Students in the science and engineering programs at NYU Abu Dhabi lose the indispensable benefits of a liberal arts education.

Unlike social sciences and humanities majors, natural science disciplines such as Biology, Physics and Chemistry do not provide the educational framework for personal development and holistic intellectual advancement. Liberal arts, by definition, should provide a well-rounded education that fosters intellectual growth. Despite the “unique and highly integrated” liberal arts programs at NYU Abu Dhabi, the natural science program tends to stifle the ability of its students to make full use of the system.

NYUAD’s science and engineering majors are expected to fulfill the same number of core, colloquia and competency requirements as their other non-science peers. These courses are meant to expose them to knowledge in other disciplines in science-related classes. The problem is not that these students are consciously against exploring other fields, but that they are so overwhelmed with their numerous and demanding major requirements that the whole idea of interdisciplinary exploration only becomes a mere distant hope. For example, Engineering students are only given four elective courses in four years at NYUAD, as opposed to the fifteen elective courses afforded to Political Science majors. By taking similar science-related electives – which tend to be easier for natural science majors and, subsequently, earn them higher grades – they end up remaining in their bubbles.

It is no secret that Foundations of Science students at NYUAD spend two to three semesters consumed by extensive problems sets, complex calculations and tedious lab reports. The rigor of FoS 1 through 4 for engineering majors and 1 through 6 for natural science majors often leaves students exhausted and overwhelmed. Perhaps the most striking manifestation of how hectic the science and engineering programs are is how FoS impedes the vast majority of its students from getting involved in the community. A friend of mine, a freshman Engineering major, could not maintain his SIG’s Executive Board position because he had no time to commit. He had to drop out of a physical education class, as fun and easy as Beginner Swimming is. He is rarely even seen in the dining hall. He eats, sleeps and breathes FoS. This phenomenon is not unusual among NYUAD’s natural science and engineering majors.

Since NYUAD’s first class, there has been a trend of students giving up their science and engineering majors after taking FoS 1. One student in FoS 1 recently explained that their Multivariable Calculus course “began the class with 17 students but ended up with only 12.” Often, these students swap out their Bachelor of Science for a Bachelor of Arts and pursue a degree in the social sciences or humanities instead.

As American economist, Bryan Caplan, would say, “The labor market doesn’t pay you for the useless subjects you master.” Almost all graduates end up forgetting a vast chunk of what they learn in school, or at least do not apply them to a typical working environment. It is therefore more important to develop a variety of versatile skills than it is to specialize in one niche subject. Professor Caplan’s statement speaks to the value of a liberal arts education. The modes of analysis and writing skills acquired throughout four years at NYUAD in a humanities or social science major are lost on our natural science students.

There are several benefits only attainable from the social sciences and humanities. At NYUAD, these two departments are the most popular among students, with the most students majoring in Economics, Social Research and Public Policy and Political Science. In a philosophy class, students learn to use formal logic to construct arguments. They also encounter theories of justice and major philosophical arguments and inquiries. Political Science classes enlighten students about theories of what constitutes the best polity, system of life and formation of society, drawing on a variety of texts from Ancient Greece to American liberal democracy. Economic courses give insight into markets, rational decision making, international trade, economic development and so on. None of these courses stand on their own; each one links to others and the skills learned in one course are readily applicable to another. Courses of this nature widen NYUAD students’ conceptual horizons and push them to think and grow. This is the beauty and utility of the liberal arts.

Still, I do believe that sciences are exceptionally important. They bring great benefits to society, ranging from saving lives and protecting the environment to major scientific discoveries that impact our world. Even though the social sciences and humanities determine the structures of thought, government and society, the efforts of sciences and engineering are certainly commendable. In view of this balance, I do not write this article to discourage students from pursuing their science majors. Rather, I write this to indulge and showcase my love for my own social sciences major. Perhaps my aim is to highlight the immense struggles and sacrifices natural science students undergo to deliver their end results while the social sciences and humanities encourage all their students to enjoy both their end goals and the journey to reach those goals.

Finally, typing each word of this piece here on the Corniche, enjoying the delicacies of The Mother of the Nation Festival, I think about my great friends back on campus who are struggling to survive the daily challenges of FoS and who are deprived of the chance to fully explore the dynamic elements of a liberal arts education. I empathize with them all.