Liberal Studies
Our Degrees
The Liberal Studies program creates strong thinkers and dynamic problem solvers with a broad education or knowledge base to live, act, and work in a complex world.
Whether students want to become educators, enter graduate school, or another career, our Liberal Studies program will prepare them with:
a knowledge base across the arts and humanities, social science (psychology, history, political science), natural science (biology, earth science), and math to understand today’s current and emerging issues to make an impact in the world.
Dr. Adam Grant, organizational psychologist, says, "It's not enough to collect facts. The future belongs to those who connect dots" [@AdamGrant, Instagram post, October 9, 2024). He is talking about interdisciplinary thinkers like Liberal Studies students who learn knowledge across academic areas, connect them, and create original or new perspectives and ideas.
We offer four Liberal Studies degrees, designed to be completed in four years, that promote personal growth and career development in teaching and non-teaching sectors.
Click in each box below to see a general description of each degree.
Non-Teaching Pathway
The Liberal Studies General Studies pathway offers a liberal arts education tailored to your passions and career interests.
A General Studies subplan exposes students to multiple disciplines (like biology, art, sociology and more) to partially create your degree. This pathway is a good fit for someone whose future career requires knowledge in more than one area (like health professions, nonprofit administration and more). With the guidance of academic and career counselors, General Studies students can build relevant knowledge and experience for their career.
This pathway is also good for people seeking graduate school or a professional career in nonprofit, corporate, public health, education, and more. It is a flexible pathway that builds analytical thinking, communication skills, collaboration, and applied thinking.
General Studies students select from four emphases: Sustainability, Community Studies, Pre-Professional, and General, and take 10 core Liberal Studies courses with all other LS students--the major's core.
A 2017 graduate genreal studies students said this about how his degree helped his career:
-- Jonathan Galvan
Costco Buyer
Teaching Pathway
The Liberal Studies (Elementary Education) Pre-Credential teaching pathway offers a liberal arts or interdisciplinary education tailored to your goal of becoming an elementary education teacher.
Is teaching your passion? Are you looking for a career in the K-8 classroom?
The Pre-credential pathway is a degree to gain subject matter knowledge for an elementary classroom. California requires elementary teachers to know specific theories and concepts across the arts and sciences to teach and apply in their future classrooms.
Students in other majors must prove they know all these theories and concepts. LS Pre-credential students get them as part of their degree and do not have to prove they know them. However, they must receive a C or better to count toward your teaching credential.
Pre-credential students take ten core Liberal Studies courses with LS students in all options. They will earn 45 hours of K-8 experience and meet other requirements to apply to a credential program after graduation to receive their preliminary teacher credential in elementary education from the state of California.
The Liberal Studies Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP) in Special Education, Mild/Moderate Support Needs degree combines with subject matter preparation and a mild/moderate teaching credential in four years.
Is teaching your passion? Are you looking for a career in special education that enters the field fast?
Our LS ITEP in Special Education, Mild/Moderate Support Needs combines the Liberal Studies (LS) pre-credential bachelor’s degree (K-8 subject matter preparation) with the Education Specialist teaching credential. In this program, you will receive your LS Pre-credential bachelor's degree and a preliminary special education credential when you graduate.
This degree requires students to apply to the Cal Poly Pomona special education teaching credential program without taking the California State Exam for Teachers, Multiple Subjects in their third year. However, students must still complete a teaching credential application and meet all requirements successfully. Not meeting these requirements can delay entrance into the program.
LS ITEP students in Mild/Moderate Support Needs should prepare for a highly intensive program that includes two summer terms and 15-18 unit semesters. Students can apply as first-year students in the fall semesters or junior transfers in the fall or spring semesters. The program has dedicated academic and faculty advisors and a student success coach to help them complete their degrees on time.
The Liberal Studies Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP) for Extensive Support Needs in Special Education degree combines with subject matter preparation for a classroom with a Extensive Support Needs teaching credential in four years.
Is teaching your passion? Are you looking for a career in special education that enter the field fast?
Our LS ITEP in special education, Extensive Support Needs combines the Liberal Studies (LS) bachelor’s degree (K-8 subject matter preparation) with the Education Specialist teaching credential. In this program, you will receive an LS Pre-credential bachelor's degree and a preliminary special education credential when you graduate.
This degree requires students to apply to the Cal Poly Pomona special education teaching credential program without taking the California State Exam for Teachers, Multiple Subjects in their third year. However, students must still complete a teaching credential application and meet all requirements successfully. Not meeting these requirements can delay entrance into the program.
LS ITEP students in Mild/Moderate Support Needs should prepare for a highly intensive program that includes two summer terms and 15-18 unit semesters. Students can apply as first-year students in the fall semesters or junior transfers in the fall or spring semesters. The program has dedicated academic and faculty advisors and a student success coach to help them complete their degrees on time.
Our Minors
What is a Minor?
A science education minor is especially beneficial for LS pre-credential majors who want to be elementary educators. In addition to teaching in elementary education, completing this minor will authorize them to teach science through 9th grade. LS pre-credential students have also taken some courses toward this minor, an added benefit. There are special GPA for this minor to meet California State requirements.
We do not recommend LS ITEP students earn this minor because it will significantly increase the time to graduation. See an academic advisor if you have questions.
Go to this page in the University Catalog to read more about the minor’s details and contact the minor’s faculty advisor and coordinator.
The world is learning how to live with climate change and to live sustainability. This minor helps Liberal Studies students and students in any major gain a specialization in topics and issues in environmental sustainability across the arts, the humanities, social science, and natural science. The education courses introduce students to interdisciplinary thinking and teaching methods that can be used to share and communicate with others about this crucial knowledge. LS students in all options have taken courses toward this minor, an added benefit.
Go to the minor’s page to see the required and elective courses. Contact Dr. Lloro, the faculty advisor and coordinator, with questions or to add the minor.
