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.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 42 | |
| World Languages and Cultures Requirements | 3-9 | |
| Major and Concentration Requirements | 30 | |
| Free Electives | 45-39 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core/Required Courses | ||
| UNIV 300 | Inquiry, Strategy, Planning and Reflection in Liberal Studies | 3 |
| UNIV 400 | Capstone Reflective Course in Liberal Studies | 3 |
| Concentration Requirements | ||
| Complete one concentration, listed below. | 24 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Humanities Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Credits | 24 | |
Humanities Concentration Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| History | ||
| HUMN 115 | Troy and the Trojan War | 3 |
| HUMN 151 | Seminar: Inquiry in the Humanities | 3 |
| HUMN 201 | General Humanities I (to 1400) | 3 |
| HUMN 202 | General Humanities II (from 1400) | 3 |
| HUMN 281 | Greek Civilization | 3 |
| HUMN 282 | Roman Civilization | 3 |
| HUMN 332 | Special Topics in Ancient History (Greece, Rome, W. Asia, N. Africa, Europe) | 3 |
| HUMN 351 | The City in Antiquity | 3 |
| HUMN 355 | Alexander the Great: Legend and Legacy | 3 |
| HUMN 357 | The Roman Republic | 3 |
| HUMN 358 | Cleopatra | 3 |
| HUMN 359 | Rome in the Age of Augustus | 3 |
| HUMN 381 | Africa in Classical Antiquity | 3 |
| Philosophical, Cultural, and Religious Perspectives | ||
| HUMN 209 | Introduction to Greek and Roman Religion | 3 |
| HUMN 221 | Viking Mythology | 3 |
| HUMN 283 | Women, Gender, and Sexuality in the Ancient World | 3 |
| HUMN 285 | Mythology | 3 |
| HUMN 288 | Mythic Traditions | 3 |
| HUMN 384 | Introduction to Roman Law | 3 |
| HUMN 454 | Lucretius and Ancient Science | 3 |
| HUMN 470 | Seminar in Classical Humanities | 3 |
| Language, Literature, and Art | ||
| HUMN 181 | Introduction to Classical Archaeology | 3 |
| HUMN 182 | English Vocabulary: Classical Roots | 3 |
| HUMN 211 | Classicism and American Culture | 3 |
| HUMN 230 | Ancient Greece and Rome in the Cinema | 3 |
| HUMN 290 | Special Topics in Greek and Roman Literature and Culture | 3 |
| HUMN 313 | Aegean Art and Archaeology | 3 |
| HUMN 314 | Greek Art | 3 |
| HUMN 315 | Roman Art | 3 |
| HUMN 321 | Early Medieval Art: Early Christian, Byzantine Early Medieval | 3 |
| HUMN 345 | Imaging Medieval and Early Modern Women | 3 |
| HUMN 385 | Greek Tragedy | 3 |
| HUMN 320 | Special Topics in Interdisciplinary Humanities | 3 |
| HUMN 361 | Special Topics in Mediterranean Archaeology | 3 |
| LATN 101 | Beginning Latin I | 3 |
| LATN 102 | Beginning Latin II | 3 |
Education Studies Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Credits | 24 | |
- 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.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A. New Student Seminar | ||
| Complete a 1 credit New Student Seminar | 1 | |
| C. Communication | ||
| 1. Writing | 3 | |
| 2. Literature | 3 | |
| 3. Communication | 3 | |
| D. Fine and Performing Arts | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Fine and Performing Arts course. | 3 | |
| F. Humanities | ||
| 1. Great Works and Their Influences | 3 | |
| 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 Perspectives | 3 | |
| 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 Credits | 42 | |
World Languages and Cultures Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill World Languages and Cultures categories.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Credits | 3-9 | |
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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| TERM 1 | TERM 3 | TERM 5 | |||
| UNIV 300 | 3 | Required Humanities Concentration Course 4 | 3 | Humanities Concentration Elective 4 | 3 |
| Required Humanities Concentration Course 1 | 3 | Humanities Concentration Elective 1 | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| TERM 2 | TERM 4 | TERM 6 | |||
| Required Humanities Concentration Course 2 | 3 | Humanities Concentration Elective 2 | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Required Humanities Concentration Course 3 | 3 | Humanities Concentration Elective 3 | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| 12 | 12 | 12 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| TERM 7 | TERM 9 | ||||
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 | ||
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 | ||
| TERM 8 | TERM 10 | ||||
| Free Elective | 3 | UNIV 400 | 3 | ||
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 | ||
| 12 | 12 | ||||
| Total Credits 60 | |||||
Education Studies Concentration
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| TERM 1 | TERM 3 | TERM 5 | |||
| UNIV 300 | 3 | Free Elective | 3 | Required Educational Foundations Elective 4 | 3 |
| Required Educational Foundations Elective 1 | 3 | Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| TERM 2 | TERM 4 | TERM 6 | |||
| Required Educational Foundations Elective 2 | 3 | Required Educational Foundations Elective 3 | 3 | Family Science and Human Development Elective 3 | 3 |
| Family Science and Human Development Elective 1 | 3 | Family Science and Human Development Elective 2 | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| 12 | 12 | 12 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| TERM 7 | TERM 9 | ||||
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 | ||
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 | ||
| TERM 8 | TERM 10 | ||||
| Family Science and Human Development Elective 4 | 3 | UNIV 400 | 3 | ||
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 | ||
| 12 | 12 | ||||
| Total Credits 60 | |||||