Liberal Arts
Whatever your discipline, your development as an artist will be deepened by a foundation in the liberal arts, which provides the humanistic, ethical, social, critical, and aesthetic background essential to personal development and professional excellence. All undergraduate degree students take classes in literature, philosophy, history, social sciences, arts, and languages — studies that will help you develop a deeper understanding of yourself and the complex world in which you live.
Through your work in the liberal arts, you will refine your skills in reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking, and learn to communicate with greater clarity and effectiveness.
Our Faculty
Desirée Alvarez |
Anthony Lioi |
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Core Experiences
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Courses
All students in the BFA and BM degree programs are required to complete a minimum of 24 credits in the Liberal Arts. Qualified students enroll in a three-semester core curriculum program which introduces them to a cross-cultural range of texts, traditions, and issues and emphasizes critical thinking and writing throughout. Students may also pursue electives in such fields as art history, creative writing, literature, African-American studies, American and European history, gender, philosophy, and the environment. Juilliard also offers courses in four modern foreign languages: French, German, Italian, and Russian. Most students take electives in the third and fourth years but may take them earlier. All Liberal Arts courses are conducted in small seminars to foster participation and a spirit of inquiry. Eligible students may also cross-register for certain courses at Columbia and Barnard Colleges.
Writing and Communication Center
The Writing and Communication Center, under the auspices of Academic Affairs, is a resource that provides support to Juilliard students across the disciplines. The center invites students to collaborate with peer tutors to develop skills in reading, writing, and public speaking, in their academic courses, including Music History, Music Theory, and Liberal Arts. Faculty tutors are available to undergraduates, graduate students, staff, and other faculty to assist in advanced projects. Services include one-on-one tutoring sessions, synchronously or asynchronously, online and onsite; refinement of oral presentations; and language proficiency services for emergent bilingual English speakers. Working with the Alan D. Marks Center for Career Services and Entrepreneurship, the center also provides assistance with the development of professional materials, such as cover letters, curricula vitae, résumés, and grant applications.
Tutoring is available seven days a week, scheduled by appointment only. To make an appointment for tutoring, please follow this link to the Tutoring Request Form, or visit Room 559 and speak to an administrative assistant. For more information, send a message to [email protected].