4 Major Benefits of a Multidisciplinary Approach in Educa...
Education is a complex world with many styles, values, and philosophies. When it comes to choosing what’s right for you, it’s important to take the time to figure out what kind of system fits your personal learning style. Especially if you’re the one paying for it. You have the amazing opportunity to choose your own path; what direction will you take?
Your education abroad awaits! (Photo credit: Dick van Aalst)
Multidisciplinary learning is a wonderful way to totally integrate your education into a comprehensive unit rather than scrambling to draw connections between seemingly unrelated parts. It empowers you to see tangible correlations across subject matters rather than view each in a silo.
News flash: the world isn’t segmented into perfectly contained blocks, and your education shouldn’t be either! The benefits of a multidisciplinary approach in education are plentiful! Could it be what you’ve been searching for?
Multidisciplinary vs. interdisciplinary in education
Multidisciplinary learning is not your average school experience. A multidisciplinary curriculum is one in which a single topic is studied from the viewpoint of more than one discipline. Institutions like Radboud University’s Nijmegen School of Management see advantages of multidisciplinary education, and have gone above and beyond to integrate it into their education platform.
If you need some multidisciplinary examples to better understand, think about a business degree. Instead of just studying Economics and Political Science separately, you would have professors from each departmentment drawing on their specialty to provide a well-rounded understanding of the subject matter. (i.e. Your Econ professor and your Poli Sci professor cross pollinate their teachings so you have a better understanding of how Econ and Poli Sci work together in the grand scheme of things.)
The multidisciplinary approach relies on people crossing disciplines to share knowledge, thereby enhancing your scope and depth of learning.
Multidisciplinary learning will enhance your studies. (Photo credit: Marjolein van Diejen)
Interdisciplinary education is similar to multidisciplinary in the sense that it looks to combine knowledge from multiple disciplines. However, it emphasizes the importance of the process rather than the product of something. Interdisciplinary’s focus is to combine theories, methodologies, and perspectives from two or more disciplines; it connects a single theme or idea across disciplines.
Still with us? We knew you would be! Now that you know the difference between multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to educational curriculums, here’s why you should pursue a degree program that subscribes to the former. (Hint: It’s incredibly valuable to your education.)
Already hooked? Get matched with 5 degree programs abroad for FREE
4 advantages of a multidisciplinary curriculum
1. Holistic understanding
One of the benefits of a multidisciplinary approach in education is you get a more holistic understanding of the world. Rather than looking at individual departments and their subject matters separately, a multidisciplinary approach integrates parts of each department into the study programs of the other.
For example, the Nijmegen School of Management weaves Business Administration into the Economics program, and looks at Business Administration and Political Science as part of the Geography, Planning, and Environment program.
2. Different perspectives
New perspectives will make you a more well-rounded student (and professional).
Have you ever been trying to solve a puzzle by yourself and have one section that totally defeats you? You stare at it for hours, but can’t figure it out for the life of you. Then, one day, a friend saunters by and picks up that pivotal piece and places it perfectly. Ah, the magic of different perspectives!
A multidisciplinary approach is kind of like that. With different professors integrating subject matters, you get Dr. Cortez’s perspective on organic chemistry one day, and Dr. Sahib's the next. It opens the doors to different ideas and ways of understanding.
3. Real world approach
Multidisciplinary learning isn’t just an educational philosophy—it’s a tangible way of understanding the world. When you graduate, you’ll be working with people from across disciplines IRL, so why should school be different? Being able to compile and collaborate with people from across the spectrum will help you function in the professional world.
4. Collaboration skills
Hopefully, any education route you take emphasizes the importance of collaboration. However, one of the most important advantages of multidisciplinary curriculum is the idea of coming together to create a better whole.
Being able to communicate effectively with people across disciplines is integral to multidisciplinary learning. You learn the same vocabulary, you understand their values, and you know what motivates them. These skills will help you make connections, solve big problems, and work synergistically with your peers.
Multidisciplinary learning will make your degree abroad even more valuable!
A degree earned through a multidisciplinary approach is unparalleled.
The benefits of a multidisciplinary approach in education are clear. By melding together subjects, you’re connecting the brightest minds. Having people across disciplines work together creates a harmonious, integrated approach to learning. Multidisciplinary learning programs may not be very common, but that’s part of what makes them special. Are you ready to take control of your education? Find the perfect program today!
Browse ALL Degree Programs Abroad on GoAbroad.com
This article was written with help from Radboud University. Radboud University is located in the university town of Nijmegen, the Netherlands and offers programs in the fields of business administration, business economics, geography, environment, spatial planning, and political science, with a special focus on on a multidisciplinary and international curriculum.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qLvAm6momZRjsLC5jpqpraGTobK0e8OenqudlWKuo77OmptomZSrrq%2FAwKCcrGWfm3quwcutoJ2ho5i2sbjIp5irsV2YwrO%2ByJyspa2d