Study Liberal Arts in Kansas
If you live in Kansas and want to study more than one major area in college, a liberal arts bachelor’s program might be the right answer. Fortunately, many Kansas colleges and universities offer liberal arts-related majors, like liberal studies, interdisciplinary studies, and multidisciplinary studies.
And with campuses in all corners of the state and many online programs to choose from, you not only get the flexibility of a customizable degree, but you also get the advantage of getting your degree in the place and via the medium that works best for you. Though Kansas has many degree choices, we have narrowed the list to some of the popular options below.
Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Programs in Kansas
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering liberal arts bachelor’s programs in Kansas:
- University of Kansas
- Fort Hays State University
- Emporia State University
- Washburn University
- Bethany College
- University of Saint Mary
- Kansas Wesleyan University
- Butler Community College
- MidAmerica Nazarene University
The University of Kansas
Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Sciences
The Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Sciences from the University of Kansas is a four-year online degree program designed specifically for professionals who want to complete a degree, advance their career, or start a new career in a different field. Likewise, this program is preparatory for graduate studies in a variety of fields, from communications to psychology to business.
The program, which requires 120 credits to graduate, is completely online. There are no campus visits or field experiences required. Instead, you can complete the requirements of the degree from the comfort of your home and at a pace that fits with your life. Take fewer courses during busy periods and load up on extra courses in semesters when you have more time.
This program requires you to complete at least one course in 15 distinct departments or programs within the College or School of the Arts. Each course must be at least two credits. These courses fulfill the Liberal Arts and Sciences breadth requirement.
You must also take two courses in a world language or culture, each being in the same language or culture and each being at least three credits. Two science and math courses are required as well. This is in addition to the general core courses required of all students at the University of Kansas. You wil have the opportunity to take elective courses, too, to round out your education and meet the requirements for graduation.
It is recommended that you have earned at least 24 college credits prior to applying to this program, though KU strongly encourages applicants to have 40 or more credits already completed. These hours can be from KU or from another university, college, or community college.
For guaranteed admission as a first-year student, you must meet the following requirements:
- Have a 3.25 high school GPA or higher (ACT and SAT scores are not required if this is the case).
- Score 21 or higher on the ACT or 1060 or higher on the SAT, plus have a high school GPA of 2.0 or higher.
If you don’t meet these requirements, you can still apply, and the KU admissions team will examine your application based on a variety of factors, including:
- GPA in the core high school curriculum.
- Cumulative high school GPA.
- Strength of the courses you took in high school.
- ACT or SAT scores.
- College transcripts, if applicable.
As a transfer student, you must have a 2.5 college GPA or higher in at least 24 credits of coursework. Your courses must be from a regionally accredited community college, college, or university.
Fort Hays State University
Bachelor of General Studies
Fort Hays State University offers a Bachelor of General Studies degree that offers the same level of flexibility and customization as a liberal arts program. It is a four-year, 120-credit, on-campus program in Fort Hays, Kansas.
You have a tremendous amount of leeway regarding how your degree plan unfolds. Fort Hays State offers eleven traditional concentration areas you can choose from, including education, justice studies, and general business. Other options include:
- Historical Studies
- Business Communication
- Gerontology
- Child Development
- Geoscience Studies
- Informatics Studies
- Health Promotion
- Human Services (Sociology)
Seven other concentrations are available if you are a member of Fort Hays’ military partnership program. These include the following:
- Psychological Studies
- Tourism & Hospitality Management
- Organizational Leadership
- Sustainability
- Web Development Studies
- Political Leadership and Public Service
- Rural Studies
These concentrations allow you to tailor your general studies degree to a specific career path by taking 21 credits of focused coursework. What’s more, you can use these studies and the other required courses to finish a degree that you have already started, whether you began that degree at Fort Hays State or at another institution. In fact, you must have already completed college credits to be eligible for this program – it is not open to traditional first-year students.
In addition to the 21 concentration-area credits discussed above, you must complete 80 credits of liberal arts and sciences courses. These courses can come from numerous departments, from biological sciences to psychology to history and many others. The remaining 19 credits needed for graduation can come from transferred credits, general education courses, and electives.
This degree isn’t just preparatory for a career. Instead, many graduates use this degree as a springboard for graduate school. Much like using this program to prepare for a career, you can focus your studies in a particular area as preparation for studying that field further in your graduate program.
The Fort Hays State application for undergraduate admission is available online. To apply as a transfer student, you must have completed at least 24 college credits with a 2.0 GPA or higher. If you are under the age of 21 and have less than 24 college credits, you must also meet the first-year admission requirements as follows:
- 2.25 high school GPA or higher or 21 on the ACT or 1060 on the SAT.
- 2.0 GPA on all college coursework taken as a high schooler, if applicable.
You are also required to send official transcripts from every college or university you have attended.
Emporia State University
Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies
Emporia State University’s Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies allows you to customize your degree when the fields that interest you aren’t available as a traditional major. You can do so by choosing two or three broad fields to study or by using one of Emporia’s Interest Pathway advising guides. Furthermore, you can design a specific curriculum in a field of your choice.
There are six Interest Pathways available:
- Library Science and Information Services
- Social Justice Advocacy
- Sustainability Studies
- Scientific Photography or Illustration
- Global Studies
- Community Leadership
However you go about developing your degree, you will do so with the help of a departmental advisor who will ensure you’re on track to graduate. Likewise, you will complete your work either on campus or online, which gives you additional flexibility for completing your education.
This is a 120-credit program that requires about four years to complete. Thirty-six credits are required in the Interdisciplinary Studies program, in addition to two Interdisciplinary Studies courses: Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies Capstone. The first course helps you develop the academic skills necessary to be successful in this program. Meanwhile, the Capstone course involves a reflective component in which you review what you’ve learned as preparation for your next step, be that graduate school or the workforce.
Other requirements are as follows:
- Complete 24 or more credits at Emporia State
- Finish 60 or more hours at a four-year college or university
- Take 45 upper-division credits
- Take at least 24 credits at the 300 level or above
- Maintain a C average in the Interdisciplinary Studies program
- Earn a 2.5 GPA or higher
To qualify as a first-year student, you must meet the following requirements:
- Graduate from an accredited high school and meet one of the following criteria:
- Have a high school GPA of 2.25 or higher
- Earn a 21 composite score or higher on the ACT
- Earn a 1060 composite score or higher on the SAT
To apply as a transfer student, you must have completed at least 24 college credits and have a 2.0 GPA or higher. Alternatively, you can apply as a transfer student if you meet the transfer credit and GPA requirements in addition to one or more first-year admission requirements (e.g., 21 or higher on the ACT, 1060 or higher on the SAT, or 2.25 high school GPA or higher).
Washburn University
Bachelor of Integrated Studies
The Bachelor of Integrated Studies at Washburn University gives you a customizable degree option that allows you to complete a degree you have already started or prepare for a specific career after graduation. Either way, you will be able to explore a variety of academic disciplines while taking courses on campus in Topeka, Kansas.
The more common approach is to use this program as a way to finish your degree. Transferring credits in or utilizing older credit earned at Washburn can significantly reduce the time needed to graduate. To complete your degree as a Bachelor of Integrated Studies, you must have at least 60 credits from a four-year institution with 45 or more credits of upper-division courses. At least 30 of those credits must be from Washburn University. In all, you need 120 credits to graduate.
The second option is to design a custom degree plan. Washburn offers three established pathways for doing so:
- General Studies – This path allows you to combine up to three areas of study. This is a good option if you have interests in multiple areas or if the credits you have already earned are in a variety of fields.
- Administrative Communication – This option combines the areas of Public Administration and Business.
- Web and Technology Utilization – Select this pathway if you are interested in Art and Computer Science.
You can also design your own degree plan. This option gives you the most freedom for customization, but it must be devised in conjunction with your academic advisor to ensure the courses you select meet university requirements for graduation.
Furthermore, you can add a minor to your degree to gain additional skills. Minors are available in areas like Leadership Studies, African American Studies, and Game Design. Other options include the following:
- Community Studies
- Women’s and Gender Studies
- Great Texts
- Peace and Justice Studies
- Museum Studies
- Kansas Studies
- Latin American Studies
And if Integrated Studies isn’t a good fit, Washburn offers several other interdisciplinary degree programs. You can choose from options in Laboratory Science, Liberal Studies, LEAP Law, or Natural Science and Math.
To apply as a first-year or transfer student, you must complete the free application for admission, submit official high school transcripts (only applicable if you have earned fewer than 24 credits), and provide official transcripts from every college or university from which you have earned credit. You can submit ACT or SAT scores, though they are not required for admission.
What are the Liberal Arts Career Opportunities in Kansas?
The broad-based nature of a liberal arts degree means you will exit college with knowledge of the fundamentals of many different academic areas. This can help you find a job in any number of fields after graduation.
For example, let’s assume your liberal arts degree focuses on web and technology studies. You might be able to use your degree to find work as a web designer, web developer, or software developer for a Kansas-based tech company. Alternatively, you might use your education as a vehicle for a freelance career as a technology worker or start your own technology business.
Kansas has dozens of museums and historical sites throughout the state, each of which employs well-trained staff members to complete tasks like archiving, giving tours, maintaining historical artifacts, and more. This field of work could be open to you if you focus your liberal arts program on areas like history, archaeology, museum studies, and related disciplines.
In larger cities like Kansas City, Wichita, and Topeka, you might be able to use your liberal arts degree to pursue a career in marketing or advertising. For example, you can focus your program of study on business, marketing, and psychology to start a career as a junior advertising account executive. In this role, you would develop advertising plans for clients that entice consumers to buy their products or services.
Writing is a central component of many liberal arts programs, and you can use that experience to explore jobs in writing. On the one hand, you might seek an internship or work-study program to get on-the-job experience in journalism. On the other hand, you could focus on TV journalism and strive for a career with a station in one of Kansas’ larger cities. There are many opportunities in the digital space, too – you could write for an online magazine or newspaper or use your skills to start a freelance career.
Human resources is yet another avenue to explore with a liberal arts education. For example, you might find an entry-level position in the HR department of a large Kansas company where you’re responsible for overseeing salary and benefits disbursements. Alternatively, you might be brought on board as a talent scout or as an onboarding trainer who readies new hires for their positions.
No matter what pathway you choose, your degree and the skills you gain while earning it can be of great benefit to you and your employer. And with so many different businesses and industries in Kansas, the sky’s the limit when it comes to the career you can build for yourself!
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