Liberal Studies

Associate Degree in Liberal Studies

On this page:

About This Program

It’s a big world out there, and your opportunities are unlimited. That’s good – and challenging. You know you need a college education to get ahead, but you’re not exactly sure which path you want to take.

That’s where SMCC’s Liberal Studies program comes in. Through it, we give you exposure to numerous disciplines. This gives you the opportunity to try out different fields, from history to education, psychology to social work – and many other areas.

Not only does this give you a better sense of where you want your journey to go, but the program is also designed to ease the transfer to four-year colleges and universities – so you have your core general education and elective courses nailed down before you transfer.

Once you figure out where you want your future to be, SMCC encourages you to choose elective courses in a discipline that you can transfer into at the baccalaureate level.

Please note: You are only eligible to receive one Associate in Arts in Liberal Studies degree. You may not receive a second or subsequent degree in Liberal Studies with a different focus.

Area of Focus

Select one of the following to see detailed information about that focus:

Your Degree Courses

SMCC’s Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Studies requires a mix of general education and liberal arts courses designed to prepare students to transfer to a four-year institution. Students are advised to consult with their transfer institution to determine which SMCC courses will transfer and meet future requirements. The following courses are only a sampling of what you might take as a Liberal Studies student and are subject to change.

Program Course Sampling

• English Composition
• Introduction to Literature
• Electives in the following areas:
  • Economics/Political Science
  • English Communications
  • Fine Arts
  • History
  • Humanities
  • Mathematics
  • Psychology/Sociology
  • Science with Lab

Current Major-Specific Courses Available

Interested in seeing some of the current major-specific courses being offered as a part of this degree program?

• View a list of current major-specific courses for this program.
• View a list of all current courses.

Graduation Requirements

Prospective Students

If you are thinking about attending SMCC and are curious what the current program course requirements are to earn your degree, download the current SMCC Course Catalog.

Current Students

If you are a current student, your program requirements may be different than those listed for the current catalog year. To view your specific program requirements or to search and register for courses, log in to MySMCC and visit the MyDegree webpage.

Graduation Outcomes

• Demonstrate skills as critical thinkers, readers and writers.
• Describe the interaction of history, culture, literature, economics and science as studied within a broad liberal arts curriculum.
• Analyze and solve quantitative problems.

Estimated Degree Completion Time

Please note, these estimates are based on a student taking an average of 15 credits per semester and do not include college preparatory or developmental courses.

SMCC Graduates

Transfer Agreements for Liberal Studies