Program Overview
This degree program enables students, through a variety of learning experiences, to consider life in the contemporary world. The curriculum provides for the development of writing, speaking, quantitative, and critical thinking skills and exposure to bodies of knowledge shared by educated persons. The program is offered for adult students enrolled in the Continuing Education Programs as a fully online program. Students have the opportunity to share common learning experiences and to develop personal plans of study for career advancement, personal growth, and graduate study.
Curriculum Overview
The Liberal Studies major provides a flexible curriculum through online coursework, for students whose goal is to further their personal interests and professional objectives. In addition to the concentrations offered, students may propose concentrations of individual design (which must be approved by the faculty committee on individual study and a CEP advisor).
Degrees Offered
- B.A. in Liberal Studies
Contact
Brooke Hunter, PhD.
Associate Dean
College of Arts and Sciences
Lynch Adler Hall, #117
609-896-5378
bhunter@rider.edu
Liberal Studies Online Program Requirements
(42 credits)
A candidate for graduation must complete a minimum of 120 credits. Of the required 120 credits, 36 must be in upper-level courses as determined by the respective department, including three credits from the liberal studies core and 18 credits from the selected concentration. A maximum of 30 credits from outside the arts and sciences may be presented for graduation.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | 48 | |
| See Continuing Education Programs Core Requirements 1,2 | ||
| Liberal Studies Core | ||
| Complete the following courses: | ||
| LIB 200 | Intro to Liberal Studies 3 | 3 |
| LIB 400 | Seminar in Liberal Studies | 3 |
| Liberal Studies Concentration | 36 | |
| Select Social Science, Applied Social Science or Applied Social Science with Business Studies Emphasis | ||
| Free Electives | 30 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Courses and Descriptions
LIB 200 Intro to Liberal Studies 3 Credits
Introduces students to the various perspectives and methods of the disciplines in liberal studies: natural and social sciences, humanities, and the arts. Students learn the multifaceted questions and answers offered by each discipline. They study the historical development of the university and the rise and transformation of liberal studies disciplines.
LIB 400 Seminar in Liberal Studies 3 Credits
A critical examination of the tradition of Western humanism and the way it has been transmitted through liberal arts education. Deals with a variable set of permanent problems in humanistic debate and learning e.g., specialization, the need for unifying theories of knowledge, the purpose of history, the place of intellectual life in mass society, the meaning of freedom, the modern problem of alienation, the responsibilities of the university, etc. Emphasis on why and how such problems have been addressed rather than any presumptive solutions.
LIB 490 Independent & Supervised Study 1-4 Credits
Independent and Supervised Study is available to CCS students for special study projects. Students much have completed a minimum of 45 credits applicable to a Rider degree and a minimum of 12 credit hours at Rider with a GPA of 2.5 or better. Each project may be taken for one-four credits and a maximum of six credits may be applied to the associate degree, 12 credits to the bachelor degree.