Study Liberal Arts in Nevada
It’s hard not to think of the shining lights of Las Vegas when you think of Nevada. However, the Silver State is much more than Sin City. It’s a state rich in history and tradition with robust tourism and mining industries.
Dotting the Nevada landscape is also a network of public and private colleges and universities where you can study virtually any subject you like. Better still, many of Nevada’s institutions of higher learning have liberal arts-related majors that enable you to tailor your studies to your specific interests. Below are some of the popular programs that represent some of the most popular liberal arts degrees in the state.
Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Programs in Nevada
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering liberal arts bachelor’s programs in Nevada:
- Nevada State University
- University of Nevada at Reno
- University of Nevada at Las Vegas
- Southern New Hampshire University
- Western Nevada College
- Truckee Meadows Community College
- Great Basin College
- College of Southern Nevada
Nevada State University
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science – Interdisciplinary Studies
At Nevada State University, you can participate in a 120-credit Interdisciplinary Studies degree that gives you the choice to earn a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science. Both degrees require you to complete a certain set of requirements to graduate.
The first requirement to complete is a 31-44 credit-hour college core curriculum. This curriculum is generalist in nature and includes introductory studies in fields like the arts, physical sciences, social sciences, math, and English. These courses are typically completed during your first and second years of college.
The next requirement you must complete is a six-credit interdisciplinary studies core. Two classes comprise this component of the degree. The first is intended to help prepare for interdisciplinary academic inquiry. The second is a capstone project in which you provide evidence of the skills and abilities you have acquired during the program. These courses are required of all interdisciplinary majors regardless of your areas of concentration.
The bulk of your coursework in interdisciplinary studies is in two concentration areas, both of which are your choice. You must complete 24-25 credits in each area for a total of 48-50 major-area credits. There are hundreds of possible combinations to choose from, making this a highly customizable degree. Some options you might consider include the following:
- Health and Wellness and Promotion
- English and History
- Environmental Science and Business
- Education and Psychology
No matter which two concentration areas you choose, you will explore common problems from different perspectives and gain skills and knowledge that enable you to solve these problems in creative and effective ways. The skills you will acquire include the following:
- The ability to synthesize information from multiple sources.
- The ability to work independently.
- Critical thinking, research, and writing skills.
- Creative thinking skills.
- Effective presentation skills
The application for admission to Nevada State is available online. You must meet the following requirements to apply as a first-year student:
- Complete a high school curriculum that includes 4 units of English, 3 units of math, 2 units of natural sciences, and 3 units of social science or social studies.
- Have a cumulative high school GPA of 2.5 or above (unweighted).
- Submit GED or HiSET scores (if applicable).
- Submit official high school transcripts.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you have attended.
The same requirements apply if you are submitting an application as a transfer student. You are classified as a transfer student if you have already earned 12 or more transferable college credits and have done so with a 2.0 GPA or higher.
The University of Nevada at Reno
Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies
The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Nevada at Reno is a traditional on-campus Bachelor of Arts program that takes about four years of full-time studies to complete. During that time, you must successfully finish 120 credits of semester coursework with a 2.0 GPA or higher.
This program requires you to complete at least 42 units of upper-division studies. Thirty or more of your upper-division credits must be earned at UNR to satisfy residency requirements. This is in addition to 45 credits of required coursework within the major. Of those 45 credits, 15 are breadth courses, and 30 are within two areas of concentration.
The breadth courses come from outside the two areas of concentration. The purpose of these breadth courses is to expand your studies beyond your focus areas. Meanwhile, the two focus areas can be in any approved minors at the university. You can also choose to replace one of the minors with a faculty-approved customized minor. In either case, you must complete 18 or more upper-division credits between the two minors.
Other degree requirements are as follows:
- 15-18 units of approved elective courses
- 24-27 units of general education courses in areas such as composition, quantitative reasoning, physical sciences, social sciences, the arts, history, and culture
- 18 units of core coursework in the following fields:
- Science, Technology, and Society
- Diversity and Equity
- Global Contexts
- Ethics
As an interdisciplinary studies major, you must also complete capstone and application experiences. The capstone component requires you to ponder open-ended problems and complex issues, analyze them, and propose solutions.
Meanwhile, the application component can take many different forms, such as an internship, practicum, service-learning experience, or thesis, to name a few. The purpose of the application component is for you to demonstrate an ability to apply what you have learned in a detailed experiential learning activity.
You can apply to the University of Nevada at Reno online. As a first-year applicant, you must meet the following requirements:
- Graduate from an accredited or university-approved high school.
- Complete 4 units of English, 3 units of math, 3 units of science, and 3 units of social studies with a weighted GPA of 3.0 or higher in these courses.
- Submit official high school transcripts.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you have attended.
- Provide ACT or SAT scores if you wish.
If you are applying as a transfer student, you must have at least 24 transferable college credits and have a 2.5 college GPA or higher.
The University of Nevada at Las Vegas
Bachelor of Arts – Multidisciplinary Studies
The University of Nevada at Las Vegas offers a flexible Multidisciplinary Studies program that culminates with a Bachelor of Arts degree. The degree is offered on the UNLV campus and requires the completion of 120 semester credits to graduate.
As a multidisciplinary studies major, you will be able to explore multiple fields to create a customized degree program. The program you design cannot be similar to any undergraduate majors or minors already available at UNLV. Instead, it must be tailored to your specific interests and demonstrate how it diverges from readily available options.
The program includes the following requirements:
- 37-41 general education credits in areas like English, literature, social studies, math, humanities and fine arts, physical sciences, philosophy, and multicultural studies.
- 21 credits in liberal arts, including social science, foreign language or culture, and additional fine arts.
- 9 credits of core multidisciplinary studies courses, including Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies, Interdisciplinary Research Methods, Interdisciplinary Inquiry, and an Interdisciplinary Capstone.
- 13-17 general electives.
There are two major options for this degree. The first option is to complete two areas of study, each with at least 21 credits, 18 of which must be upper division. The second option is to complete three areas of study, each of which must have 15 or more credits, 12 of which must be upper division.
You can choose concentration areas from departments across campus. Though it’s prudent to study fields that are somehow related either by practicality or by theme, you can choose whatever concentrations you like. The primary requirement is that you demonstrate your understanding of your chosen fields, how you’ve incorporated the studies in each field, and how your newfound knowledge can be used to solve problems, improve society, and the like.
As noted above, a capstone course is required. You will take this course during the final semester of the program and use it to prepare a project, paper, or presentation, which you must present prior to graduation.
The application for undergraduate admission to UNLV is online. To qualify for admission as a first-year student, you must meet ONE of the following requirements:
- Have a 3.0 high school GPA with 4 units of English, 3 units of math, 3 units of social science, and 3 units of natural science.
- 1120 combined SAT score in EBRW and math.
- 22 ACT composite score.
- Have a Nevada Advanced High School Diploma.
- Have a Nevada College and Career Ready High School Diploma.
You must also pay a $60 application fee and submit official high school and college transcripts (if applicable).
Southern New Hampshire University
Bachelor of Arts in General Studies
If you are a Nevada resident and prefer to get your degree online, you might choose the Bachelor of Arts in General Studies from Southern New Hampshire University. This 120-credit program is available entirely online and offers flexible start dates so you can begin your education when it’s right for you. But this isn’t just a program for first-year students – you can transfer up to 90 credits if you’ve already begun your degree elsewhere.
During your time in this program, you will take a wide range of courses that help you build competence for future studies or for entering the workplace. You will take general education courses in the humanities, science, history, writing, and other fields. You will also develop high-level skills in communication, analytics, and critical thinking, all of which are highly sought-after by employers.
The curriculum is structured as follows:
- 42 general education credits
- A 3-credit degree planning course
- 12 credits in a concentration area
- 63 credits of free elective
The list of possible concentrations you can choose from is exceptionally long. In fact, there are nearly 30 concentrations available, ranging from math to psychology to criminal justice. Unique concentrations like Creative Problem Solving, Essentials of Sport Management, and Coding Basics are also available.
As a result of your studies, you will graduate with a broad range of skills that include the following:
- The ability to evaluate culture, the physical and natural world, fine arts, humanities, and other fields with a critical, multidisciplinary approach.
- The ability to apply various communication skills in different situations for multiple audiences.
- The ability to use quantitative and qualitative reasoning to analyze situations.
- The ability to demonstrate an empathic understanding of diverse cultures, viewpoints, and perspectives.
- The ability to apply ethical approaches in professional settings.
- The ability to reflect upon your experiences beyond the classroom.
To help you succeed, SNHU offers courses without set class times. You can access your digital classrooms any time of day, any day of the week. Furthermore, you’ll have access to a host of helping resources and academic advisors to help guide your studies from your first day until you graduate.
SNHU’s application for admission is available online. You only need to fill out the free application for admission and submit transcripts from every college or university you have attended. ACT or SAT scores are not required. SNHU offers rolling admissions, so you can apply and begin your studies at multiple points in any given academic year.
What are the Liberal Arts Career Opportunities in Nevada?
As mentioned earlier, the bright lights of Las Vegas are what most people think of when they envision Nevada. This makes sense as it’s the state’s largest city and most popular tourist destination. That makes Las Vegas an ideal location for pursuing a job after graduating with a liberal arts degree.
The obvious choice for many people seeking employment in Las Vegas is to work in the tourism industry. Fortunately, there are many avenues you can take to secure a job in this field. For example, with a liberal arts degree in travel and tourism, you might work for a travel agency to plan travel arrangements and events for individual or corporate clients.
Alternatively, you might use your liberal arts education with a focus on hospitality. Hospitality careers run the gamut from managing a restaurant to overseeing guest relations operations in one of Las Vegas’ hotels.
You might use a hospitality liberal arts degree to focus instead on event planning. For example, you might work with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to plan and organize large-scale events for businesses and organizations holding conventions in the city. Alternatively, you might open your own event planning business and help individuals plan gatherings like weddings in Las Vegas.
Yet another career you might pursue is in customer relations. As a liberal arts graduate, you will possess many of the skills that are necessary to provide effective customer support, not the least of which are effective communication and problem-solving skills. You can use these skills in many different contexts, from working as a concierge at a high-end Las Vegas hotel to providing customer support for clients at one of Nevada’s exclusive country clubs.
But, tourism isn’t the only field available to you as a liberal arts graduate. A good example of this is working in education. Some liberal arts programs offer specializations in areas like pre-K and elementary education that allow you to work as a teaching assistant or daycare provider. You might also work in higher education as an admissions or career counselor.
Ultimately, the broad-based, customizable nature of a liberal arts degree can lead to many different career possibilities in Nevada. By planning ahead and tailoring your degree to your career goals, you can make the transition from college to the workforce much easier.
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