How Interdisciplinary Degrees Are Meeting the Demands of an Evolving Job Market
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India, 18th September, 2025 - The Indian job market is undergoing one of its most dynamic shifts in decades. As traditional industries embrace digitization and new sectors emerge at the intersection of technology, wellness, heritage, and policy, employers are no longer seeking narrowly trained specialists alone. Instead, they are increasingly prioritising graduates who bring interdisciplinary thinking—those who can navigate complex problems, adapt across domains, and apply insights from multiple fields.
Why Industry Wants Interdisciplinary Graduates
Industry leaders are increasingly vocal about their need for employees who can bridge knowledge domains. This shift is especially relevant for the humanities and creative sectors. In placement conversations, recruiters now look for liberal arts graduates with research and digital skills, performing artists who can collaborate with wellness and cultural organisations, and heritage specialists who can work with tourism and media industries. The demand is clear: depth in a chosen discipline, combined with the versatility to engage across sectors.
Employers now value adaptability and cross-domain skills over single-discipline expertise. This trend is visible across creative and cultural economies, where the blending of disciplines is reshaping roles:
- Wellness & Performing Arts – Yoga, classical music and dance professionals are finding opportunities in therapeutic practices, holistic wellness startups, and cultural diplomacy
- Cultural Heritage & Content Industries – Graduates in history, archaeology, and art history are increasingly sought after by museums, tourism boards, and digital storytelling platforms
- Policy & Humanities – Students trained in philosophy, religion, or liberal arts are finding space in policy think tanks, NGOs, and international organisations that require both critical analysis and cultural sensitivity
Forward-looking universities are responding by reimagining curricula. At Somaiya Vidyavihar
University (SVU), students can integrate courses across liberal arts, fine arts, performing arts,
wellness studies, and heritage disciplines—including BA (Liberal Arts/Hons), MA (Liberal Arts),
MA (Art History & Visual Studies), MA (Writing & Art Criticism), BA /(Hons) & MA (Yogashastra) ,
BA /(Hons) & MA (Ancient Indian History, Culture, Archaeology & Heritage Studies), BPA & MPA (Music: Vocal, Taal Vadya & Swar Vadya & Dance: Bharata Natyam, Kathak) Performing Arts programs. This approach allows students to develop deep expertise while exploring practical intersections.
This reflects a wider shift in Indian higher education, accelerated by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which champions flexible curricula, cross-disciplinary learning, and industry collaboration.
Building the Academic–Industry Pipeline
For academia, interdisciplinarity is not simply about offering variety but about strategically preparing students for future-facing industries. This involves:
- Embedding industry projects and internships into courses
- Encouraging joint research between departments and with external partners
- Using blended learning models that integrate technology with traditional disciplines
The result: graduates who not only meet industry’s immediate hiring needs but also bring the creative problem-solving required for roles that are still emerging.
"AI led transformations have changed the nature of jobs, and there is an increasing need of people who are interdisciplinary in approach and creative in thought process. We at Somaiya Vidyavihar University, have our Liberal Arts programme to critically engage with the ideas of social systems, philosophies, art, histories, and technology in the changing course of human civilisation." says Dr. Gaurav Gadgil Associate Professor - Somaiya School of Civilisation Studies, Somaiya Vidyavihar University.
As India positions itself as a global talent hub, the synergy between academia and industry will be decisive. Institutions that align curricula with market realities and give students the freedom to explore across disciplines are setting a new benchmark for employability. In this context, interdisciplinary education is not a luxury. It is the foundation of workforce resilience in a job market defined by innovation and change. For universities, the challenge is clear: to anticipate industry’s evolving demands and design pathways that empower students not just to enter the job market, but to shape its future.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
Topics : labour bureau job survey
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First Published: Sep 19 2025 | 12:02 PM IST
