Liberal Studies (B.A.)

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

Program Requirements Overview

Unless otherwise noted, 120 credits of coursework is required for the baccalaureate degree with a minimum 2.0 overall GPA, and a minimum 2.0 major GPA.

General Education Requirements42
World Languages and Cultures Requirements3-9
Major and Concentration Requirements30
Free Electives45-39
Total Credits120

Major Requirements 

Core/Required Courses
UNIV 300Inquiry, Strategy, Planning and Reflection in Liberal Studies3
UNIV 400Capstone Reflective Course in Liberal Studies3
Concentration Requirements
Complete one concentration, listed below.24
Total Credits30

Humanities Concentration 

Required Concentration Courses
Complete four courses from the following:12
Seminar: Inquiry in the Humanities
General Humanities I (to 1400)
General Humanities II (from 1400)
Mythology
Senior Humanities Seminar
Concentration Electives
Complete four courses from the list below.12
Total Credits24

Humanities Concentration Electives 

History
HUMN 115Troy and the Trojan War3
HUMN 151Seminar: Inquiry in the Humanities3
HUMN 201General Humanities I (to 1400)3
HUMN 202General Humanities II (from 1400)3
HUMN 281Greek Civilization3
HUMN 282Roman Civilization3
HUMN 332Special Topics in Ancient History (Greece, Rome, W. Asia, N. Africa, Europe)3
HUMN 351The City in Antiquity3
HUMN 355Alexander the Great: Legend and Legacy3
HUMN 357The Roman Republic3
HUMN 358Cleopatra3
HUMN 359Rome in the Age of Augustus3
HUMN 381Africa in Classical Antiquity3
Philosophical, Cultural, and Religious Perspectives
HUMN 209Introduction to Greek and Roman Religion3
HUMN 221Viking Mythology3
HUMN 283Women, Gender, and Sexuality in the Ancient World3
HUMN 285Mythology3
HUMN 288Mythic Traditions3
HUMN 384Introduction to Roman Law3
HUMN 454Lucretius and Ancient Science3
HUMN 470Seminar in Classical Humanities3
Language, Literature, and Art
HUMN 181Introduction to Classical Archaeology3
HUMN 182English Vocabulary: Classical Roots3
HUMN 211Classicism and American Culture3
HUMN 230Ancient Greece and Rome in the Cinema3
HUMN 290Special Topics in Greek and Roman Literature and Culture3
HUMN 313Aegean Art and Archaeology3
HUMN 314Greek Art3
HUMN 315Roman Art3
HUMN 321Early Medieval Art: Early Christian, Byzantine Early Medieval3
HUMN 345Imaging Medieval and Early Modern Women3
HUMN 385Greek Tragedy3
HUMN 320Special Topics in Interdisciplinary Humanities3
HUMN 361Special Topics in Mediterranean Archaeology3
LATN 101Beginning Latin I3
LATN 102Beginning Latin II3

Education Studies Concentration

Educational Foundations Electives
Complete four courses from the following:12
Psychological Foundations of Education 1
Philosophical Orientation to Education
Historical Foundations of American Education
Gender Issues in Education
Assessment, Learning Sciences and Ethics
Inquiry Based Teaching and Learning
Human Rights Education
Current Issues in American Education
Family Science and Human Development Electives
Complete four courses from the following:12
Interpersonal Relations
Introduction to the Content Areas in Family Science and Human Development
Adult Development and Aging
Child Development I 1
Adolescent Development
Exploring Family Diversity
Field Trip Experiences in Family Science and Human Development
Total Credits24
1

Course is a required prerequisite for any student interested in pursuing the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) leading to a K-6 certification at MSU after completing the B.A. degree.

In addition to EDFD 200 and FSHD 214, students interested in applying for an M.A.T. program are advised to take the following in their undergraduate studies:

6 credits of Science, 6 credits of Social Science, 6 credits of English/Language Arts, 3 credits of Mathematics.

General Education Requirements

Click here for a list of courses that fulfill General Education categories.

A. New Student Seminar
Complete a 1 credit New Student Seminar1
C. Communication
1. Writing 3
2. Literature3
3. Communication3
D. Fine and Performing Arts
Complete a 3 credit Fine and Performing Arts course.3
F. Humanities
1. Great Works and Their Influences3
2. Philosophical and Religious Perspectives 3
G. Computer Science
Complete a 3 credit Computer Science course.3
H. Mathematics
Complete a 3 credit Mathematics course.3
I. Natural Science Laboratory
Complete a 4 credit Natural Science Laboratory course.4
J. Physical Education
Complete a 1 credit Physical Education course.1
K. Social Science
1. American and European History 3
2. Global Cultural Perspectives3
3. Social Science Perspectives 3
Students in P12 Subject Area Teaching programs complete EDFD 200 as part of the Teacher Education sequence.
L. Interdisciplinary Studies
Complete a 3 credit Interdisciplinary Studies course.3
Students in P12 Subject Area Teaching programs complete SASE 210 as part of the Teacher Education sequence.
Total Credits42

World Languages and Cultures Requirements

Click here for a list of courses that fulfill World Languages and Cultures categories.

World Languages
Based on language placement exam, complete one or two sequential courses in the same language. Requirement is automatically fulfilled by language major courses.3-6
World Cultures
Requirement may be fulfilled by course selected in General Education - Social Science: Global Cultural Perspectives. Requirement may also be fulfilled by major coursework. See list of courses.0-3
Total Credits3-9

Recommended Roadmap to Degree Completion

This recommended four-year plan is provided as an outline for students to follow in order to complete their degree requirements within four years.  This plan is a recommendation and students should only use it in consultation with their academic advisor.

The recommended Roadmap assumes 60 credits accepted in transfer, including General Education courses, and World Languages and Cultures courses.  Credit requirements and time to degree completion are subject to change based on full time status and total number of credits accepted in transfer.

Humanities Concentration

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
TERM 1TERM 3TERM 5
UNIV 3003Required Humanities Concentration Course 43Humanities Concentration Elective 43
Required Humanities Concentration Course 13Humanities Concentration Elective 13Free Elective3
TERM 2TERM 4TERM 6
Required Humanities Concentration Course 23Humanities Concentration Elective 23Free Elective3
Required Humanities Concentration Course 33Humanities Concentration Elective 33Free Elective3
 12 12 12
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits 
TERM 7TERM 9 
Free Elective3Free Elective3 
Free Elective3Free Elective3 
TERM 8TERM 10 
Free Elective3UNIV 4003 
Free Elective3Free Elective3 
 12 12 
Total Credits 60

Education Studies Concentration

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
TERM 1TERM 3TERM 5
UNIV 3003Free Elective3Required Educational Foundations Elective 43
Required Educational Foundations Elective 13Free Elective3Free Elective3
TERM 2TERM 4TERM 6
Required Educational Foundations Elective 23Required Educational Foundations Elective 33Family Science and Human Development Elective 33
Family Science and Human Development Elective 13Family Science and Human Development Elective 23Free Elective3
 12 12 12
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits 
TERM 7TERM 9 
Free Elective3Free Elective3 
Free Elective3Free Elective3 
TERM 8TERM 10 
Family Science and Human Development Elective 43UNIV 4003 
Free Elective3Free Elective3 
 12 12 
Total Credits 60