Liberal Studies is a B.A. program in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Authorized by the Ohio Board of Regents in September 1989, the program has accepted over 350 majors since then. Several traits distinguish the B.A. in Liberal Studies from majors in specialized disciplines:

• broad-based liberal education across the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities
• academic (rather than technical or training) emphasis
• maximum flexibility in choosing courses across the University curriculum (including technical electives)
• breadth rather than specialized depth of intellectual experience
• appropriateness for students who wish to take an active role in shaping their studies

The B.A. degree in Liberal Studies can be completed in four years of full-time study; part-time study takes longer.

Students majoring in Liberal Studies may create programs that suit their own academic, professional, or other personal goals. For example, some use this undergraduate degree as a foundation for graduate study in Business, Education, or Philosophy. Others use it to take specific prerequisites for professional training in Law, Medicine, or Physical Therapy. Still others pursue Liberal Studies to explore educational experiences for their inherent value and satisfaction.

(Note that some careers require more specialized training than Liberal Studies permits. Graduate work in polymers, for example, typically depends on extensive undergraduate work in chemistry. A medical career in pediatric neurosurgery may benefit from undergraduate emphasis on biology and psychology. Thus, for some careers, students may find a traditional B.A. more appropriate than one in Liberal Studies.)