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Liberal Arts Major

A liberal arts degree will help make you a better thinker and give you an edge. Available online or face-to-face, Grand View University’s liberal arts program will help you hone your critical thinking, communication and creativity skills. This broad base of expertise will help you succeed in a wide variety of career fields. The courses are challenging and thought-provoking and will expose you to a variety of career options - some you may not have even considered.

Why Grand View?

  • Design your own liberal arts program out of courses that study the human condition, the natural world, faith and reason, and aesthetic appreciation.
  • Students who complete this major have a broad background in courses that require the ability to be critical thinkers, who are adaptable, and can creatively solve unstructured problems.
  • Our graduates have had experience with diversity and ethical responsibility, and have developed the ability to communicate well in written and oral form. 
Career Options

There's really no limit to the type of career you can pursue. Pair your degree with additional technical experience and you can work in just about any field. Consider a future as a:

  • Journalist
  • Advertising Account
  • Executive Publicist
  • Entry-level Management
  • Social Services
  • Human Relations Officer
  • Para-Professional Librarian
  • Policy Analyst
  • Minister
  • Public Relations Personnel
  • Urban Planner / City Manager
  • Legislative Assistant
  • Lobbyist
  • Politician
  • Director
  • College Recruiter
  • Customer Service
  • Creative Writer
  • Copywriter
  • Grant Writer
  • Speech Writer
  • Anchorperson
  • Training Specialist
  • Medical Communications
  • Trainer
  • Archivist
  • Museum Manager

What Can I Do With This Major?
Course Requirements

Requirements (42 credits)

LIBA 300 and LIBA 450 must be included as part of the major course work. Take 6-12 semester hours from each of the following four categories:

The Human Condition
History, Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Humanities, Political Science or Liberal Arts
 6 - 12 credits
LIBA 300 (required) Core Seminar II 3 credits

Aesthetic Appreciation
Art, Music, Humanities, Theatre, Speech, English Literature, Communications, Photography, Liberal Arts
 6 - 12 credits

Faith and Reason
Theology, Philosophy, Humanities, Mathematical Reasoning, or Liberal Arts
 6 - 12 credits
LIBA 450 (required) Core Seminar III 3 credits

The Natural World
Chemistry, Biology, Physical Science, Physics
 6 - 12 credits
Download Degree Checklist

GV Degree Combinations

You may also be interested in one or more of the following:

Faculty

Jennifer Arceneaux

Lecturer of Liberal Arts
Ms. Karen Bason

Professor of Liberal Arts
Dr. Heather Brady
Dr. Heather Brady

Associate Professor of Liberal Arts
Eric Burmeister

Lecturer of Business Administration
Dana Cheek

Lecturer of Liberal Arts
Dr. Elizabeth Erickson

Lecturer of Humanities
Dr. Susan Garneau
Dr. Susan Garneau

Lecturer of History
Philip Herman

Lecturer of Liberal Arts
Dr. David Kaptain

Lecturer of Liberal Arts
Dr. John Lyden
Dr. John Lyden

Professor of Liberal Arts & Dir of the Core Curriculum
James Mowrer

Lecturer of Liberal Arts
Janelle Patterson

Lecturer of Liberal Arts
Emily Shields

Lecturer of Business Administration
Steve Snyder
Mr. Steve Snyder

Professor of Humanities
Dr. Trisha Wheelock

Lecturer of Religion

Jensen Hall

Originally a historic residence hall, Jensen was transformed into part of Grand View’s academic facilities in 2004 and is now home to offices and classrooms for religion, history, foreign languages and English.

Virtual Tour

Awards and Accomplishments

Dr. John Lyden • Professor and Chair of Liberal Arts, has published numerous articles and books including Film as Religion: Myths, Morals and Rituals, The Routledge Companion to Religion and Film, and The Routledge Companion to Religion and Popular Culture. He is editor of the online Journal of Religion & Film and has presented at international conferences as well as appeared in the History Channel documentary, Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed.

Steve Snyder • Professor of Humanities, has received both the Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award and the Outstanding Faculty Service Award at Grand View. He has given presentations at national conferences for the Teaching Professor and has written and published articles on innovative teaching methods. His courses include those in Humanities, Liberal Arts, and the Logos Honor Program.

Dr. Heather Brady • Associate Professor of Liberal Arts, teaches courses on immigration with an emphasis on community engagement, global awareness, and cultural diversity. She has led study tours to France and Tanzania, and her diverse research interests include French culture, African literature and Mexican immigration. She was awarded an Iowa Campus Compact Faculty Fellowship and will be a member of the Greater Des Moines Partnership Leadership Institute.

Karen Bason • Professor of Liberal Arts, has received the Grand View Award for Excellence In Teaching and Mentoring, Faculty Advisor of the Year, the Distinguished Alumni Award, and is a member of the Grand View Athletic Hall of Fame. She has written three academic programs and one certificate program for the university, and has published on health, physical education, and sport. Her teaching focuses on physical, mental, and spiritual wellness in relation to vocation.

So What Are the Liberal Arts? 

As a liberal arts major, you’ll get an overview of the arts, humanities (the study of the human condition), social sciences, mathematics and natural sciences, as well as a variety of skills that will help you excel in the workforce. It’s an educational style that can trace its roots back hundreds of years—and it has only gotten better with age at Grand View University.

For prospective students already working full-time or juggling life and family responsibilities, we also offer liberal studies degrees (and related majors) online. Instead of attending classes in the evening after work or on weekends, you can skip the commute and log-in to your classes from the comfort of home at a time that is convenient for you.

Endless Possibilities

The beauty of a liberal arts program is that it helps you prepare for a number of future educational or career options. If you are thinking about going to graduate school, this major gives you a wide knowledge base upon which to build your specialized graduate training. Working with your faculty advisor to design a program of study, you can prepare yourself for graduate school in such areas as Sociology, English and Psychology. 

Employers often welcome new graduates with a broad liberal arts background. You can tailor your choice of electives and academic minors to your career interests. Students with a strong liberal arts background often go on to careers in management, sales, and administration.

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