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5 Best Online Colleges with Online Degrees in Liberal Arts

Written by College Cliffs Team At CollegeCliffs.com, our team, comprising seasoned educators and counselors, is committed to supporting students on their journey through graduate studies. Our advisors, holding advanced degrees in diverse fields, provide tailored guidance, current program details, and pragmatic tips on navigating application procedures.

Reviewed by Linda Weems I got started researching colleges and universities about 10 years ago while exploring a second career. While my second career ended up being exactly what I’m doing now, and I didn’t end up going to college, I try to put myself in your shoes every step of the way as I build out College Cliffs as a user-friendly resource for prospective students.

Updated: February 5, 2024, Reading time: 13 minutes

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Empowering and preparing the student to think critically, examine problems, and develop a sense of social responsibility, a Liberal Arts education exposes students to various subjects. You will acquire knowledge and expertise that is not limited to what specialized degrees usually have.

For Liberal Arts degrees, it is essential to have an integrated learning strategy.

Online Degrees in Liberal Arts - fact

Studies in Liberal Studies may prepare you to keep up with the multifaceted nature of today’s employment landscape and adapt to the ever-changing workplace requirements.

The Labor Statistics Bureau reveals that Liberal Arts and Studies majors are in occupations such as sales, management, education instruction, and office and administrative support jobs.


The Lowdown

The interdisciplinary Liberal Studies program gives graduates a wide understanding of the Humanities and Social Sciences. Liberal Arts education produces graduates with excellent communication, analysis, and problem-solving abilities. Equipped with the core skills, prospective students can pursue any specialization in their college education to match their career goals. 


Methodology

If you want to study something broad and all-encompassing, one solid choice is an online Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts. Nurture a diverse skill set with the best online Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts. Our list of the top online Liberal Arts academic programs was developed to help you make the right decision!

Each undergraduate degree was picked based on these factors:

Learn about our ranking process by checking our Methodology page.

College Cliffs is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

5 Best Online Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts Programs

Colorado State University

Colorado State University - Online

Online Bachelor of Arts  – Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts

Become an online student at Colorado State University by enrolling in their online Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts program. You will receive the same education, study with the same faculty, and earn a regionally accredited degree online as you would on campus. 

Some of the courses included in this online degree are the following:

By selecting a minor from this online program, a Liberal Arts major can tailor-fit your educational experience to your career and personal needs. The ability to fill various multidimensional jobs across various industries requires versatility in the modern workplace, and this program equips you with the knowledge and tools to achieve that.

After graduation, you’ll be adept at professional writing, making decisions, and communicating orally and vocally. 

What Makes This Program Unique:

With this customizable Liberal Studies bachelor’s degree, you can choose the courses that best match your hobbies and professional goals. You can pursue a learning experience motivated by your passion for the most interesting subjects. Basic coursework and a minor are needed for the program to be completed.

Did You Know?

Northern Arizona University

Northern Arizona University

Online Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts

Northern Arizona University offers a BA in Liberal Arts online. In this online degree, expect to have a broad range of philosophy, literature, arts, and history courses. The student will learn to assess, comprehend, and evaluate significant cultural items from many cultures.

This is a new, modern approach to Liberal Arts in that each exercise in comprehending significant literary and artistic works is immediately linked to pertinent abilities.

The goal of this customizable Liberal Arts online degree is to give adult and working adults the chance to study broadly from history, philosophy, literature, and the arts by exposing students to a wide range of texts integrated into interdisciplinary units.

Eventually, students will better understand how concepts and ideas from different disciplines are interrelated. Moreover, this degree program provides students with an inexpensive, self-paced learning environment that respects students’ prior experience and knowledge.

What Makes this Program Unique:

There are many unique features of this online program. For one, you can develop teamwork skills by engaging in group collaborative projects, requiring you to reach out and communicate with others. This includes diverse people from all walks of life.

Students from everywhere take this online Liberal Arts degree with you. And you’ll learn to resolve complex issues.

The Liberal Arts program also allows you to assess objects and theories in a wide variety of contexts, as well as interpret and evaluate them. Finally, you can analyze ethics and morality from a religious and political perspective.

Did You Know?

Community college credits may be transferred up to 75 units in this online degree. Students in other majors may need to meet departmental prerequisites for some courses. If prerequisites are not satisfied with transfer credit, a pretest may be possible.


Excelsior University

Excelsior University

Online Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts

For those looking for advancement at work, curious about their abilities, or wanting to change professions altogether, Excelsior University’s online Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts is a great program. You can find a new career path or advance in your current field with a Liberal Arts degree.

This Liberal Arts degree program is entirely online and strongly emphasizes critical thinking, effective communication, moral decision-making, and teamwork with other thinkers. Students create their curriculum by fusing prior learning with new material.

This general Liberal Arts program utilizes a flexible and efficient approach to combine prior knowledge with new educational objectives and emerge ready for the wide range of employment options.

What Makes this Program Unique:

To earn a BS in Liberal Arts, students must complete 120 credits. Excelsior University offers a concentration in Logistics Operations Management. A minimum of 12 credits is required in any two arts and sciences, including Ethics, two college-level mathematics credits, and two natural science credits.

Did You Know?

Finally, after graduation, you can work in sectors like education, allied health, public affairs, manufacturing, and social or human services.


Oregon State University

Oregon State University Ecampus

Online Bachelor of Arts or Science in Liberal Studies

Oregon State University has an online Bachelor of Arts or online Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies program. This online helps you prepare for a variety of careers as well as graduate school.

Designed around a theme that matches your interests and educational goals, the bachelor’s degree in liberal studies at Oregon State University is a unique online program.

Oregon State University’s world-class faculty develops all classes in this liberal studies degree. These staff are renowned for the quality of their innovation, research, and expertise. Oregon State Ecampus is consistently named one of the country’s best online schools.

What Makes this Program Unique:

The faculty at Oregon State University will help you create an extensive plan based on coursework chosen from the various fields. Because OSU’s College of Liberal Arts provides students with any combination of courses they want, the number of job options is limitless.

Many graduates eventually go into healthcare, business, law, or social work after completing Liberal Arts studies. A good number of graduates also proceed to higher education. 

Did You Know?

Online students at Oregon State University can maximize and enjoy the benefits of online resources and tools. For example, online tutoring, career assistance, and library services are available for online students. 


University of Kentucky

University of Kentucky - Online

Online Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts

Continue to work while attaining a bachelor’s degree with the University of Kentucky’s online Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree. In this online program, you will study humanities, social sciences, and natural and mathematical sciences and complete an individualized program.

This Liberal Arts degree can be completed faster than other programs. If you study full-time and take advantage of transfer credits, you can graduate after almost three years. Education in the Liberal Arts consists of a wide range of knowledge.

This is a flexible and comprehensive degree program designed for nontraditional students. As a result of adopting an interdisciplinary approach, you can integrate and synthesize knowledge across disciplinary boundaries for applications in a multicultural, diverse society.

What Makes this Program Unique:

This program will provide you with broad-based knowledge of Liberal Arts and training in analytical skills, cultural awareness, and well-rounded thinking. By taking this course, you can gain analytical, decision-making, and communication skills, as well as a global perspective.

You’ll be able to analyze social issues and solve problems from multiple perspectives.

Did You Know?

In this Liberal Arts degree online, you can choose from different concentrations such as humanities, mathematics, natural science, or social science.  

Concentrations Available to Take with an Online Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts

Business and Entrepreneurship

If you concentrate on business and entrepreneurship, Liberal Arts courses lets you succeed as an ethical leader. In addition to learning real-world business principles, you will learn how to spot company opportunities and put your management, accounting, marketing, and finance skills to good use.

A concentration in this area is recommended for students who work in business or who are interested in pursuing a business career.

Logistics Operations

With a specialty in logistics operations management, you may manage, coordinate, transport, and distribute commodities and services while learning the intricate strategic and analytical procedures of inventory control and procurement. It is particularly well suited to students who prefer to join the logistics industry.

This concentration is a good choice if you want to pursue careers in product allocation, manufacturing, procurement, or delivery management. Graduating students will be able to solve problems related to inventory management, warehousing management, logistics facilities, supply chain management, and silo management. 

Humanities

You will investigate human values and complexities in the Humanities emphasis from various academic angles, giving you a wide understanding of philosophical, theological, literary, and aesthetic trends throughout human history.

You will think about the human experience, affecting how you understand how history, culture, politics, and religion connect in the modern world.

Media and Communication

Another famous specialization in Liberal Arts is media and communication. You are prepared for the modern and changing media scene with this specialization.

You will examine current industry concerns and the interactions between media and organizations in the public and private worlds through a blend of theory and practical application.

Online Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts Common Courses

Art and Science History

Students in this course examine the evolution of science and art over time. Students examine how society and culture once perceived certain fields and how those viewpoints have changed. The institutions, forces, and individuals who influenced scientific and artistic developments are also covered in the course.

Academic Writing

In Academic Writing courses, students learn how to conduct research for academic papers in writing courses. Students study the processes for developing an argument and evaluating sources of information and texts. Other types of creative and professional writing are possible additional subjects.

Humanities

The humanities course studies the development of human culture and intelligence over time. This course emphasizes humanities, literature, art, history, film, and philosophy. Students in this course learn a thorough and connected grasp of the human experience.

Introduction to Philosophy

A survey of philosophical concepts is discussed thoroughly in this course. Furthermore, there will be a study of the nature of truth and knowledge, the relationship between the mind and body, and freedom and determinism. These subject matters will be considered with both ancient and modern philosophical texts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Liberal Arts degree?

A Liberal Arts degree is sometimes referred to as a liberal studies degree by some people. This online degree might be a fantastic choice if you have a wide range of interests or desire a comprehensive course of academic study.

Students who major in Liberal Arts study the humanities, social sciences, math, and natural sciences. Depending on the institution, you can obtain a liberal studies associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree.

Colleges and universities offer Liberal Arts degrees, and many offer online formats today. Liberal Arts disciplines are taught at this kind of school to all students. There are many specializations for your online Liberal Arts bachelor’s degree. 

Is there a demand for Liberal Arts majors?

The ability to think critically and consider numerous perspectives is among the skills Liberal Arts majors develop and hone during their education. Some of the top employing occupations for Liberal Arts graduates are post-secondary teachers, lawyers, managers, and education administrators. 

What should graduates with an online Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts expect?

An online bachelor’s in Liberal Arts typically requires 90 to 120 credits, which would need 3 to 4 years to complete. The first few years of a student’s academic career are often filled with humanities and social science coursework. Most students major or specialize in a particular field in their senior year and then enroll in advanced courses.

Bachelor of Arts degrees are the final goal for Liberal Arts students, but their curriculum can vary greatly depending on their major.

Various specialties are available to students, including business, humanities, psychology, math, history, sociology, and English. Practica and internships can also help degree candidates gain practical experience that will help them find jobs after graduation.

Summary Points