At a glance
For: Students, Lecturers
Topics: Creating student-centered, flexible study programs, future-oriented studying and teaching, shaping the scope and content of studies, orientation year as a micro degree, future-proof certificate programs, digital and individual learning support
Location: Justus Liebig University Giessen
Organize your studies and future flexibly
The Liberal Arts & Sciences project combines different levels of study offerings that have one thing in common: they represent more flexible study elements that respond particularly to the needs of students and the job market that is opening up to them, as well as social reality.
In times of social uncertainty and dynamic change, the ability to adapt and strategize becomes enormously relevant in order to maintain the attractiveness of the range of courses on offer and to enable graduates to be successful in their careers and society, as well as to provide impulses for sustainable social and scientific development. Therefore, all offerings in Liberal Arts & Sciences will be geared towards future topics. In order to meet the complexity of the challenge, at least two academic disciplines will work together on individual topics in the sense of an inter- to transdisciplinary course offering.
Well prepared for new future professional fields
Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) is committed to leveraging the increasing heterogeneity of students' backgrounds, interests, and skills as a resource, enabling them to fully develop their potential and be well-prepared for new, future career paths. From JLU's perspective, this includes ensuring that students, regardless of their chosen field of study, can acquire future-proof and career-oriented qualifications, including in so-called "future skills," primarily through supplementary qualifications. This is precisely where the project comes in.
The inter-/transdisciplinary "Liberal Arts & Sciences" program will offer degrees at various levels. The first cohort (winter semester 2023/24) in the integrated Bachelor's program will, as part of a pilot project, have the opportunity to participate in shaping the further development of the curriculum and examinations, thereby testing, evaluating, and establishing a student-centered study model.
The study program will initially offer the opportunity to obtain a Bachelor's degree with a qualification goal focused on future societal issues. Part of the program includes an orientation phase, which serves to select inter-/transdisciplinary specializations and during which a micro-degree can already be earned, developing interdisciplinary skills such as understanding, interpreting, arguing, and producing knowledge.
Study success (…) can depend particularly on successful identification with the course offerings and intensive cohort cohesion as well as specific mentoring.
On a second level, students of other study programs will have the opportunity to acquire skills, at least partially integrated into their respective Liberal Arts & Sciences study programs, and of course also receive proof/certificate for these from JLU.
Surveys and experiences have shown that academic success, especially in degree programs with extensive options, can depend to a large extent on successful identification with the course offerings and intensive cohort cohesion as well as specific mentoring. As a result, a specific organizational unit will be located at JLU for individual, innovative support, advice and examination processing that takes into account the diversity of the group of students and will take the lead in the sense of a college for the entire range of courses. This can ensure that the subject-specific offerings in the Liberal Arts & Sciences degree program are coordinated and that a development towards transdisciplinary study offerings with appropriate advice and support can be initiated.
