ID226 Broad-based, interdisciplinary education – BASc Liberal Arts and Sciences

The Idea

This idea proposes that we utilise our existing expertise and strengths in broad-based and interdisciplinary education to develop a BASc in Liberal Arts and Sciences. In this programme, students would choose a major discipline from across Business, Law, Humanities, Social Sciences (BLHuSS), Natural Sciences and, where possible the Allied Health professions (e.g., Health and Social Care, Exercise Science, Sports and Exercise Science), in which to develop their subject expertise (60-credits core at each level of study). Alongside this, students would study a series of broad-based, interdisciplinary modules (30 credits core at each level of study) and then have a largely free choice of option modules from across the University (2 x 15-credit modules or 1 x 30-credit module at each level of study). We could require students whose major is a science to choose their optional modules from Business, Law, Humanities and Social Sciences and vice versa. The broad-based, interdisciplinary modules would be challenge-based and could cover topics ranging from (e.g.,) creativity, well-being and resilience, leadership, collaborative working, interdisciplinarity etc. Students would be expected to do a 30-credit interdisciplinary capstone project at Level-6, which could be creative, work-based, entrepreneurial, employer-led, group-based, or research-based (i.e., there would be maximum flexibility here in the nature of the project work). 

Why This Idea Should Be Considered

Keele has previously offered a BA Liberal Arts and a separate, but closely related BSc Natural Science programme. These programmes shared core interdisciplinary modules (15-credits at each level of study) and did provide some limited opportunities for Natural Sciences and Liberal Arts students to learn together through a series of action learning sets as part of the core interdisciplinary modules. Both programmes have recently been withdrawn by the University, partially because of small student numbers, but also because of the internal structural and political issues that were challenging to resolve. A key difference between the previous degrees offered in this area and this current proposal is that this proposal is for a single programme structure - BASc Liberal Arts and Sciences. In this model, and students will have the opportunity to study subjects and modules from across the institution, subject to some limitations (e.g., pre-requisites and timetabling constraints). This curriculum model is in common with degree programmes offered at (e.g.,) UCL, Birmingham, and Aberdeen. Our previous BA Liberal Arts and BSc Natural Sciences degree programmes only enabled students to study modules within the same Faculty and hence we not truly interdisciplinary. As part of the development of Keele’s new Strategic Plan, I feel that that timing is right for us to reconsider whether there is a place at Keele for such a degree offering, albeit one which is more aspirational in design. Such discussions would need to be supported by market insight data to ensure that there is an appropriate demand for this type of education from both prospective students and industry. 

How We Would Implement This Idea

We have significant internal expertise at Keele in terms of designing and delivering broad-based, interdisciplinary education. Several colleagues have also undertaken extensive work with other institutions on interdisciplinary education initiatives (e.g., as external examiners, external experts and reviewers etc). We know what works, what does not, and where the key challenges lie. For example, having an element of cohort-specific, interdisciplinary, bespoke content is key for building students’ sense of community on such programmes, and there will always be challenges around timetabling, resourcing (cross-School and cross-Faculty teaching) and operationalisation of interdisciplinary programmes. However, there now appears to be a greater appetite for overcoming and resolving some of the challenges previously encountered with broad-based, interdisciplinary programmes at Keele as part of our ongoing work to develop a new Strategic Plan. 

What Success Would Look Like

Differentiation from our competitors. There is still a relatively small group of ~12 higher education institutions in the UK that offer similar programmes, so this would help to differentiate Keele further in a highly competitive marketplace. 

Improved graduate outcomes and employability. The Future of Jobs Report (2025) identifies the top ten fastest growing skills by 2030 and includes: creative thinking, resilience, flexibility and agility, leadership, curiosity and lifelong learning as some of the most in-demand attributes. A BASc Liberal Arts and Sciences programme would enable students to develop all these skills and thus enhance their future employability and workplace readiness. 

Increasing student numbers in the Faculty of Law, Business, Humanities and Social Sciences. In this proposed curriculum model, students would have a largely free choice of core and option subjects from across the University. We could require students whose major is a science to choose their optional modules from BLHuSS and vice versa and this may help with increasing student numbers on modules in BLHuSS. 

Improved employer/industry engagement because the focus of the ‘challenge-based’ interdisciplinary modules could be employer/industry led providing additional opportunities for all students to engage with industry and external partners in ‘real world’ contexts. Student would also be able to do a work/industry-based capstone project as their final year project