Skip to content

Studies & Degrees in Liberal Studies

Liberal studies is a broad, interdisciplinary programme in which students take courses across the humanities, the social sciences, mathematics and the natural sciences instead of concentrating on one discipline. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) puts it this way: liberal arts majors are often organised by subject, but some schools offer a major in liberal arts or liberal studies, which provides an overview of many subjects instead of a single one.

The idea comes from the American tradition of liberal education. The American Association of Colleges and Universities defines it as an education that gives students broad knowledge of the wider world, such as science, culture and society, together with in-depth study in a specific area of interest. Students read, write and discuss a great deal, and they usually choose a concentration or a set of electives that gives the degree a direction.

Qualifications and levels

Liberal studies is above all a degree title used in the United States, at two levels.

  • Associate degree. Community colleges offer two-year programmes leading to the Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS), according to EducationUSA. Albertus Magnus College, for example, has a 60-credit Associate of Arts in Liberal Studies with coursework in the humanities, social sciences, mathematics and natural sciences. The Liberal Arts & Sciences AA of Alexandria Technical & Community College also has 60 credits, includes the 40-credit Minnesota Transfer Curriculum and can be completed online, on campus or in a hybrid format.
  • Bachelor's degree. A US bachelor's degree is usually completed in four years of full-time study. At Wright State University the Bachelor of Arts in liberal studies combines a liberal arts core with a professional component in business, communication, computer science, education or public administration. At Florida International University students of the BA in Liberal Studies choose one of four thematic tracks, among them Law, Business and Society and Education, Policy and Community.
  • Transfer route. Many associate degrees in this field are designed for transfer. EducationUSA describes the "2+2" process, in which a student spends two years at a community college and then two years at a university to earn the bachelor's degree.

The field is large at associate level: in 2021-22, liberal arts and sciences, general studies and humanities accounted for 383,300 associate degrees in the United States, 38 percent of all associate degrees conferred, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Other countries organise higher education differently. In Spain, for example, an official bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits in a named field, so students who want this breadth there should compare the study plans of humanities and interdisciplinary degrees.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 31 active schools for liberal studies. Twenty-nine are in the United States, and Spain and Ghana have one each. The American schools are a mix of community colleges, such as Alexandria Technical & Community College in Minnesota, Eastern Maine Community College, Allan Hancock College in California and the Community College of Vermont, and universities, such as San Diego State University, Florida International University in Miami, Wright State University in Dayton, the University of Scranton and Saint Mary's College of California.

The entry in Spain is Educatrip, a company in Granada that organises educational and cultural programmes for groups; it is not a degree provider. Teaching at the American schools is in English, and international applicants normally have to show their level of English, so check each school's admission page.

Careers

Liberal studies does not train for one profession. The BLS notes that liberal arts study is designed to prepare students for a variety of career options rather than for a specific occupation, and that employers often rank skills such as critical thinking and communication above technical aptitude. Graduates work in fields such as education, administration, sales, communication, public service and non-profit organisations, and many continue with a specialised master's degree, law school or a teaching qualification.

The concentration matters. A track with business or computing courses points to different jobs than one built around history and languages, so it is worth reading the course list before choosing a school.

Frequently asked questions

Is liberal studies the same as liberal arts?

Not exactly. Liberal arts is the wider family of subjects, from history to mathematics. Liberal studies is a single programme that gives an overview of many of those subjects instead of one.

How long does a liberal studies degree take?

In the United States an associate degree takes two years and a bachelor's degree is usually completed in four years of full-time study. The associate degrees cited here have 60 credits.

Can I start at a community college and finish at a university?

Yes. Many associate degrees in liberal studies are built for transfer, and EducationUSA describes a 2+2 route of two years at a community college followed by two years at a university. Ask both schools which credits transfer.

What can I do with a liberal studies degree?

The degree prepares for a range of occupations rather than one. Graduates use its writing, analysis and communication skills in education, business, administration and public service, or go on to graduate study.