Liberal Studies (A.A.) +

About the Degree
Career Information
Program & General Education Requirements 

CCV’s associate of arts degree in Liberal Studies will introduce you to a wide range of subjects, providing a foundation for many different careers and for transferring to a four-year college or university. The Liberal Studies program is the most popular program of study among CCV graduates, accounting for nearly half of the degrees awarded each year. It is designed to include breadth and depth of learning, emphasizing exposure to a broad range of subjects and academic disciplines, and providing students with great flexibility in individual course selection.

Although the degree can be an end in itself, the majority of Liberal Studies graduates use it as their foundation for further academic pursuits. If you are uncertain about your long-term educational and career plans, the Liberal Studies program provides a valuable opportunity to explore your interests. The overarching objective of CCV’s Liberal Studies program is to produce graduates who are well-prepared to be active, contributing participants in their communities, their work settings, and their subsequent educational activities.

+This program can be completed fully online.

Program Outcomes

Graduates of the Liberal Studies program will be able to:

• demonstrate effective written and oral communication skills in a variety of disciplines;
• apply the vocabulary, foundational theories, and problem-solving methodologies that define scientific literacy and scientific method in the natural world;
• demonstrate knowledge of some of the techniques used in art, literature, and/or philosophy to convey ideas and express thought and feeling;
• explain some of the ways in which social scientists and/or historians gather and interpret evidence to explain human behavior;
• apply appropriate technologies to locate, manipulate, and represent information electronically;
• apply an interdisciplinary approach to their learning, drawing from various disciplines to cultivate multiple perspectives on problems, issues, and topics;
• articulate a learning rationale for and the outcomes of their individual course choices in the Liberal Studies program;
• demonstrate academic skills required of all CCV graduates in writing, information literacy, oral communication, and quantitative reasoning; and
• explore pathways for educational and career development in the student’s field of study.

The Liberal Studies program is great for you if: 

• you are curious about the world and have a love of learning;
• you want to acquire a solid foundation in general education;
• you are interested in exploring a range of subjects and choose not to specialize at the associate degree level;
• you understand the value of interdisciplinary learning and academic breadth in your education;
• you wish to use previous transfer or APL credits most efficiently to complete an associate degree;
• you plan to transfer to a four year institution, perhaps in a discipline not represented at CCV; and
• you are preparing for a career that demands diverse knowledge and widely transferable skills.

Key information and advice for students in the Liberal Studies program:

• The associate of arts degree in Liberal Studies is CCV’s most popular degree program.
• Students in Liberal Studies can choose from a broad range of courses to fulfill their program requirements according to their particular schedules, interests, and ambitions.
• Courses are widely accessible and the program can be completed with a minimum of travelling.
• The Liberal Studies degree allows students to gain additional competency in areas cited by employers as being particularly desirable, such as writing, communication skills, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and problem-solving, diversity, global competence, and foreign language.
• In an economy where most individuals will change jobs many times during their working lives, Liberal Studies provides a comprehensive and versatile foundation for many careers.
• The associate of arts degree in Liberal Studies can accommodate a rich blend of liberal arts, general education, and professionally focused courses that will allow students to further their education in a four-year program or enter the workforce at an entry level.
• CCV’s numerous transfer agreements make it possible to transfer easily to a number of four-year colleges in Vermont and beyond.
• CCV graduates in Liberal Studies have gone into such fields as advocacy, business, education, health, law, management, social work, and many others.

The Liberal Studies program prepares you for careers such as:

• Administrative Assistant
• Bank Teller
• Bookseller
• Human Resources Manager
• Paraprofessional
• Resource Developer
• Sales Associate

Job outlook in Liberal Studies in the state of Vermont:

Source: Vermont Department of Labor, http://www.vtlmi.info/oic3.cfm

Transfer Options:

For more information about special transfer agreements between CCV and other colleges, visit our transfer page.

Visit www.vtcolleges.org to learn about additional bachelor degree options in Vermont.