What is a Liberal Arts Degree?

Posted by Nick Niesen on October 27th, 2010

The study of liberal arts is a classic discipline, intended to provide general knowledge and intellectual skills instead of focused professional or occupational skills. The scope of the liberal arts has changed with society. It once emphasized the education of elites in the classics but, with the rise of science and humanities during the Age of Enlightenment, the scope and meaning of "liberal arts" expanded to include them. A degree in liberal arts can provide the basis for career advancement as it trains students to write effectively and think analytically while also allowing them to explore the nature of the various liberal arts fields of study. Some popular liberal arts fields of study include the following:

Early Childhood Development If you are interested in early childhood development and want to become a public school teacher, you must complete a bachelor's degree. All states require a bachelor's degree as a prerequisite for a teacher's license. An online degree in Early Childhood Education provides academic requirements for various career levels in occupations related to childcare and early childhood education in the public and private sectors. The bachelor's degree generally takes four years to complete. The bachelor's degree courses typically focus on classroom issues and Pre- Kindergarten through third grade instructional methods.

Sociology Sociologists study human behavior as it pertains to human interaction within the guidelines of an organizational structure. Human behavior is greatly influenced and governed by social, religious, and legal guidelines. A sociologist studies these behaviors and the influences that preserve certain behaviors and change others. Sociology is also a broad science that covers many different disciplines in the social sciences. Sociology also studies more tangible measures of human behavior such as class or social status, social movements, criminal deviance, and even revolution.

Philosophy A philosophy major is the most general type of college degree you can obtain. It focuses on the "nature of being", knowledge, and contemplating right and wrong in moral issues. A philosophy degree trains you to become both regimented and creative, learning to reason through abstract questions. Students will apply their knowledge to form an argument for debate. The principles of philosophy affect other fields of study such as physics and religion. Every religious belief and field of science is subject matter in philosophical inquiry. Skills that are helpful in your philosophy program are puzzle solving skills, debating, critical thinking and reading skills an organized thought process, and the ability to think outside of the box.

Education for Liberal Arts
Online Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies or Bachelor of Science degrees consist of an integrated core curriculum in the arts and sciences combined with student directed specializations. The liberal arts degree is popular for those with higher career ambitions, as well. Many future law or foreign services professionals find that getting a liberal arts degree such as political science is a great starting off point in their academic pursuits - it's both personally rewarding and beneficial for the courses they will take as they progress. A BA in liberal arts can also provide the foundations for careers in medicine and business.

Students with a degree in liberal arts enrich their existing knowledge of the world and develop a broader framework for understanding social change in a global context. If you think a liberal arts degree is what you are looking for, search our database for an online degree program today.