Liberal Arts & Sciences

A liberal arts and sciences education is “an approach to learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change. It provides students with broad knowledge of the wider world (e.g. science, culture, and society) as well as in-depth study in a specific area of interest. A liberal education helps students develop a sense of social responsibility, as well as strong and transferable intellectual and practical skills such as communication, analytical and problem-solving skills, and a demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings.” The Liberal Arts & Sciences (LAS) central values of providing broad knowledge of the wider world, social responsibility, and application to the real world is further strengthened by the fact that the LUC program – in contrast to other LAS programs – offers thematic majors centered around the overarching theme of global challenges.

Global challenges are the major issues facing humanity across the globe that transcend national, organizational, and disciplinary boundaries, requiring insights from fundamental and applied research in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. They embody a multitude of interlinked intellectual and practical challenges about how individuals, institutes, societies, political systems, and the physical environment interact, and influence the course of planetary and human events that substantially affect the safety and prosperity of future generations.