We know the world through words, numbers, sound, and images. Therefore, we need to be able to think critically about them, and to understand the new technologies that bring them to us. Without these tools -- critical thinking and a grasp of technology -- we cannot be competitive in today's workplace.
With students' needs in mind, the faculty at Defiance College has developed a curriculum that will prepare DC undergraduates for the 21st century by engaging students in a diverse array of coursework in the Liberal Arts & Sciences that complements the major and establishes the importance of a balanced education for making a living and making a life in a constantly changing world.
The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) sees liberal education as "a philosophy of education that empowers individuals with broad knowledge and transferable skills, and a strong sense of value, ethics, and civic engagement."
Defiance College believes that such an education can be transformative and empowering as well as practical. A curriculum based on this philosophy rooted in the college's mission and the four pillars: to know, to understand, to lead, and to serve, is our goal.
In Defense of a Liberal Education by 
Smart Moves for Liberal Arts Grads by In college, different fields of study, or majors, are divided into broad categories called disciplines, which organize and structure the study of different research questions using different research methods. These disciplines are generally grouped as follows:
Liberal Education: An approach to college learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change. This approach emphasizes broad knowledge of the wider world (e.g., science, culture, and society) as well as in-depth achievement in a specific field of interest. It helps students develop a sense of social responsibility; strong intellectual and practical skills that span all major fields of study, such as communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills; and the demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings.
Liberal Arts: Specific disciplines (i.e., the humanities, sciences, and social sciences).
Liberal Arts College: A particular type of institution—often small, often residential—that facilitates close interaction between faculty and students, and whose curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts disciplines.
Artes Liberales: The historical basis for the modern liberal arts, consisting of the trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric) and the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music).
General Education: That part of a liberal education curriculum that is shared by all students. It provides broad exposure to multiple disciplines and forms the basis for developing essential intellectual, civic, and practical capacities. General education can take many forms, and increasingly includes introductory, advanced, and integrative forms of learning