Study Liberal Arts in Utah

Utah is home to some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. You can explore mountains and valleys, deserts and forests, and five national parks, too. The Beehive State is a great place to get a higher education, too. The Utah System of Higher Education has nine member schools, including the University of Utah, the state’s largest college. There are nearly two dozen other institutions of higher education in the state, many of which offer liberal arts bachelor’s programs.

This guide offers insights into some of the popular liberal arts programs in the state. Have a look at each institution to learn more about the benefits their programs offer you!

Best Accredited Liberal Arts Bachelor's Programs and Colleges in Utah Online

Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Programs in Utah

Listed below are some of the popular schools offering liberal arts bachelor’s programs in Utah:

  • Utah State University
  • University of Utah
  • Utah Tech University
  • Weber State University
  • Westminster University – Utah
  • Southern Utah University
  • Utah Valley University
  • Salt Lake Community College
  • Ensign College

Utah State University

Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts

The Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts program at Utah State University offers you the flexibility of studying online or on campus. In each case, you must complete 120 or more semester credits to graduate, which requires around four years of full-time studies.

However, first-year students are not admitted to the program. Instead, it’s designed for returning or transfer students who have already completed at least 45 college credits. If you’re a first-year student, you’ll need to complete roughly three full-time semesters of study before applying to this program.

This degree can be completed on its own or alongside another major. You can also choose to complete what the university calls a “strong minor,” which supplements the interdisciplinary nature of the Liberal Arts degree with more focused studies.

The curriculum focuses on several areas in the liberal arts, specifically the following:

  • Historical and Cultural Traditions
  • Social and Legal Institutions
  • Arts and Literature
  • Critical Thinking, Reasoning, and Ethical Inquiry

These broad subjects are the basis of your program of study, but you will work with an academic advisor to develop a detailed plan for exploring topics that most interest you. As part of that process, you will identify four specific learning goals that your selected courses will help fulfill. You must complete nine credits of coursework for each goal, resulting in a total of 36 credits.

The 36 credits of major-area studies must come from at least two different academic departments. Likewise, at least half of the 36 credits must be at the 3000 or 4000 levels. If you are a transfer student, at least half of these credits must be earned at Utah State. You must additionally meet the university’s foreign language requirement via one of the following pathways:

  • Complete at least one 202-level foreign language course or higher.
  • Successfully complete the American Sign Language IV and Socio-Cultural Aspects of Deafness courses by passing an exit interview.
  • Successfully complete proficiency in two foreign languages by completing a 1020-level course in one and a 2010-level course in the other.
  • Complete a 3000-level course or higher in foreign language grammar or literature.

You can apply to Utah State University online. As noted earlier, you cannot apply to this specific program as a first-time student. Once you satisfy the 45-credit threshold, you can apply to the Liberal Arts program, provided you have a 2.5 cumulative GPA. You must also meet the following requirements to apply as a transfer student:

  • Pay a $50 application fee (applies only to non-resident students).
  • Submit official transcripts from every college or university you have attended.
  • Provide high school transcripts or GED if you have fewer than 24 college credits.
  • Concurrent enrollment transcripts.
  • ACT or SAT scores (though this is optional).

The University of Utah

Bachelor of University Studies

The University of Utah offers a Bachelor of University Studies that offers the flexibility to customize your learning plan for a truly unique degree. The degree you devise mustn’t be available as a regular undergraduate degree at the university. To ensure this is the case, you’ll work with the director of the program and a tenure-track professor to develop the program.

You must make a formal proposal for your major that demonstrates it is an academically rigorous course of study. The proposal must include specific details about your academic plans and your plans after graduation. Specifically, you must explain how your proposed degree will help you achieve your goals. You must also explain the following:

  • Why can your goals not be met by an existing major or a combination of majors and minors?
  • How does the coursework you propose help you develop the knowledge and skills for your academic and occupational goals?
  • How will your senior project or thesis play out? How will you collect, evaluate, and apply the necessary data?

Likewise, your major must have a thematic focus that guides your progression as a student. Despite having a thematic focus, you will still take a wide range of courses in many different subject areas. The theme of your major is really only limited by your imagination. Examples of past majors developed by students include the following:

  • Landscape Design
  • Study of Japan
  • Biomedical Illustration
  • Business Computer Science
  • American Sign Language

Regardless of the focus area you devise, you must complete the senior project or thesis requirement mentioned earlier. While the project is traditionally done as a thesis, the university gives you leeway to design a different kind of summative presentation to showcase what you have learned. For example, you might create a visual work of art, a computer software program, or develop a portfolio as applicable to your course of study.

This program requires you to complete at least 56 credits of 3000-level courses or higher. You need 44 credits or more in your major area, with at least 16 being at the 4000 level or higher. Additionally, you must earn grades of C or higher in all major-area courses and successfully complete an exit interview with the director of the university studies program. All told, you must complete 120 credits of coursework to complete this degree.

You can apply to the University of Utah online. First-year applicants must provide the following:

  • A $55 application fee
  • Official high school transcripts
  • ACT or SAT scores

Additionally, you must have a 2.5 cumulative GPA or higher to apply to the university studies program. You must also have at least 30-40 credits remaining to graduate.

Utah Tech University

Bachelor of Arts – Integrated Studies

The Integrated Studies program from Utah Tech can be completed as a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science, depending on your preference. Both degrees have a 120-credit curriculum that takes four years of full-time studies to complete.

The program is completed in several parts, the first of which is a core of general education courses. These courses build a foundation of advanced understanding of common subject areas, including English, math, social science, physical science, and fine arts. There is a foreign language requirement as well.

You must also complete a core of integrated studies courses. These courses focus your attention on gaining relevant skills necessary for an integrated program. For example, you will take an introductory Interdisciplinary Studies course that evaluates essential concepts, methods, and theories of your selected concentration areas. You will also have the opportunity to take a travel study course, explore interdisciplinary topics, and complete either a senior project or senior thesis.

Utah Tech additionally requires you to select at least two focus areas. These areas are selected from nearly three dozen options that run the gamut from art to health care administration to music. The two areas you select don’t necessarily have to be closely related. For example, you might combine psychology and recreation management or Spanish and earth science.

Other focus areas include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Marketing
  • Sociology
  • Communication Studies
  • Criminal Justice
  • Economics

As noted earlier, this is a 120-credit program. Of those, at least 40 credits must be at the 3000 level or above. Furthermore, you must complete 30 or more upper-division credits (e.g., 3000 level or above) at Utah Tech. You must complete all credits at Utah Tech with a 2.0 GPA or higher, including a grade of C or higher in each integrated studies core course and each focus area course.

The application for Utah Tech is available online. First-year applicants must submit a $35 application fee, official high school transcripts, and official transcripts from every college or university attended, including courses taken concurrently when in high school.

Weber State University

Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies

Weber State’s Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies prepares you to enter the workplace in any number of disciplines. Likewise, the 120-credit program is preparatory for advanced studies in graduate school. The added flexibility of earning either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science makes this program an ideal choice if you want a highly customizable program.

As with any degree at Weber State, the BIS program requires you to complete general education courses in areas like physical sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities, math, and English. These introductory courses help you develop the knowledge and skills needed to study higher-level topics of your choice in the BIS program.

The program is straightforward: you select three focus areas from virtually any department at Weber State. From there, you will select courses in each focus area that help prepare you for your future academic or occupational goals. The university offers more than 60 focus areas to give you the greatest level of choice for developing your degree. Some of these focus areas include the following:

  • Asian Studies
  • Performing Arts
  • Economics
  • Women and Gender Studies
  • Physics

Other options include psychology, earth and environmental sciences, and art history. You are free to select whichever three focus areas you wish – they need not be directly related to one another or adhere to a common theme. This opens up the possibility of creating a truly bespoke program of study. Each of your concentration areas must include 18 or more semester credits.

For example, you might concentrate in Automotive Studies, Computer Science, and English. Or, you might focus on Leadership, Music, and History. Of course, you are free to select focus areas that are closely aligned, too, like Psychology, Sociology, and Communications, or Computer Science, Web Design, and Cybersecurity.

The BIS program requires you to complete a capstone project. Again, you are free to devise a capstone experience that best suits your needs. For example, you might develop a primary or secondary research project, a creative project like a portfolio, or a service-learning project.

To enroll in this program, you must select your three concentration areas and complete the BIS application and Contract Forms. You must also submit a Statement of Purpose explaining why you wish to complete a BIS degree. First, though, you must be a Weber State Student. You can apply to the university here. You must provide the following when applying as a first-year student:

  • Official high school transcripts or GED diploma.
  • Official transcripts from every college or university from which you have earned credit (including concurrent enrollment or early college credits earned during high school).
  • ACT or SAT scores (though this is optional).

What are the Liberal Arts Career Opportunities in Utah?

The beauty of the degrees outlined above is that they are flexible enough to prepare you for any number of jobs in any number of career fields. For example, let’s say you complete your liberal arts degree by focusing on English, communications, and journalism. This blend of coursework is ideally suited for preparing you for a career as a print, online, or TV journalist. In Utah, this might mean working for a newspaper, like the Salt Lake Tribune, an online magazine, or a TV newscast in Salt Lake City.

Now let’s assume your Utah liberal arts program focuses on psychology and criminal justice. This combination of studies can prepare you well for a career in corrections. For example, you might work as a probation and parole officer and specialize in working with adult or juvenile defenders. Likewise, you might pursue a career with the Utah Department of Corrections as a bailiff in one of the state’s local or county jails.

Your liberal arts education could also lead to employment in local or state government in Utah. For example, the Salt Lake City area is growing rapidly and requires thoughtful urban planning. If your degree program focuses on fields like architecture, public works, or public administration, you might find employment with a local government as a city planner.

Some liberal arts students concentrate their studies in marketing, business, and management. If this applies to you, a wealth of employment opportunities could await you after graduation. On the one hand, you might find employment as a human resources specialist in a medium-to-large-sized Utah business or organization. On the other hand, you might pursue an entry-level management position and gain on-the-job experience that allows you to move up the management ranks.

Another business-related career you might consider is in marketing. There are many different positions in this field in Utah, from social media marketing to print marketing to digital marketing. In each case, you would be responsible for promoting businesses in a way that entices consumers to purchase products or services.

Utah has a robust tourism industry that could prove fruitful from a career standpoint. With a liberal arts degree that focuses on environmental studies, hospitality management, or tourism, you could work for a local or state tourism agency, a state or national park in Utah, or at one of the state’s dozens of museums.

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