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Studies & Degrees in Liberal Arts

Liberal arts is not a single discipline. It is a way of organising a university education, most common in the United States, in which students combine broad study across the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and mathematics with deeper study of one field. The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) describes liberal education as giving students broad knowledge of the wider world, such as science, culture and society, together with in-depth study in a specific area of interest.

In practice a liberal arts programme has two parts. A general education curriculum provides learning in several disciplines and ways of knowing. A major, chosen in the first or second year, provides the depth.

Qualifications and levels

  • Associate degrees. Community colleges in the United States offer two-year programmes leading to the Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS). Many are designed for transfer: in the so-called 2+2 model, a student spends two years at a community college and two more at a university to earn a bachelor's degree. At Pine Technical and Community College in Minnesota, for example, the Liberal Arts and Sciences Associate of Arts completes the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum, with coursework in communication, critical thinking, science, humanities and social sciences.
  • Bachelor's degrees. EducationUSA, the US government's advice network for international students, explains that US undergraduate education is based on the concept of liberal arts and sciences, and that a bachelor's degree is usually completed in four years of full-time study. Students take classes in a wide variety of subjects in addition to their major. At Saint Mary's College of California, the Collegiate Seminar is a series of required courses that give every student a foundation in the liberal arts through shared discussion of works of literature, philosophy, history, political theory, art and science.
  • Colleges of liberal arts inside large universities. Many research universities group these disciplines in one college. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences of the University of Florida is the largest college on its campus and is home to the humanities, the social and behavioural sciences and the physical, natural and mathematical sciences. The College of Arts and Science of Vanderbilt University lists more than 100 majors and minors.
  • Graduate study. Master's degrees and doctorates are normally taken in one discipline, such as history, psychology or economics. The College of Liberal Arts of Temple University, for instance, reports over 650 graduate students in 13 academic programmes.

Liberal arts in Spain and Europe

European degrees are usually specialised from the first day. In Spain an official bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits, and each degree must be registered in one field of study. Interdisciplinary degrees are the closest equivalent to a liberal arts programme. One example is the Grado en Filosofía, Política y Economía (PPE) of the Universidad de Navarra: an official degree of 240 credits taught over four years on campus in Pamplona, in Spanish and English, with 50 places.

Where to study liberal arts

This directory lists 67 active schools under liberal arts. Fifty-four are in the United States. Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Guatemala, Ecuador, Hong Kong, South Korea, China and Taiwan have one school each.

The US schools range from two-year colleges, such as the Community College of Rhode Island, Broward College and Pine Technical and Community College, to liberal arts colleges, such as Saint Mary's College of California, and large universities, such as the University of Florida, Vanderbilt University, Temple University and Purdue University. Outside the United States the list includes the Universidad de Navarra in Spain, Florence University of the Arts in Italy and National Taiwan University.

Programmes in the United States are taught in English, and schools set their own English-language requirements for international applicants. Ask each school which tests and scores it accepts.

Careers

A liberal arts education does not lead to one profession. It aims at transferable intellectual and practical skills, such as communication, analysis and problem-solving. Temple University describes a workforce that values critical thinking, problem-solving and effective communication. What graduates do depends largely on their major: an economics major and a literature major take different paths.

There are no official employment statistics for liberal arts as a whole, because the term covers many subjects. Look instead at the figures for your intended major. Many graduates continue to a master's degree or to professional studies such as law, education or business.

Frequently asked questions

Is liberal arts the same as humanities?

No. The humanities are one part of it. Liberal arts also covers the social sciences, the natural sciences and mathematics; the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences of the University of Florida, for example, includes all of them.

How long does a liberal arts degree take?

An Associate of Arts at a US community college takes two years. A bachelor's degree in the United States is usually completed in four years of full-time study.

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

Yes. Community colleges and four-year institutions often have transfer agreements. In the 2+2 model, two years of community college are followed by two years of university study for a bachelor's degree.

Can I study liberal arts in Spain?

Spanish degrees are normally specialised, so few carry that name. Interdisciplinary degrees, such as the Grado en Filosofía, Política y Economía of the Universidad de Navarra, come closest. The official structure is the same as for any other grado: 240 ECTS credits.