Study Liberal Arts in Delaware
Delaware might not be the biggest state in terms of size or population, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ample opportunities to get an education. More specifically, Delaware colleges and universities offer many liberal arts-related bachelor’s degrees that prepare you for your next step, be that graduate school or the workforce.
While some of the programs listed below require attendance on campus, others are online degrees designed with flexibility in mind. In that regard, you can get a quality liberal arts degree from a Delaware school whether you live in Delaware or not! Consider some of the popular programs described below as some of the best options for your education.
Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Programs in Delaware
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering liberal arts bachelor’s degrees in Delaware:
- University of Delaware
- Delaware State University
- Wilmington University
- Georgetown University
- Goldey-Beacom College
- Delaware Technical Community College
- Southern New Hampshire University
University of Delaware
Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies
The Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from the University of Delaware is a 124-credit interdisciplinary program aimed at helping you develop high-level skills applicable to a broad range of academic disciplines and career fields.
Unlike traditional degrees, this BA in Liberal Studies allows you to customize your degree with courses from multiple disciplines. The degree is broader than a major and minor combination and also broader than many traditional Liberal Studies programs. However, the courses you take aren’t random; instead, you will work with an advisor to develop a curriculum proposal that’s unique to your needs and addresses a specific educational goal.
In fact, as part of the process of enrolling in this program, you must submit a program proposal that is reviewed by an ad hoc committee in the College of Arts and Sciences. There are numerous criteria your proposal must meet:
- It should be coherent, with academic studies that are logically related
- It should be focused with a clearly articulated purpose
- It should explain why your studies cannot be accomplished within an existing major
- The focus must be on one or more liberal arts subjects
- It should be two to four pages typed
Additionally, no more than 15 credits in your proposal can be from colleges other than Arts and Sciences. At least 62 credits must be taken in the College of Arts and Sciences, 39 or more of which must be in your selected field of study.
Your proposal must be submitted with a letter of recommendation from your primary advisor. This letter should explain the necessity of the program and speak to your ability to successfully complete it. The application process is not open until you have completed at least 75 credits, but must occur before the end of the first semester of your junior year of studies.
Once accepted to the program, you must take several required courses in addition to your major-area classes. This includes Math 114 or 115 (or a passing score on a proficiency exam), English 110, and a second writing course at the junior or senior level. Likewise, you must meet the university’s multicultural requirement by taking three credits of ethnic, gender, or multicultural courses.
Of course, you must also complete the general education requirements outlined by the university. These broad, introductory-level courses introduce you to many different academic disciplines, from math to science to the arts. You are required to complete studies in a foreign language, too.
To apply, fill out the University of Delaware application for admission. You must also complete the following tasks:
- Pay a $75 application fee
- Submit a Self-Reported Academic Record of your high school grades
- Submit a letter from your school counselor or the Common Application secondary school report
- Submit ACT or SAT scores or indicate if you prefer to participate in the test-optional program
Once you are eligible to apply to the BA Liberal Arts program, you must fill out an application form and select three faculty to work with. One of these faculty will be your primary advisor. You will then create an initial draft proposal for your program, eventually working toward a final draft for submission.
Delaware State University
Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies
Delaware State University offers a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with an emphasis on interdisciplinary coursework in a variety of liberal studies fields, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Social Sciences
- Humanities
- Natural Sciences
- Language Arts
- Visual Arts
What binds these and other studies together is an examination of big questions from a multidisciplinary view. For example, let’s say you are interested in human development, especially later in life. One of your big questions might be, “How do social and environmental factors influence development in old age?” You might undertake investigations in sociology, social psychology, and environmental science to arrive at a hypothesis.
In your quest to answer your big questions, you will develop critical skills that will help you become an improved student and a better-prepared member of the workforce. You will learn how to evaluate information, think critically, and solve complex problems. You will also acquire improved communication skills, advance your ability to think creatively, and apply your knowledge in various settings.
This program is divided into three segments:
- General education requirements such as those discussed earlier
- Upper-division courses, of which you must complete at least 36 credits
- Academic discipline area courses, of which you must complete at least 18 credits (at least 12 of these credits must be upper-division
The specific courses you take to satisfy the upper-division and academic discipline components vary depending on your area of emphasis. Your emphasis area can be derived from multiple minors or certificate options. Numerous choices are available, including the following:
- Africana Studies Minor
- Law Studies Minor
- Women and Gender Studies Minor
- Entrepreneurship Minor
- Certificate in Alcohol and Drug Counseling (CADC)
Other options to consider include Psychology, Coaching Management, and International Studies, to name a few. Furthermore, you can choose from two pre-made concentrations: Law Studies, Criminal Justice, and Political Science or Media, Arts, and Culture.
Let’s say you choose the Media, Arts, and Culture concentration. In that case, you will take approximately 60 credits in the concentration to go along with approximately 60 credits of general education requirements. The coursework in this concentration is widely varied, and includes topics such as Cinema and Society, Applied Music Industry, andCivic and Professional Leadership.
The Law Studies, Criminal Justice, and Political Science concentration requires you to take classes in Law Enforcement, Social Stratification, and Criminal Law. Other courses of note include Race and Ethnic Relations, Principles of Corrections, and Sociological Theories.
No matter how you go about developing your degree, you must complete at least 120 credits to graduate. Most students can complete this degree in four years of full-time study, but you can accelerate that timeline if you wish or you can study part-time if that better fits your schedule.
You can apply to Delaware State online at any time. To do so, you must create an account and pay a $35 application fee. You must satisfy the following to be eligible for admission:
- Have a high school diploma or equivalency showing you’ve completed the following sequence of courses:
- 4 units of English
- 3 units of math
- 2 units of history
- 1 unit of social studies
- 3 units of science
- 2 units of foreign language
- 4 units of academic electives
- Have a high school GPA of 2.0 or higher
- Submit a composite ACT score of 17 or higher or an SAT score of 800 or higher on the math and critical reading tests
Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Studies
Another option from Delaware State University is the Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Studies. Like the Liberal Studies option discussed above, this interdisciplinary program gives you the flexibility you need to design a program that fits your specific academic and career goals. However, this program is more research-focused and requires you to complete a capstone experience.
A capstone is a hands-on experiential learning exercise in which you integrate studies from multiple areas and seek to answer a significant question or solve a problem of some sort. DSU requires you to select two focus areas that will be the subject of the capstone experience; each focus area includes seven courses or 21 credits of studies.
The capstone occurs toward the end of the program. It’s a summative assessment intended to allow you to reflect on what you have learned throughout the program and apply it in an integrated and cohesive manner. Before you get to that point, though, you must satisfy the other requirements of the program.
For example, you must take Theories and Methods in Integrated Studies prior to starting the capstone experience. This class explores the nuts and bolts of studying multiple disciplines and fosters the development of crucial research skills that you’ll need for the capstone.
You must also complete general education requirements and electives. The general education requirements for this degree are the same for most undergraduate programs at DSU. You will take classes in science, social studies, English, math, and other core areas of inquiry. Most of the general education courses you take will be in the first and second years of this four-year program. These classes include the following:
- English Composition
- Introduction to Philosophy
- Microcomputer Applications
- World Literature
- Fitness and Wellness
You will then transition to taking free electives and integrated studies classes during the program’s third and fourth years. As the name indicates, free electives are courses you choose to take that support your specific interests while also applying toward your major requirements. If, for example, you are interested in fitness, you might take electives in weight training, aerobics, or lifetime activities. As another example, you might take courses in economics, business administration, and human resources if your degree’s focus is on business management.
This program is specifically designed for students who have completed at least 60 credits of coursework, making it ideal if you’ve finished your associate’s degree. However, you can transfer up to 90 credits to this program, meaning you only need to complete 30 credits at DSU to finish this degree.
Other program requirements are as follows:
- Complete 40 or more upper-division courses
- Earn grades of C or better within both of your focus areas
- Have a 2.0 cumulative GPA or higher for all coursework, including general education classes and major-area classes
The application procedure for this program is the same as noted earlier. First, you must have a high school diploma or equivalency showing you have completed the required high school curriculum with a 2.0 GPA or higher. You must also have an ACT composite score of 17 or higher or an SAT math and critical reading combined score of 800 or higher. If you meet these criteria, create a DSU account, complete the online application, and pay the $35 application fee to apply.
Wilmington University
Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies
The Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from Wilmington University is an on-campus 120-credit program with a diverse curriculum split into two components: electives and interdisciplinary studies courses. You must complete 19 elective courses, or 57 credits, and 21 interdisciplinary courses, or 63 credits.
Among these electives and interdisciplinary courses are general education requirements that provide you with a well-rounded basis for advanced studies within your major. Likewise, the required interdisciplinary studies courses help you build essential skills necessary for success in this program. These courses include:
- Cooperative Education for Interdisciplinary Studies
- Financial Literacy
- Interdisciplinary Senior Seminar
- Inferential statistics
- A history elective
Other coursework focuses on English, public speaking, psychology, and politics, to name but a few.
The area in which you can truly customize your degree is with free electives. You can choose electives from disciplines throughout the university in a manner that allows you to explore essential topics from an interdisciplinary lens. So, for example, if you’re interested in marketing and psychology, you might take several courses in each area to see how psychological principles are used in marketing to compel consumers to buy products or services.
As another example, you might take courses in the performing arts, communications, and sociology to explore how art can be used as a vessel for social change. You might also use coursework in communications to determine how effective verbal communication is used in performing arts like the theater to transport audience members to a different time, place, or world.
You can also choose to develop your degree program by using existing minors and certificate programs. Wilmington University offers dozens of options, including:
- Military Studies
- Literature
- Finance
- Photography
- Global Management
You can also choose from options such as Management Information Systems, Political Science, or Mathematics.
You can see the endless options for developing your degree. For example, you might select military studies and political science as a specialization that prepares you for graduate work in history. Or, you might combine finance and global management to prepare for a career as a mid-level manager in a multi-national financial organization.
This program is open to students of all kinds, from returning non-traditional students who haven’t completed a degree to transfer students who have an associate’s degree. If you fall into either category, you might be able to transfer existing credits to this program, thereby reducing the number of credits needed to get your degree.
For example, let’s assume you began your collegiate career at another university and earned 35 credits. In that case, you would need to complete 85 credits to graduate, assuming all 35 credits you’ve already earned transfer to Wilmington. Better still, you can transfer up to 90 credits if you already hold an associate’s degree.
A unique feature of this program is that you can enroll as a dual-credit student and earn graduate credit before you finish your undergraduate degree. Electives from your bachelor’s degree are used to satisfy some of the masters-level coursework required for the Master of Science in Management degree. Not only does this option save you time, but it also saves you money!
The application for admission to Wilmington University is available online. You must complete the following steps when applying:
- Pay a $35 application fee
- Submit official high school transcripts or provide equivalency test scores
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you have attended
- Provide immunization records
Georgetown University
Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies
Though Georgetown is in Washington, D.C. and not Delaware, its Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies is an online program you can complete remotely from Delaware. Not only is this a flexible way to get a degree, but it’s also a degree from one of the nation’s premier universities.
This degree-completion program is designed for returning students who have earned 64 college credits or less. That means you can graduate from Georgetown by completing as few as 56 credits. You can finish those credits in a part-time or full-time capacity, depending on your needs.
Throughout your studies, you will gain insights into disciplines ranging from the natural sciences to philosophy to business and entrepreneurship. These and other classes are divided amongst three areas: core courses, concentration courses, and electives.
The core course component includes 18 credits that are earned in six areas. You will take one course in each of the following: Humanities, Philosophy, Social Sciences, Culture, Natural Sciences, and Writing.
The concentration course component is 48 credits in your chosen fields. Georgetown offers many different options, including:
- Business and Entrepreneurship
- Humanities
- Professional Media and Communication
- International Relations
- Individualized Study
The 48 credits needed to complete the concentration varies from one to the next. But as an example, let’s say you choose the Humanities track. In that case, you would take four required courses: Religion and the Word, Modern and Postmodern World, Ancient Mediterranean: Cultural Interactions, and State and Religion in Medieval and Renaissance Worlds. You would supplement these 12 credits with another 36 elective credits in the humanities.
Lastly, you must complete 54 credits of elective courses of your choosing. The elective courses can enhance your concentration courses with a deeper level of investigation or they can be complementary to your concentration field. For example, you might take a humanities course in Egyptian History to supplement your required humanities courses. Or, alternatively, you might take an elective in Museum Studies as a complementary class to your required humanities coursework.
Regardless of the concentration area you select, the curriculum focuses on developing your written and verbal communication skills. You will also gain advanced critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills. Many of your classes also emphasize professional skills that will assist you in being successful in your post-college career.
Though this program is online, you will have access to a huge network of resources. This includes distinguished faculty, experienced leaders in relevant industries, and academic advising services to ensure you stay on track to graduate.
To enroll, you must first apply to Georgetown’s School of Continuing Studies. In addition to completing the online application, you must:
- Provide high school transcripts, GED scores, or a course-by-course evaluation
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you have attended
- Submit English proficiency exam scores (if English is not your native language)
- Provide a resume or curriculum vitae, a statement of purpose, a writing sample, or one letter of recommendation (these are optional, however)
Applications to this program are accepted throughout the year. Start dates are available in the fall, spring, and summer terms to give you the utmost flexibility for starting your studies.
Is the University of Delaware a Hard School to Get Into?
The University of Delaware is considered moderately selective. The selectivity of a university can vary widely based on a number of factors, including the program of study. The acceptance rate has fluctuated around 70% in recent years, but these numbers can change from year to year.
Is the University of Delaware a Liberal Arts School?
The University of Delaware is a comprehensive university that offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs across various fields of study, including the sciences, engineering, business, education, and the arts and humanities. While it is not exclusively a liberal arts college, the University of Delaware does have a strong liberal arts component within its College of Arts and Sciences.
What are the Liberal Arts Career Opportunities in Delaware?
With a liberal arts degree in Delaware, you can explore many different career opportunities. On the one hand, you might use a degree focused on the arts to start a career as a graphic designer in Wilmington. On the other hand, you might use a political science-focused degree to find work for state politicians in Dover, the capital of Delaware.
Alternatively, you might use a multidisciplinary education in business, communications, and marketing to start your own marketing company in Middletown. Or, if tourism and hospitality are of interest, you can start a career in the state’s travel industry, perhaps in one of the state’s oceanside towns or villages. With a liberal arts degree in hand, you can take your career in any number of directions!
The corporate sector in Delaware, notably in Wilmington, offers substantial opportunities for liberal arts graduates. The city’s status as a hub for major banks and financial services companies means there is a demand for professionals with strong analytical and communication skills. Roles in marketing, human resources, public relations, and corporate communications are particularly relevant. These positions benefit from the liberal arts’ emphasis on writing, research, and ethical reasoning.
Education is another significant area of employment for liberal arts graduates in Delaware. Beyond traditional teaching roles, which may require additional certification depending on the level and subject matter, there are opportunities in educational administration, curriculum development, and educational policy. The state’s focus on improving education at all levels means that innovative, well-rounded thinkers are in demand to contribute to these efforts.
Furthermore, the growing technology sector in Delaware, while often associated with more technical skills, increasingly recognizes the value of liberal arts graduates. Companies are looking for employees who can bring a different perspective to problem-solving, manage diverse teams, and communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Roles in user experience design, content strategy, and project management are particularly suited to individuals with a liberal arts education.