Online Liberal Arts Degrees

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Online Liberal Arts Degree

To help you hone many skills, some colleges offer online liberal arts degree programs. As a LIS grad, you may find entry into business, law, criminal justice, teaching and other areas. If you want a study plan suited to your goals, an online liberal studies degree may be useful.  

While many programs discuss one topic in depth, LIS draws on many. As a result, you may study the arts, humanities, natural and social sciences. One may find online liberal studies degrees at all levels. Bachelors, masters and PhD. At each level, you may organize a study plan around topics that matter to you and your goals. 

Bachelors programs cover many topics. While you engage with this material, you will likely read and write a lot. As a result, you may develop deeper skills as a thinker and learn to express yourself in a clear way. 

An online masters in liberal arts degree program adds more research and in depth inquiry. As such, you may gain more complex skills in analysis. And may take away the ability to use logic and rationale when you argue a point. 

Doctor in liberal studies immerse you in intense study and research. While you do this, you often look at how each area affects society. Apart from quality analytical skills, you may grow as an innovator and creative thinker. 

Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts 

An online bachelors degree in liberal arts is an entry level degree. And, may furnish the professional skills for a spectrum of possible career paths. Many online colleges offer two kinds of awards. One is a Bachelor of Arts (BA). And the other, a Bachelor of Science (BS). Both draw from a wide range of subjects, rather than one. But there may be slight differences to know and factor into your choice. 

As a rule of thumb, a BA in liberal studies spans arts, humanities and fine arts majors. Like English, languages, history, media and theatre. In contrast, a BS in liberal studies may cover more natural and physical sciences. That doesn’t mean no humanities or arts, only more comp sci and math. Either a BA or BS in liberal studies may help you learn to use logic to think through problems. Apart from this, both may stretch your mind and help you grow as an effective team player and communicator.  

Many programs typically entail about 120 credits and may allow you to tailor your studies. But while you have this flexibility, there may be some guidelines in place. You may need four years to complete your degree. Although some students bring transfer or military training credits which may shave time off.  To enroll, you may need to have a high school diploma or GED. Some online colleges may also set an acceptable GPA or range for ACT or SAT scores.   

Another thing that varies is program cost. According to DataUSA the average tuition in 2017 for a liberal arts and sciences degree is $6,530. That’s if you study at a public college. It’s more expensive ($28,980) for a private school, out of state.    

Master’s Degree in Liberal Arts

An online masters in liberal studies (MLS) is a graduate level degree. You may also find master of liberal arts (MLA) programs and these are alike. While many masters programs ask you to become more focused, an MLS allows you to custom design your program. As a result, it may provide a deep and broad education. The breadth of this plan may allow you to meld your interests in creative ways. Whether you seek professional growth, personal enrichment, or a blend of both.  

That aside, you are likely to conduct in depth research. And this may bring about critical skills in analysis and an ability to argue a point to a logical conclusion. Many programs may do this in about 30 credits. That’s about 10 classes and may or may not include a final thesis or project. To complete these credits, you may need from one to two years. And some schools may give you up to five, if you want to study part time.  

When you decide to enroll, you may need a bachelors degree. Aside from transcripts, you might have to provide a writing sample and meet an approved GPA range. These details, as does the cost of earning your degree vary. With this in mind, according to the NCES  the average cost of a grad degree for the 2016 – 2017 academic year was $11,617 and that’s if you attend a public school.  

Doctor of Liberal Arts

An online PhD in liberal studies is a research degree. So, the main goal is typically to produce new knowledge at the end of your program. There may be other degrees to look for at this level though. Two common ones may be the Doctor of Liberal Arts (DLA) or Doctor of Liberal Studies (DLS). These programs may be alike in that you study many subject areas. Unlike the PhD though, a DLS or DLA program tends to want you to frame issues. 

As a result, you may learn how to fuse your knowledge. And while you do, you may grow skills in perception, analysis and innovative thinking. Some people use this expertise to stay in academia. But others may prefer to lead, research and work in policy analysis. At any rate, many programs entail from 36 to 60 credits. So, between courses and your thesis may need about five years to complete them. To enroll, many schools prefer candidates with a master’s degree. But there may be exceptions to this rule. Apart from strong academics, many universities may want to see other things. A writing sample is one. References, goals and resume are a few more. Another thing that may vary is format. While many classes are online, your program may have built in residencies. Some PhD students also become TAs or teaching assistants. And these experiences may take you onsite too. 

What could I do with an Online Liberal Arts Degree?

Liberal arts may build soft skills that employers in many sectors want. As a result, this type of well rounded program may be a gateway to classic and modern sectors. Soft skills are ones that enable you to work on teams, brainstorm, analyze and communicate. Per the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), these skills are also key to long term career success. As liberal studies are so broad, there may be jobs for all levels of education. But in many fields, one may need a bachelors for entry level roles, and a masters or PhD to advance. 

1. Editors

As an editor, your role is typically to read content, spell check, correct grammar and punctuation. All in all, you may work with writers to help their stories succeed. So, you may need to rewrite, change or develop their ideas and approve final drafts. Apart from your own skills as a writer, many employers prefer to hire editors with a bachelor’s degree.  

2. Reporters, Correspondents, Broadcast News Analysts 

A reporter’s main function is usually to inform the public about news and events. Many do this work for newspapers, magazines, websites, TV and radio. While each platform is unique, it may ask you to interview people, pitch ideas and investigate hunches. Apart from these journalistic skills, employers may hire reporters and news analysts who have at least a bachelors degree.  

3. Public Relations Specialists 

As a public relations specialist your job is often to project a positive image for your client. To do this, you may write press releases, speeches and inform news and media outlets. Apart from an ability to understand public opinion, you may need solid skills as a public speaker. If this interests you, employers may look for PR specialists with both a bachelors degree and portfolio. 

4. Secondary School Teacher 

A secondary school teacher may teach either middle school or high school. And in these jobs, may teach grades from 1 to 12. As you might guess, teachers typically plan lessons, test and grade students. Beyond this your job may entail staff and parent teacher meetings. Some teachers at these levels may also focus on one subject area such as math, English or science. Also, since education is state run, many mandate you have a bachelors degree and license in your subject niche. There may also be states where high school teachers need a masters degree. So, make sure to research these rules ahead of time.  

5. Business Office Manager 

In the role of business office manager, you typically ensure all the activities in your workplace run well. So, you may need to manage people, clerical duties and also, the actual office space. Also, you are usually the point person who tracks timelines, goals, projects, repairs, mail and other things. As the job is so varied and takes skills as a leader, businesses prefer to hire people with at least a bachelors degree. 

6. Social / Community Service Managers 

Community and social services managers oversee social service programs and agencies. They may also manage workers who provide social services to the public. Some could work with a specific group like children, the elderly, veterans or people who are homeless. And others often try to help those with a challenge like mental illness. Apart from these duties, if you work in this type of role, you may need to write proposals for funding. As these skills are complex, many jobs call for a bachelors degree or masters.  

7. Recruiter 

Head hunters, or recruiters typically find, screen and interview applicants to see if they fit a job opening. As a result, your first task may be to consult with an employer to identify their needs. From there, you may search for candidates on social media (E.g. LinkedIn), college campuses, job fairs and via networking events. Apart from these people skills, employers may prefer to hire human resource pros with a bachelors degree.   

8. Writer 

There are many kinds of writers today and a slew of platforms to publish on. Writers usually come up with content for advertising copy, blogs, novels, articles, e-books, plays, and everything else. Beyond the way you use language, you may have to research, analyze, tell a story and ideate. To learn these skills and work as a salaried writer, you may need a bachelors degree. 

9. Policy Analysts  

Many policy analysts work for gov’ts, labor unions and political groups. In this role, you may collect and interpret data from public opinion surveys. And with this information, may be able to forecast trends and assess whether a policy is effective. Given these duties, you may be likely to research and publish articles too. To build these complex skills, you are likely to need a masters degree, if not a PhD.  

10. Fundraising Manager 

As a fundraising manager, you may oversee campaigns that bring in donations for your cause. To do this, you may meet with donors, carve and carry out a campaign strategy. And these tasks entail a firm grasp of many areas. Like public speaking, business, creative and technical writing. If this sounds like a good path for you, a bachelors degree is one possible entry point. But many employers prefer to hire people with a masters degree and some experience.  

11. Top Executive 

In corporate jobs top executives may have varied daily tasks. Among them, to set and apply policy that drive results for their business. As managers, many execs may also oversee staff, projects and other operations. In other duties, the level of decision making may vary from one role to the next. For this reason, many C suite roles demand extra prep beyond a bachelors degree. And while the MBA is common, many may also hold grad degrees in areas like public admin and liberal arts.  

Is an Online Degree in Liberal Arts Worth it?

A degree in liberal studies may prepare you with skills that transfer to a spectrum of careers. Many of these jobs may be in fast growth sectors with above average earning potential. Employers often want to hire liberal arts grads because they tend to be innovative. And able to think on their own while still adding value to a team. Apart from these skills, grads often know how to research, communicate and reason.  

Social and community services managers use these skills to secure funding and help clients. So, this may be an option. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.gov), there will be 17% more jobs by 2029. That is much faster that the average which is 4%. Salaries for these workers are also higher than the norm. Per the BLS.gov, social and community service managers earned an annual median wage of $67,150 in May 2019. That means while some earned less, other workers had more lucrative salaries of $112,480 and up. 

Liberal Arts Degree Jobs & Salary

Top States for Jobs as an Editor

What classes may I take with an Online Liberal Arts Degree?

As a whole, liberal studies typically nurtures breadth rather than depth in one area. So, rather than studying one major, liberal studies classes likely draw from many. That said, many programs cover subject areas like the arts, humanities, natural, physical and social sciences. These areas typically sharpen awareness of major theories, and authors. And may often look at classic ideas in the context of today’s society and issues. It is likely that you may custom design your program. Yet, each level of degree is likely to do this in different ways. Below we put together some examples of classes you may find at the bachelors, masters and PhD levels.

Bachelor’s Degree Courses

In an online BA or BS liberal arts degree program, classes may go from simple to complex. The simple ones are introductory. And the more complex ones build on the basics. To help you balance your degree, you may need to choose classes from broad subject categories. Like Identity, work, nature, society, language, heritage and art. If you are a BA student, you may also need to take a foreign language. In contrast, if you are a BS student, you tend to have more laboratory science and math courses. Here are some sample topics that may also be available in an online bachelors in liberal studies program. 

Graduate Degree Courses

In an online master of liberal studies program you may follow interests, personal or professional. Apart from this flexibility, there may be some guidelines. In particular, you may need to choose from a menu of topics but stick to thematic areas. Like society and culture, arts and humanities, STEM, religion and philosophy. The thematic area often focuses on a question. Such as “why study history?” or “what can the classics teach us?” Along with the question, you may study the various theories that try to answer it. As a result, you may study ways to use first sources, gather, analyze and present data.

In an online Doctor in liberal studies program you may study a menu of subject areas. Like humanities, public policy, international affairs, religion, and science. One of the main goals is to examine each topic and their effects on modern day society. To do this, many programs also include research classes. Together, this kind of study plan guides you as you develop your doctoral thesis.

Below are a few samples of classes at the graduate level:

How long does it take to earn a Liberal Arts Degree online?

The time it takes to complete a degree in a liberal arts online varies by program level, your course load and any transfer credits you bring in. That said, the average student may need four years to earn a bachelors degree in liberal studies online. Once you graduate, it may take one to two more years to earn a masters in liberal studies. And from three to five years to earn a doctor of liberal studies. Naturally grad degrees tend to involve research projects, so this may add time.  

15 Online Liberal Arts Degrees

We compiled a list to help you find online liberal arts degrees at all levels. We have ranked our top 15 schools based on the number of graduates from the program in 2019. Our process looks at 2019 data from the NCES. And, it may help you narrow your search down.

1. Purdue University Global
2. Oregon State University
3. University of Illinois – Springfield     
4. California Baptist University     
5. University of Oklahoma – Extended Campus 
6. Johns Hopkins University
7. Texas Christian University
8. University of Richmond 
9. Nova Southeastern University   
10. Albertus Manus College  
11. Washington University Saint Louis   
12. University of Memphis Global
13. Faulkner University    
14. Georgetown University
15. Union Institute & University

FIND AN ONLINE LIBERAL ARTS DEGREE

Here is a closer look the 15 online colleges that offer these liberal arts degree programs.  

*Unemployment Earnings.  Sources for school stats and data include the NCES and IPEDS.