Diploma in Liberal Arts

Liberal Arts is a two-year pre-university Diploma of Collegial Studies (DEC) at Dawson College that combines the humanities and sciences rather than following a single subject specialization. Students take courses spanning history, literature, philosophy, mathematics and science, with an emphasis on written and oral expression, critical thinking, research skills and ethical reasoning. The program has no formal streams, but students can shape their studies with optional courses, including additional mathematics or electives drawn from other pre-university programs. Class sizes are kept small to allow close interaction between students and instructors, and students may contribute to an annual student-produced Liberal Arts anthology. The program suits students who want a broad, interdisciplinary foundation before specializing at university, particularly those considering fields such as law, history, literature, philosophy, psychology, political science, journalism or communications. Admission requires a Secondary V diploma and Secondary IV mathematics, with strong results in English, history and social sciences considered an asset.