Study Liberal Arts in California
California has its advantages when it comes to getting a higher education. The state has two major university systems: the University of California and California State University. There are also hundreds of private colleges and universities and an extensive community college system.
All told, more than 3 million students go to college in California – which is more than the entire population of many states!
This extensive network of colleges and universities means you can study in just about any corner of California, from urban areas like Los Angeles to rural communities in the desert, mountains, on the coast, and points in between. And if you are interested in majoring in liberal arts as an undergraduate, you will similarly have plenty of choices regarding the right school for you.
In this guide we will explore some of the popular schools offering liberal arts bachelor’s programs in California.

Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Programs in California
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering liberal arts bachelor’s programs in California:
- California State University-Long Beach
- San Francisco State University
- California State University-San Bernardino
- California Baptist University
- Santa Monica College
- California State University -Channel Islands
- Southern New Hampshire University
California State University-Long Beach
Bachelor of Arts (B.A) in Liberal Arts
CSU-Long Beach offers a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts that enables you to complete your college studies with a generalist degree that applies to a variety of workplace settings. This degree has such wide applicability because of its focus on essential job skills related to critical thinking, communication, and scientific reasoning. It’s a prime degree choice if you know you want a professional career but aren’t sure in which field.
Since this is a degree-completion program, you must already have a significant number of college credits already under your belt. To complete your degree, you’re required to complete at least 48 upper-division units at CSU-Long Beach, including nine units in each of the following:
- Oral and Written Communication
- Global Citizenship and Cross-Disciplinary Knowledge
- Cultures, Values and Beliefs
Coursework in these fields gives you a broad understanding of the world in which we live while also helping you develop the crucial skills listed earlier to navigate the complexities of life in the modern world.
In addition to traditional coursework, this degree also requires you to complete a professional portfolio. This class, which is available for up to six units, serves as a summative experience in which you collect and reflect upon a collection of the work you do in the program. The portfolio also serves as a vessel for job searches after graduation, as it highlights the knowledge and skills you gain throughout the program.
The liberal arts bachelor’s program at CSU-Long Beach is unique in that it’s specifically designed for non-traditional students. Most program participants are returning to school, work full-time, and have obligations outside of school, such as caring for children or other family members. As such, the program strives to offer classes at flexible times to better meet your needs.
Additionally, this program is cohort-based, meaning you’ll progress through the program with the same set of classmates. This format is especially helpful for building rapport with other students and developing strong learning communities that provide support for the duration of the program. What’s more, you’ll develop closer relationships with your professors and benefit from abundant one-on-one attention to help you make the most of your degree program.
You can apply to this two-year program online, provided you meet the following criteria when you apply:
- 2.0 GPA or higher
- Completed 72 or more undergraduate units of study
- Completed at least 30 lower-division general education units (e.g., English, oral or written communication, critical thinking, mathematics, quantitative reasoning)
You will also need to submit an application for admission, a $55 application fee, and official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
San Francisco State University
Bachelor of Arts (B.A) in Liberal Arts
The B.A. in Liberal Studies at San Francisco State University is a traditional four-year program that requires around 120 units to complete. The curriculum is typical of most liberal arts and liberal studies programs and encompasses varying areas such as:
- Natural and Social Sciences
- Literature
- Creative Arts
- Communication
- Humanities
Additionally, you will take courses in performance, education, and environmental studies, to name but a few. With a varied college education like this, you can pursue a range of employment options after graduation, including elementary education, theology, and law. Other options include counseling, psychology, and linguistics. The options are endless!
The advantage of a program like this is the level of choice you have regarding the courses you take. A prime example of this is the literature and culture requirement for this degree. You must take at least three units in this area, and you can choose from courses like Vietnamese American Literature, Women Writers and Social Change, or the Age of the American Renaissance.
Likewise, you must take a course in Communication Studies. Again, you can choose from varied topics like Persuasion, Theory and Practice in Advanced Public Speaking, and Performance of Children’s Literature. Other core areas of study include the following:
- Life Sciences (e.g., Principles of Ecology; Nature Study)
- Physical Sciences (e.g., Global Warming; Geology of the National Parks)
- Integrated Social Sciences (e.g., Social Science and Medicine; International Development and Resource Justice)
- Interdisciplinary Humanities (e.g., Critical Animal Studies; Social Justice Themes in the Interdisciplinary Humanities)
- Visual Studies (e.g., Comics and Culture; Social Movements & the Arts for Future Teachers)
San Francisco State University also requires you to complete a culminating experience in the form of a senior seminar. The senior seminar is meant to serve as a time to reflect on your studies and derive greater meaning from what you’ve learned and how it can be applied in a future career.
You can apply to this program anytime online. To do so as a first-year student, you must have a 2.5 high school GPA or higher if you reside in California or graduated from a California high school. Non-resident applicants must have a 3.0 GPA or higher.
Additionally, you must provide official high school transcripts that show you graduated and were conferred a diploma. ACT and SAT scores are no longer required as part of the admissions process.
California State University San Bernardino
Bachelor of Arts (B.A) in Liberal Arts
Yet another excellent option for completing your liberal arts bachelor’s degree is the B.A. offered by CSU-San Bernardino.
If you are just beginning your collegiate journey, this 120-unit program is ideal for getting the well-rounded education you need to pursue many different career paths. You will need around four years of full-time study to complete this program before entering the workforce as a liberal arts graduate.
This degree program has multiple areas of focus that give you a well-rounded educational experience. These areas include the following:
- Multimodal Approaches to Communication
- Digital Literacies: Acquisition and Use
- Research Techniques and Methodologies
- Experiential/Service Learning and Community Engagement
For example, you might take Arabic Communication or Business Chinese to fulfill the communication component of the degree. The Digital Literacy portion of the curriculum is satisfied by taking classes such as Computer Science or Multimedia Journalism.
Furthermore, you can complete the Research Techniques and Methodologies portion of the program by taking classes like Applied Business Statistics, Statistics in Criminal Justice, or Historical Archaeology. The Experiential part of the curriculum is satisfied by taking courses like Socially-Engaged Art or Practicum in Communication Research.
These are just a few examples of the unique and innovative courses you can take as part of this program. There are dozens of options here, allowing you to tailor your studies to your particular liberal arts interests and your future career.
In addition to taking the required number of core courses, you must also complete a culminating experience – either a two-unit Senior Assessment and Writing Workshop or an Independent Study in the Humanities. The writing workshop is a great choice if you intend to work in the journalism field or have a desire to study literature or English in a master’s degree program. The independent study option gives you additional research and technical writing experience while also affording you the chance to polish your verbal communication skills.
Like other universities in the California State University System, CSU-San Bernardino no longer requires you to submit ACT or SAT scores as part of the application process. However, you still must meet the following criteria to apply:
- Have a high school diploma or equivalency
- Complete the appropriate 15-unit comprehensive college preparatory curriculum in high school
- Have a 2.5 GPA or higher as a California resident or graduate, or a 3.0 GPA or higher as a non-resident first-year student
California Baptist University
Online Bachelor of Arts (B.A) in Liberal Arts
California Baptist University’s B.A. in Liberal Studies is unique among the options on this list because it’s the only one offered entirely online. And while you’ll take an array of courses in many different subjects, you can choose from among four concentration areas to provide a bit more focus and direction for your studies. These focus areas include the following:
- English
- Human Development/Early Childhood
- Kinesiology
- Social Science
Regardless of your concentration area, you will gain relevant knowledge and skills that prepare you for a future career. That preparation is rooted in several student learning outcomes deemed critical for student success: effective communication, professionalism, and technical proficiency, among others.
You will hone these and other skills over the course of a program that can be completed in as little as 18 months, provided you have already completed a significant number of undergraduate units. If you transfer into the program with the appropriate number of completed units, you’ll only need to take 48 additional course hours to complete the degree.
As you’d expect, this Liberal Studies program includes explorations of a wide range of topics. Lower-division courses in the humanities give way to upper-division courses in communications, education, and history. Your studies will become more focused as time goes by, particularly after you choose a focus area.
For example, if you choose the kinesiology concentration, you will take classes like:
- Nutrition Science
- Lifelong Motor Development
- Movement Exp for Children
- Behavioral Aspects of Sport
But if you choose the social science concentration, you will take courses like:
- Latin American History
- Non-Western Culture and History
- Diplomatic History of the U.S.
Whatever courses and concentration area you choose, you will benefit from accelerated eight-week courses offered asynchronously online. You can study on your own time and at your own pace to finish your degree.
You can apply to this program online. You must provide official transcripts from any colleges or universities you have attended and have a 2.0 GPA or higher for any college work you have already completed. Those applying as first-year students out of high school must have a cumulative high school GPA of 2.5 or higher.
Is a Liberal Arts Degree Valuable?
A liberal arts degree is indeed valuable, offering a broad-based education that produces well-rounded individuals with versatile skills. Liberal arts degree emphasizes critical thinking, effective communication, and problem-solving abilities, which are highly sought after in various industries. Graduates with a liberal arts background are equipped to analyze complex situations, adapt to different contexts, and communicate effectively with diverse audiences.
Moreover, the interdisciplinary nature of a liberal arts education encourages creativity and a deeper understanding of different cultures and perspectives, fostering a more inclusive and empathetic worldview. This aspect is increasingly important in our globalized society, where understanding and navigating cultural differences are key to personal and professional success.
While a liberal arts degree may not provide specialized technical skills of certain vocational or STEM fields, it prepares you for a wide range of career paths. You can pursue opportunities in education, business, law, public service, journalism, and many other areas. The versatility of a liberal arts education also means that you will be well-positioned to adapt to changing job markets, an essential quality in the rapidly evolving employment landscape.
What are the Liberal Arts Career Opportunities in California?
One of the top career options to consider as a graduate of one of these programs is to become a teacher. With studies in a broad range of disciplines, a liberal arts degree prepares you well for becoming a multiple-subject teacher. In fact, several of the programs listed above comply with exemption requirements for the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) and California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) exams required of prospective teachers in California.
Another potential career path you might consider is in law. While you can’t practice law with a bachelor’s degree, the comprehensive liberal arts education you get is excellent preparation for studying social issues, politics, and legal issues in a law program at a California college or university. Likewise, the emphasis on strong research and communication skills in a liberal arts program will serve you well as a prospective attorney.
Some people with a liberal arts degree elect to work in the psychology and counseling fields, too. Again, you’d need a master’s degree or higher to practice as a psychologist or counselor, but your undergraduate work might qualify you for entry-level positions in the Golden State, such as an addictions counselor, a probation officer, or a victim advocate.
The humanities component of a liberal arts undergraduate program is good preparation for work in the social sciences. For example, you might consider using your college experiences studying race, culture, and history to seek a career as an archivist or curator in a museum. The emphasis on research, writing, and communication skills are also good training for a career in social science research.
As noted earlier, the primary benefit of a degree in liberal arts is that it can open up many doors for you after graduation. In fact, the potential careers listed above don’t even begin to scratch the surface of employment opportunities you might find in California and beyond!
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