As you consider a college education, you may consider earning a liberal arts degree.
In a liberal arts program, you’ll study English, history, psychology, and an assortment of other topics related to people and the world in which they live.
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You’ll likely become a more well-rounded individual as you work toward your bachelor’s degree in liberal arts. You could also develop skills like teamwork and creative thinking that can serve you well in the workplace.
Online Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts Degrees
College degrees in liberal arts provide a strong foundation for life and work. A liberal arts degree program introduces you to a variety of subjects, gives you opportunities to explore the world around you, and develops your thinking and reasoning skills.
Liberal art is a category that includes a variety of disciplines. They include:
- Art history
- Botany
- English
- Foreign languages
- History
- Political science
- Psychology
- Sociology
That’s just a small sampling of the many subjects that fit within a liberal arts program. Essentially, if it’s a humanities subject, a social science, or a natural science, it belongs in this category.
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Getting a liberal arts degree can take several forms. Liberal arts maybe your specific major, and you’ll take classes from many different subject areas. You may pick one or two concentrations to help narrow the focus of your curriculum.
Alternatively, your approach to getting a liberal arts degree might mean majoring in one of the specific subject areas that fall under the liberal arts umbrella. If you have a particular career goal or topic of interest, then that could be the approach for you.
As for the general liberal arts degree, it’s often a preferred choice for adult students who are returning to school. It can even be offered as a degree completion program for students who already have many college credits.
Overall, liberal arts degrees are useful for honing your thinking and interpersonal skills and getting ready for a variety of job opportunities.
Liberal Arts and Humanities Careers & Salaries
Liberal arts majors work in a wide variety of fields, including social service, communications, business, and education.
Potential jobs in social service include being a health educator or a community health worker. Some counseling jobs may be available as well, but that depends on state regulations about education requirements. Without a graduate degree, you might work as an assistant under a licensed counselor.
Management or director roles in social services might be available to some graduates as well. For example, they could coordinate programs or oversee a team of staff members.
In communications, writing jobs could be an option. Technical writers often earn some of the highest salaries in this field. They write about scientific or complex topics. Editing is another line of work to consider. There’s also graphic design, which delivers messages through visual media.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in media and communications pay a median annual salary of $62,340. That represents only one sector in which liberal arts graduates could work.
| Careers | Annual Median Salaries |
| Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers | $133,380 |
| Technical Writers | $78,060 |
| Social and Community Service Managers | $74,000 |
| Market Research Analysts | $63,920 |
| Editors | $63,350 |
| Public Relations Specialists | $62,800 |
| Graphic Designers | $50,710 |
| Archivists, Curators, and Museum Workers | $50,120 |
| Health Education Specialists and Community Health Workers | $48,860 |
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors | $48,520 |
The career path that’s most suitable for you will likely depend on which liberal arts major you choose to earn.
Public relations is another communications-focused job. Public relations firms, government agencies, schools, and corporations hire PR personnel. While entry-level positions could include the title “assistant” or “specialist,” management roles might be possibilities too.
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In business, some graduates go into advertising or marketing. Market research analytics is a field in which professionals combine data analytics with marketing principles to make decisions about product development or sales.
Museums are one environment in which liberal arts graduates can provide education. Working as an archivist or a curator may require a graduate degree, but those with bachelor’s degrees may be technicians, program coordinators, or tour guides.
BA in Liberal Arts Curriculum & Courses
Liberal arts courses can be quite varied, depending on which branch you choose to focus on. Classes you could potentially take are listed below:
- Art Appreciation: You could survey important movements, artists, and works from throughout the history of Western art.
- Business Administration: There might be a class that introduces you to some of the main subject areas in a business program, such as human resources, accounting, finance, marketing, and information technology.
- College Algebra: You’ll probably have at least one mathematics class, such as algebra, during your time in school.
- Composition: You may have one or more semesters of English composition, in which you’ll practice writing different types of papers.
- Criminal Justice: In a criminal justice course, you could learn about the judicial system, criminology, victimology, and corrections.
- Federal Government: A college class on American government will cover the three branches of government, the Constitution, and the lawmaking process.
- Literary Analysis: You’ll practice reading texts, analyzing their form and meaning, and writing papers on your determinations.
- Logic and Reasoning: You may have a class in which you learn the principles of logic and explore various fallacies.
- Principles of Communication: You could become a better communicator as you study oral, written, and digital forms of sending messages.
- Psychology: This class could help you learn more about the primary theories of human thought, development, learning, and behavior.
Students in liberal arts programs often have the opportunity to select several electives that sound interesting to them. Elective courses could be useful for preparing you for a particular career.
Admissions Requirements
It’s necessary to apply to a liberal arts program before you can begin classes. Your college admissions packet might include:
- Application form with your contact information and other details about you
- Sample of your writing abilities
- Score from the SAT or the ACT (not needed at all colleges)
- Transcripts from high school and any college classes
If you wanted to qualify for a degree completion program, you’d be required to hold a certain number of college credits already.
Accreditation
There are many different schools that can issue you a liberal studies degree. Some of them are online, and others have traditional campuses.
There are schools with full four-year liberal arts programs and others that focus only on degree completion. But no matter which type of college is right for you, it’s strategic to choose one that holds regional accreditation. You can trust accreditation as a sign that you’re picking a reliable school.
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Regional accreditation gives colleges a good reputation, so you may be able to transfer your credits, get into grad programs, or have a better chance of qualifying for jobs.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Your liberal studies degree may be easier to complete if you have financial assistance on your side. Funding programs may cover part or even all of your tuition. That way, you’ll be able to stress less about paying for classes and spend more time focusing on your schoolwork.
The first step in the financial aid process is usually to turn in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This official government form could be the key to securing both state and federal funding. You can take a look at scholarship programs too. There may be some available through your school, but you can apply for outside programs as well.
Finally, if you’re working, you can talk to your workplace about funding opportunities. Some employers have specific programs set up for tuition reimbursement.
What’s a Liberal Arts Degree?
A liberal arts degree is a college program that covers a variety of topics related to people and the world. The liberal arts encompass the humanities as well as the natural and social sciences.
In other words, you can expect to receive a well-rounded education when you pursue a liberal arts degree. Sometimes this term refers to a specific major known as liberal arts. Other times, it’s used to refer to a category of degree programs—such as a bachelor’s degree in history, criminal justice, English literature, communications, or a similar program.
What Can You Do with a Liberal Arts Degree?
This program provides a broad overview of many subject areas, so that can give you a lot of career versatility. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists many careers that you can launch with a bachelor’s degree.
You might use your degree as preparation for a career in criminal justice, such as being a corrections officer. Another option would involve helping with inpatient or outpatient substance abuse treatment. This degree could help prepare you to run educational programs as well. Those might be for health departments, museums, or schools.
Communications jobs are possibilities too. Potential ideas include editing, freelance copywriting, and social media management. Some graduates of liberal arts bachelors programs continue their educations in on-campus or online masters in liberal arts degree programs.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Bachelor Degree in Liberal Arts Online?
It generally takes 4 years to get your online bachelor’s degree. That’s a pretty standard timeframe for full-time college students. Online degrees tend to go a little more quickly than on-campus ones thanks to their format. That often includes shorter, 8-week classes and year-round studies.
Some liberal arts programs are degree completion studies for people who have already taken a lot of college classes. If you’re doing one of those programs, you may need only a year or two to reach graduation.
What Jobs Can You Get with a Liberal Arts Degree?
Liberal arts jobs are quite varied. Some people who graduate from a liberal arts college go into business. They may work in advertising or marketing, for example. Others become communications professionals. They might author books, pen articles, develop instruction manuals, or edit others’ work.
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Going into public relations would be another potential path to take in communications. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, PR specialists have a median annual income of $62,800, and the median wage for PR managers is $125,780. Liberal arts graduates often work with people. They might look for jobs in community agencies, rehab facilities, health departments, or museums.
What’s the Difference Between a Humanities vs. Liberal Arts Bachelor Degree?
The terms “humanities” and “liberal arts” are often used together, but they’re not exactly the same. Before embarking on a degree program, you may want to explore how they compare.
| Bachelors in Humanities | Bachelors in Liberal Arts |
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Essentially, the humanities are included within the liberal arts. You’ll take plenty of humanities classes in a liberal arts program.
What’s the Difference Between STEM vs. Liberal Arts Majors?
STEM is an acronym that stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. Depending on your interests, you could choose a STEM major or liberal arts major in college.
| STEM Majors | Liberal Arts Majors |
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Despite the distinctions, you’ll have some humanities classes in a STEM program and some math and science classes in a liberal arts program.
Is a Liberal Arts Degree Worth It?
Yes, a liberal arts degree is worth it for many students. A degree in liberal arts can help you become a well-rounded individual and equip you with a range of skills that employers are looking for. Examples include critical thinking, clear communication, and creative brainstorming.
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A college education can also improve your employability. In particular, a liberal arts degree could help equip you for work in a growing field. For instance, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says that jobs in media and communication are increasing at a 6% rate over the next ten years. Community and social service jobs are growing at a rate of 10%, which is faster than average.
Universities Offering Online Bachelors in Liberal Arts Degree Programs
Methodology: The following school list is in alphabetical order. To be included, a college or university must be regionally accredited and offer degree programs online or in a hybrid format.
Colorado State University offers a Bachelor of Arts in interdisciplinary Liberal Arts. Professional writing, verbal communication, problem solving, and analytical thinking skills are at the core of this program. The program requires the completion of 120 credit hours, which can typically be completed in 4 years of full-time study. Classes meet conveniently online.
Colorado State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Excelsior University offers a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts. This program may be an ideal fit for students who want to build broadly applicable skills. Up to 113 qualifying credit hours may be transferred in toward the program’s 120 required credit hours. A Logistics Operations Management concentration is offered by the program.
Excelsior University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Harvard University offers a Bachelor of Liberal Arts. This program aims to provide students with a well-rounded education that emphasizes communication, critical thinking, business, and interpersonal skills. Students can further customize their education by selecting specializations in Humanities, Science, or Social Sciences. Classes may be taken on-campus or online.
Harvard University is accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education.
Louisiana State University offers a variety of Bachelor of General Studies programs. Potential specializations include Disaster Science and Emergency Management, Health Sciences, Humanities, Organizational Studies, or Social Science. Many of these programs are offered 100% online, and most of them can be completed in 4 years.
Louisiana State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Lynn University offers a fully online program for a Bachelor of Liberal Arts. The curriculum is designed to equip students with expertise in ethical decision making, leadership and management, analytical problem solving, and interpersonal communication. Courses cover diverse topics such as social psychology, computer science, business, and geopolitical affairs. The program offers start dates three times a year.
Lynn University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Regis University offers a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts. Graduates of the program may pursue a wide array of careers in fields such as business, education, government, social services, science, or technology. Classes may be taken online or on campus in the evening and are conducted in 5 or 8 week formats. Up to 90 qualifying credits may be transferred in toward the program’s 120 required credits.
Regis University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
The University of Central Oklahoma offers a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Liberal Arts. The program offers many concentrations across a variety of disciplines and professional tracks. It can typically be completed in 4 years of full-time study. All classes can be attended online.
The University of Central Oklahoma is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission/North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
The University of Kansas offers a Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Sciences. Common courses include World Language and Culture, Written Communication, and Social Responsibility and Ethics. The program requires the completion of at least 120 credit hours. The degree may be completed virtually through the school’s convenient online learning model.
The University of Kansas is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
The University of Massachusetts—Lowell offers a Bachelor of Liberal Arts. The program utilizes flexible online and in-person learning options to help meet students’ various scheduling needs. Up to 64 approved credits may be transferred in toward the degree. Start dates are offered 3 times a year in fall, spring, and summer terms.
The University of Massachusetts – Lowell is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
The University of Phoenix offers a 100% online program for a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts. This interdisciplinary curriculum provides a dual emphasis in both humanities and sciences. The program’s 120 required credit hours can typically be completed in 4 years. Start dates are available throughout the year to help accommodate even the busiest schedules.
The University of Phoenix is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Getting Your Bachelor of Liberal Arts Degree Online
Studying liberal arts in college could increase your knowledge, help you develop as a person, and help get you workforce ready.
You’ll study interesting subjects and practice your soft skills. With a college degree on your resume, you can show employers that you have what it takes to contribute to their teams. Liberal arts degrees are available online from accredited colleges, so you can keep up with your regular life while also completing classes.
You can explore accredited schools and learn more about how an online degree could play a role in achieving your goals.
