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online liberal studies degree

Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies Degree

Start your online liberal studies degree

Broaden your horizons through liberal studies and pursue a future in teaching. Our Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies is designed to prepare students with no prior teaching experience for a multiple subject teaching credential in California.

Field experiences are integrated throughout the program, finishing with a student teaching requirement that鈥檚 above and beyond program coursework. And, you鈥檒l work with dedicated education staff who will help you through state licensures and other credential processes.

Transfer credits

Save time and money on your bachelor's degree with eligible transfer credits.

Ways to save

Your work, life, and school experiences may give you a head start on your degree.

Apply free

No application fee
No SAT/ACT
No essay required

Ignite Your Passion

Start when you're ready

Courses

Browse courses for your liberal studies bachelor's degree

Education should hold practical value. That鈥檚 why our courses meet rigorous academic standards and provide you with skills and knowledge immediately applicable to your career.

Skills-aligned program icon

Look for this icon to see which skills you鈥檒l learn in a course.

Requirements: 121 credits

You鈥檒l need 121 credits to complete this Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies degree. Your course schedule may vary based on transferable credits.

2 Clinical Practice/Student Teaching Courses

During your clinical practice experience 鈥 one of the final steps to complete your degree 鈥 you鈥檒l complete a student teaching experience where you will apply your instruction and classroom management skills full time. Working under the supervision of a teacher and a 爱污传媒 faculty supervisor, you鈥檒l develop lesson plans, teach, work with diverse student populations and incorporate technology into the classroom.

2 Clinical Practice/Student Teaching Courses

13 Core Courses

Here鈥檚 where you鈥檒l pick up the bulk of your program-specific knowledge. By the time you finish these courses, you should have the confidence and skills needed in a professional environment.

13 Core Courses

Schedule

Your academic counselor will help you schedule your classes.

Plus, you鈥檒l find support from our dedicated education program specialists who work with you 1:1 during your 100 required hours of clinical experience (or more if required by your state) and a minimum of 12 weeks of clinical practice (or more if required by your state). Our education program specialists also help you navigate your state licensure requirements for teacher certification, and can help with questions along the way.

COE Central

College of Education students will find many helpful resources on . Program handbooks provide a wealth of information on topics such as professional expectations, clinical experiences, clinical practice, internships, edTPA and much more. Milestone roadmaps, technology and multimedia resources, and various toolkits are also available.

Program Purpose Statement

The Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies is an undergraduate degree program intended to prepare students with no prior teaching experience for initial teacher licensure. The program includes a clinical component requiring field experiences and student teaching above and beyond program coursework.

Requirements for licensure vary by state. See your state鈥檚 requirements.

There may be additional qualifications and/or disqualifications applicable in order to work as a teacher with any local, state or federal entity.

Skills-aligned program icon

Earn career-relevant skills in weeks 鈥 not years.

Learning shouldn鈥檛 take years to put into practice. That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e empowering you to build career-relevant skills with every five- to six-week course.

We鈥檝e worked with the labor market researcher Lightcast to identify in-demand skills for occupations and mapped those to our related associate, bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degree programs.

Tuition

Paying for school

Tuition is based on number of credit hours per course. Courses are typically 3 credits, but can range from 1-6 credits. Costs do not include savings opportunities like transfer credits and scholarships.

Tuition Guarantee

Undergrad cost per course

$1,364/ course

Cost per credit听

Credits per course

Resource fee

$398

x3

+ $170

Estimated cost per course

$1,364

An illustration showing a couple pushing a stroller with a dollar sign and clock in the background

What affects the overall cost of my program?

Your full program cost can vary by:听

  • Savings opportunities.鈥痀our cost could be reduced with eligible transfer credits, scholarships, employer discounts and more. Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved $11K and 1 year off their undergraduate degree at 爱污传媒.
  • California Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF). If you鈥檙e a California resident or enrolled in a residency program, you must pay the state-imposed assessment for STRF which is currently $0 per $1,000 of institutional charges. The STRF assessment is nonrefundable.
  • Additional estimated costs. The Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies requires payment of additional charges to third parties for Certificate of Clearance Application, fingerprinting, TB testing and competency exams, which are listed in the听estimated cost table听below.

With our Tuition Guarantee, you pay one flat, affordable rate from the moment you enroll to the day you graduate from your program.

Discover ways to save time and money on your degree with our Savings Explorer听tool:

Additional estimated third-party costs:

Charge type

Cost

California Certificate of Clearance Application Fee

$52.65

Fingerprinting Fees

$116[1]

TB Testing

$139[2]

California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) Exam

$90

California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) Exam

$297

Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA) Exam

$171

Education Teachers Performance Assessment (edTPA)

$300

1听The amount shown for fingerprinting represents the estimated cost for fingerprints. The actual amount the student pays will depend on the agency the student uses for their school district.

2听The amount shown for TB testing represents the estimated cost for a TB test. The actual amount the student pays will depend on the agency the student uses for their school district.

Transfer credits

Your prior eligible college credits can save you time and money, helping you graduate faster. That鈥檚 why we鈥檝e accepted credits from 5,000+ institutions. Check to see if you can apply eligible transfer credits from an institutionally accredited university or college toward a degree of your choice.

Up to 75%

of your bachelor鈥檚 in communication could be covered with eligible transfer credits.

Save time and money when you transfer in eligible credits toward your degree.

爱污传媒 liberal studies degree vs other universities

爱污传媒 ASU Online (BAB) Capella DeVry GCU Purdue Global SNHU Strayer
Tuition rate
Tuition rate
Tuition rate
$398
Tuition rate
$574
Tuition rate
$365 per 1000-2000 level credit
$415 per 3000-4000 level credit
Tuition rate
$514
Tuition rate
$485
Tuition rate
$371
Tuition rate
$330
Tuition rate
$338.89
Typical credits per course
Typical credits per course
Typical credits per course
3
Typical credits per course
4
Typical credits per course
6
Typical credits per course
4
Typical credits per course
4
Typical credits per course
6
Typical credits per course
3
Typical credits per course
4.5
Resource fee
Resource fee
Resource fee
$170
Resource fee
$645*
Resource fee
$600*
Resource fee
$550*
Resource fee
$702*
Resource fee
$1,056*
Resource fee
$0*
Resource fee
$75*
Estimated cost per course
Estimated cost per course
Estimated cost per course
$1,364
Estimated cost per course
$2,941
Estimated cost per course
$3,090
Estimated cost per course
$2,606
Estimated cost per course
$2,642
Estimated cost per course
$3,282
Estimated cost per course
$990
Estimated cost per course
$1,600
Total program length
Total program length
Total program length
120 cr.
Total program length
120
Total program length
180
Total program length
124
Total program length
120
Total program length
180
Total program length
120
Total program length
180
Length of course
Length of course
Length of course
5 wks
Length of course
7.5 weeks
Length of course
10 weeks
Length of course
8 weeks
Length of course
7-8 weeks
Length of course
10 weeks
Length of course
8 weeks
Length of course
11 weeks
Tuition guarantee promise
Tuition guarantee promise
Tuition guarantee promise
Yes
Tuition guarantee promise
No
Tuition guarantee promise
No
Tuition guarantee promise
No
Tuition guarantee promise
NO
Tuition guarantee promise
No
Tuition guarantee promise
No
Tuition guarantee promise
No

Data pulled on September 27, 2024

[1] $365 per 1000-2000 level credit; $415 per 3000-4000 level credit

Source of data: For each institution, the data are publicly available in multiple locations, including Academic Catalogs, Program pages, Tuition and fees pages, and syllabi. All data are publicly available on the websites.听

Certain licensure programs and coursework in other degree programs may have additional fees. Please check with your advisor or听course catalog听for additional info.

Tuition is based on number of credit hours per course. Courses are typically 3 credits, but can range from 1-6 credits.

The Savings Explorer tool can help you find ways to save on your education

Try our Savings Explorer庐 tool

Eligible students saved:

$11,000 & 1 year

Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved $11k and 1 year off their undergraduate degree听with 爱污传媒.

Try our Savings Explorer鈩 tool

Eligible students saved:

$11,000 & 1 year

Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved $11k and 1 year off their undergraduate degree听with 爱污传媒.

Financial aid

You may have options when it comes to paying for college tuition and expenses, such as federal grants and loans. Our finance advisors can answer your questions about financial aid and can help guide you through the process.

Federal Student Loan Basics

Careers & Outcomes

What can you do with听a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies?

Discover where your degree might take you and make informed choices about your future.

A BS/LS can prepare you to be:

Top skills learned in this program:

  • Classroom Management

  • Lesson Planning

  • Child Development

  • Diverse Student Populations

  • Teaching

  • Professionalism

  • Leadership

  • Learning Strategies

  • Innovation

Ready to get started?

Start your application for free or request additional information.

What you鈥檒l learn

When you earn your BS in Liberal Studies, you鈥檒l be equipped with a concrete set of skills you can apply on the job. You鈥檒l learn how to:

  • Design and implement effective instruction in the elementary classroom to produce a positive impact on student learning.
  • Evaluate effective professional practice in elementary education.
  • Apply professional ethics to their instructional practices in elementary education.
  • Evaluate learning principles to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of diverse elementary student populations.
  • Create innovative strategies and incorporate technology in an elementary classroom setting.

-1% Growth

According to the听, job growth听for kindergarten and elementary school teachers is projected to听decline听between between 2023 and 2033.

The BLS Projected Growth for 2023-2033 is published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects the BLS鈥 projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to 爱污传媒 students or graduates.

Admissions

Apply for free 鈥 no application fee, no obligation.

Starting your degree is a big decision 鈥 and we want you to feel great about it. That鈥檚 why we remove obstacles from your application.

  • No SAT/ACT required听
  • No essay required听
  • No cost, risk-free trial for eligible students
  • We鈥檒l request transcripts at no cost to you, when possible, and we accept eligible credits from over 5,000 accredited institutions.

Receive 1-on-1 support

You have a support team of real people you can lean on. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 90% of our surveyed students.[1]听Start a conversation with an enrollment representative today.

[1] Transactional Survey, August 2021-22 (18,645 respondents)

Gabriel G., Enrollment Representative

Call or chat with us 7 days a week.

G. Galindo - Enrollment Representative

Gabriel G., Enrollment Rep

Receive 1-on-1 support

You have a support team of real people you can lean on. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 85% of our surveyed students.[1]

[1] Transactional Survey, September 2022-August 2023 (23,739 respondents)

Start a conversation with an enrollment representative today.

Call us at 844-937-8679 or chat with us 7 days a week.

Student Experience

An education that fits your busy life

Balancing family, work and school

Work toward your degree without giving up what matters most. Start your degree year-round and take one class at a time.

Online learning

Enroll in online classes and attend class whenever it fits your life, day or night.

Around-the-clock support and resources

You have a support team available up to 14 hours a day, 5 days a week.听

Computer requirements for courses

Many course assignments will require you to use a computer to complete and submit your assignment.听

Student completing homework at night while child plays on floor.

Faculty Spotlight

Professionals dedicated to you

Your success is a top priority for our deans and faculty members. They bring an average of听28+ years of experience and hands-on perspective to the classroom, and help bridge the gap between academics and industry knowledge.

Doris Savron

As a faculty member, I'm on your team. I'm your coach and your cheerleader.

Doris Savron
Vice Provost of Colleges, 爱污传媒

As a faculty member, I'm on your team. I'm your coach and your cheerleader.

Accreditation

Accredited for 45+ years

Since 1978, 爱污传媒 has maintained institutional accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), . Learn more about the value of 爱污传媒 accreditation and how it benefits our students.

Frequently听asked questions about听the Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies degree

Liberal studies typically include a diverse selection of course offerings. This program aligns with the California multiple-subject teaching credential and helps you prepare for it.

The 爱污传媒 Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies degree is specifically designed to align with the California multiple subject teaching credential.听

This degree is intended to prepare California residents for initial teacher licensure in California. Successful completion of the degree, in addition to meeting California state requirements, will be needed to apply for a California teaching license. See your state鈥檚 requirements.听

爱污传媒 provides a great wealth of resources to support students seeking teaching credentials. In addition to the resources found on , you will have access to a program support specialist to help you navigate the credentialing process. The University also has close relationships with hundreds of California schools for field work and student teaching placements.

While widely available, not all programs are available to residents of all states. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.