The School of Liberal Arts
The School of Liberal Arts, Mae Fah Luang University, was established pursuant to the Mae Fah Luang University Act, BE 2541 (1998). Since its inception, the school has undertaken the university’s two principal missions. The first mission, responding to the university’s determination and unique direction, is to provide General Education courses to equip the university’s graduates with knowledge in the core academic subjects as required by the higher education standards. The second mission concerns provision of specific courses designed by the school.
Since it was founded, the School of Liberal Arts has produced graduates through its various academic programmes, in fulfillment of its principal goals of high-quality teaching, research, academic services, conservation of arts and cultures, and production of graduates with well-rounded excellence. In addition, the school aims to constantly monitor and maintain high standards in its courses in English, Thai, Japanese, French, and several other foreign languages.
The School of Liberal Arts has also been the origin of newer schools in the fields of Humanities and Social Sciences. Starting small, each of these academic branches grew stronger and, when meeting the required standards, was established by the university as a new academic school.
History and Chronology
Established in 1999 pursuant to the Mae Fah Luang University Act, BE 2541 (1998), the School of Liberal Arts spent its first two years developing and teaching General Education courses. In 2001, the school began to diversify its curricula, and has since been designing and developing new programmes in various fields and levels.
- 2001: First bachelor’s degree programme: Bachelor of Arts in English;
- 2004: Bachelor of Arts in Business Chinese, Master of Public Administration, and Master of Education in Educational Management;
- 2005: Master of Arts in Cultural Studies
- 2006: Master of Public Administration in Local Administration (a weekend programme for members of local administrative organisations’ staff) and Ph D in Social Sciences;
- 2007: Bachelor of Arts in Thai Language and Culture;
- 2008: Bachelor of Education in Chinese Language Teaching (five-year programme) Master of Arts in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language and Master of Arts in Translation and Interpretation (Chinese-focused);
- 2009: Bachelor of Arts in Chinese (continuing programme);
- 2012: Bachelor of Arts in International Development, for the academic empowerment of the university’s Social Sciences fields; and
- 2014: A significant turning point of the School of Liberal Arts, whose emphasis was on strengthening the teaching and researching capacity in Chinese and Social Sciences: Mae Fah Luang University established the School of Social Innovation and the School of Sinology, the first two offshoots of the School of Liberal Arts, to foster academic growth and respond to the university’s clearly defined operation.
- The School of Social Innovation was established on 21 May 2014. The International Development programme, the General Education courses in the Social Sciences group, and their teachers were transferred from the School of Liberal Arts to the newly founded School of Social Innovation.
- The School of Sinology was established on 16 July 2014. All of the programmes related to Sinology, the General Education courses in the Chinese language group, and their teachers were transferred from the School of Liberal Arts to the newly-founded school of Sinology.
Currently, the School of Liberal Arts is responsible for the following courses and groups of courses:
- Bachelor of Arts in English;
- Bachelor of Arts in Thai Language and Culture (for foreigners);
- Master of Arts in English for Professional Development;
- Ph D in English for Professional Development; and
- General Education courses in English, Thai, foreign languages, and Humanities.
