The Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies is a degree completion program designed for adult students (25 years or older) who are returning to college to complete their unfinished bachelor's degree. This accelerated program offers all coursework in 8-week terms and is fully online. Different from other majors, the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies targets readmit or transfer students who have a minimum of 60 credits earned from their previous institution(s). A maximum of 90 transferable credits from 4-year institutions and/or a maximum of 60 transferable credits from 2-year institutions can be applied.
The Liberal Studies major provides a pathway to graduation and reinforces the value of a liberal arts education. It is designed to enhance students' skills in oral and written communication, critical thinking, ethical judgment, working independently, self-motivation, and real-world application of skills and knowledge. In this program, students will complete 6 core credits in two major courses: UNIV 300 - Introduction to Liberal Studies and UNIV 400 - Capstone Reflection in Liberal Studies.
The 24-credit Humanities concentration emphasizes obsolescence-proof cognitive skills transferable to a wide range of career paths. Humanities concentrators acquire habits of analytical and critical thought, practice techniques of interpretation, gain intercultural awareness, and learn to approach cultural contexts comparatively. Graduates of this concentration have expertise in knowledge management, which encompasses the ability to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information from a broad spectrum of sources, construct logical arguments supported by evidence, and articulate ideas clearly in oral and written formats. Humanities graduates pursue careers in many areas, including business, communications, healthcare, law, social work, and education. Many will transition directly from our program into the workforce, but some pursue further education and earn professional credentials or graduate degrees in a variety of humanities and social science disciplines.
The 24-credit Education Studies concentration provides an in-depth exposure and engagement with education as a social, cultural and political human endeavor that historically has served to induct the young into the larger social and economic fabric of nations. Furthermore, this concentration through its coursework provides insights and understandings about education as a life-long engagement for human improvement, hence transcending the younger years into different stages of life. This concentration fosters an environment for developing, nurturing, and growing relationships with the content of study including social, academic, spiritual, personal and/or emotional dimensions. The primary function of these relationships is to enable growth, development, and learning. An array of foundational courses provide different disciplinary perspectives, where students not only learn about education and schooling but also learn how disciplines construct the knowledge base for practitioners, researchers, and policymakers. In addition, coursework in this concentration offers opportunities to learn about human development, social systems, families, and communities. In addition to learning about education and human improvement as a liberal art, the Educational Studies concentration will enable graduates to apply for the Masters of Arts in Teaching at Montclair State University or pursue an alternate route to teacher certification. Hence, Educational Studies focuses on developing well-rounded, creative, and inquiry- oriented educators who have broad subject matter knowledge of topics taught in elementary schools, and who are committed to the betterment of children, communities, and society. The need for such learning experiences responds to the concept that teachers are intellectuals who know their students, who know the context of the communities, and who have a broad understanding of the subject matter they will teach