program should be designed to offer a selection of stimulating coursework that prioritises class discussion, featuring dedicated and experienced faculty, and prepares students for an inspiring career. It should shape one as an informed citizen who can make a difference in our increasingly globalised world.

The Liberal Arts Degree is designed in a way that at the end of 3 years, the student can tailor their own specialisation according to their own unique interests, from among the clusters mentioned below.

The Clusters are:

• Literary and Cultural Studies
• Media Studies
• Historical Studies and Material Culture
• Psychology
• International Relations and Political Science
• Economics
• Business Studies, Marketing and Tourism

Program Objectives:

1. To engage students in the foundational concepts in socio-political, economical and historical enquiry such as fact, fiction, truth, narrative, memory, conservationism and counterfactuals – in the creation of any global narrative.
2. To enable students to be conscious of the importance of social awareness to arrive at independent and informed opinion and contribute meaningfully in local and global affairs and debates.
3. To explore the memories of violence and war, communal clashes and ethnic conflict – as culturally-specific memory devices and contested sites for historical memory, in turn leading to the construction of any identity – global or national.
4. To engage with issues of religious diversity and politicisation, as it becomes a topic of enormous contemporary relevance, with implications for the construction of national/international identity and responsibilities.
5. To consider the moral and ethical choices made by the individuals/institutions/nations involved in planning, perpetrating, witnessing, ignoring, or being victimised during any conflict situation arising out of marginalised societies – and the repercussions of the same globally.
6. To conduct guided academic inquiries on the dangers of facts when misused in the construction of national and other group identities – especially when religion and politics are intermixed, and ‘us and them’ dichotomies of difference are created and mobilised in societies.
7. To recognize and respect different value systems including one’s own, and take cognizance of the moral implications of their own decisions.
8. To demonstrate awareness of local, regional, national, and global needs, and within that framework act with an informed awareness of issues in the deconstruction of an identity which is not only valuable for their own social, moral, and intellectual development, it also serves as a foundation for examining the choices made by individuals and groups in the past as well as in the present – for a sustained development of any society, national or global in nature.
9. To engage with their socio-cultural contexts along with environmental needs and concerns, especially when functioning as a collaborating member/leader in teams in multidisciplinary settings, operating effectively in multicultural spaces.
10. To recognize the social structures underlying our society, and identify the implications of the same in our everyday existence.
11. To develop proficiency in research, analysis and writing; and to encourage wide, independent, selective reading on any subject matter to foster a sustained, reasoned, well focused argument, based on a broad selection of evidence.

Program Outcomes:

At the conclusion of the Program, the student will

PO 1: Exhibit domain knowledge and competency of foundational concepts in socio-political, economical and historical aspects such as fact, fiction, truth, narrative, memory, conservationism and counterfactuals – in the discipline of study.

PO 2: Apply critical thinking skills and problem-solve using evidence-based reasoning to make informed decisions.

PO 3: Conduct themselves as social scientists with a strong grounding in logical reasoning, sensitive to multiple narratives and ethical concerns, historical consciousness.

PO 4: Apply concepts of Pluralism and Cultural Legacies in appreciating human cultural, political and social experiences, by relating them to individual choices and experiences.

PO 5: Engage in active collaboration with advisors, faculty, and fellow students and effectively develop the ability to value multiple and differing perspectives in the chosen discipline of study.

PO 6: Employ effective written communication and disseminate knowledge acquired to both academic and non-academic communities through multiple mediums in the chosen discipline of study.

PO 7: Engage with their socio-cultural contexts’ vis-a-vis environmental needs and concerns, functioning as a collaborating member/leader in teams in multidisciplinary settings, operating effectively in multicultural spaces.

PO 8: Develop and display awareness of local, regional, national, and global needs, and within that framework act with an informed awareness of different value systems including one’s own, and take cognizance of the moral implications of their own decisions.

PO 9: Demonstrate proficiency in research, analysis and writing; to foster a sustained, reasoned, well focused argument, based on a broad selection of evidence in the chosen discipline of study.

PO 10: Identify and evaluate the rationality, humanistic concern, ethics and values that underpin the philosophies of each discipline that the students specialise in.

PO 11: Critique and evaluate the discourses of identity, citizenship, nation-state and surveillance, dynamics of power and the politics of negotiations, and exhibit a sensitivity towards positional privileges and the role it plays in the shaping of narratives, through a multidisciplinary approach.

PO 12: Prepare for a Global Citizenship by being self-aware, socially responsible, and cultivate a sense of life-long learning.

Program Prospects

BA in Liberal Arts is an ideal course of study for students wishing to work for international organisations, either governmental organisations or non-governmental ones (NGOs). Along with the required core and collateral courses, the elective courses allow sufficient flexibility to complete course prerequisites for various other regional and area studies programs, law school and even business school.

This interdisciplinary approach gives students the tools they need to analyse trends in a complex global world. They also will analyse moral dilemmas, such as why wealthy countries should or should not provide monetary assistance to help the world’s poor. Students bring empirical questions and questions of justice together in asking how to reform institutions like the World Bank, United Nations, and International Monetary Fund – or even discussing their possible futures. With this degree, students will be prepared for careers at the United Nations, UNICEF, and non-governmental organisations, as well as international journalism and international business. Especially with Sustainable Development being a rising Global need, which saves a national budget, fulfils the need of people, conserves natural resources for the future generations – makes this Undergraduate degree that much more relevant in the world.

BA Liberal Arts will prepare you for a range of exciting careers. With your combination of skills and your global knowledge, you will be well-prepared to make a difference in a variety of fields. You might go on to work in politics and government, the environmental sector, international development, foreign affairs, trade, defence or even the arts.

Jobs related to this Undergraduate degree:

• Law
• Business consultant
• Diplomat
• Journalist/Foreign correspondent
• Human rights advocate
• Administrator
• Government Official
• Politician/Political Analyst
• Humanitarian Worker
• Educator
• Intelligence officer
• International trade consultant
• Policy analyst
•  Among others.

Teaching Pedagogies/Methods:

• Lectures which will complement readings, with focus on individual aspects of special interest.
• High onus being kept on offering multiple and alternative interpretations, and exposing students to key issues of scholarly debate.
• Documentaries, films, objects and docu-dramas will be viewed, providing visual material with commentary, enriching and deepening readings and lectures.
• There will also be intensive focus on Group work/projects, small group discussion, and mock problem-solving exercises, and case study analysis.
• Low-stakes writing assignments and presentations, student seminars and workshops will be a regular feature in various courses.
• Internships and participation in Live projects will be another component of the Program.

Vision Statement

Towards a Sustainable World Together

Program Structure

For a BA Liberal Arts, a student must complete at least 144 credits to graduate. A breakdown of the credits are as follows:

• 06 Foundational Courses (30 Credits)
• 02 Interdisciplinary Elective Courses (04 Credits)
• 02 Performative Arts Courses (06 Credits)
• 12 Major Courses in Any Subject (60 Credits)
• 8 Minor Courses in Any Subject (32 Credits)
• 2 Research Methods Courses (6 Credits)
• A Dissertation (4 Credits)
• 2 Summer Internships (2+2= 4 Credits)
• 1 EVS Course (2 Credits)

Program Outline:

• The student will major in a discipline with a specialisation within any of the mentioned Clusters.
• Maximum credits accrued in one Discipline will lead to a specialisation in the same – a minimum of 48 credits in a Discipline is necessary for the specialisation to be awarded (2 Majors per semester and 2 Minors across 4 semesters in one particular discipline).
• The students will also be required to take up a 3-credit course in the first 2 semesters in either of the creative expressions-based courses (Music/Theatre/Dance).
• Students must choose the elective courses from a pool of courses on offer. The choice of these courses allows students to tailor the degree to their individual needs, but students are expected to take their elective courses with a focus on one specific area of interest or set of issues.
• In the final year, a BA Liberal Arts student must choose a research topic and write a dissertation/thesis under the supervision of a discipline specific supervisor to complete their degree. The dissertation can have orientation towards any of the participating disciplines — History, Cultural Studies, International Relations and Political Science, Economics and Business Studies, Behavioural Sciences and Media Studies — or even a combination of any 2 disciplines.

Program Details:

• Total No. of Core (Foundational) Courses: 06 (over 2 Semesters)
• Total No. of Elective Courses: 22 (Over 6 semesters – including Interdisciplinary Electives, Performative Arts, Majors and Minors)
• Total Credits Per Semester: 2

                       2/29 (1st/2nd Sem)
                       25/25 (1st/2nd Sem)
                       29/31 (1st/2nd Sem)

Total Credits: 159