Online Liberal Arts Degree Programs

In this section of our website, we look at the liberal arts degree, social science degree, and humanities degree. We begin by defining each one and also looking at examples of courses and degrees that fall under each category.

What do liberal arts degrees entail? Historically, liberal studies degrees referred to the subjects which during the classical times were considered important for citizens to pursue or study. These included logic, grammar, geometry, mathematics, music, and astronomy, and astrology. Today, the term liberal arts is often used in reference to studies in areas like philosophy, history, languages, philosophy, literature, etc. It may also be used in reference to a complete degree program, for example a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in which students study a variety of liberal arts subjects. In all cases, the term is used in reference to studies that do not relate to technical, professional, or vocational studies. Now, what is a humanities degree? Humanities are the branches of learning that investigates human constructs and concerns. They use methods, which are analytical, critical, and speculative, unlike empirical approaches used in natural sciences. However, that term also describes the philosophical position of humanism, which some antihumanist scholars in the humanities reject.

Liberal Arts, Social Sciences & Humanities Degrees

Like the liberal arts, studies in humanities include literature, religion, history, visual and performing arts (e.g. theater and music), linguistics, classical languages, modern languages, and philosophy. Other areas include communication studies, law, sociology, anthropology, area studies, cultural studies, etc.

Finally let’s examine the social science degree. The term social science is often used as an umbrella term to refer to a multiple of fields that fall outside of the natural sciences. Areas of study include sociology, geography, international relations, political science, psychology, criminology, linguistics, law, anthropology, archaeology, geography, economics, education, education, information science, development studies, history political science, psychology, sociology, communication studies to mention a few.

Social science focus on human aspects of the world for example humanities and arts. Social science focus use experimentation and scientific inquiry using approaches that include qualitative and personal interpretation. They are sometimes labeled as “soft sciences” in comparison to “hard” or natural and formal sciences.

As you will notice above, there is a significant overlap in the disciplines social sciences, humanities, and liberal arts degree programs. You have probably also noticed that in the United States, many colleges and universities have various colleges or departments among which one common one is the College of Arts and Sciences, which houses many of the individual departments or mentioned above under the same office of the dean.

You many also have noticed that many smaller colleges and universities are labeled Liberal Arts colleges. The focus is to offer their students with an opportunity to study a wide array of courses in the humanities, physical sciences, and social sciences. In other words, a liberal arts education provides students with the opportunity to explore multiple academic disciplines rather than following a specific list of courses, which train them for a career. The studies tend to be interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary or general studies.

A common question that comes up is what one can do with a liberal arts degree. Liberal arts majors learn many skills to function in many settings including critical thinking, communication skills, and other lifelong skills. Because the liberal arts cover a broad spectrum of discipline, there is no one specific career path. However, it is not uncommon for students to pursue graduate education in their area of interest or professional graduate education for example law school.