Program Summary
Nationally Recognized
Student Stories
A Highly Versatile Online Liberal Arts Degree
Create opportunity — The skills and knowledge you gain by earning a degree in letters, arts, and sciences can open doors in whatever field you choose. You can sharpen your communication and analytical skills, hone your leadership abilities, and gain an understanding of the ethical and diversity issues facing our world today.
Increase your career options — Whether you choose sales, marketing, or service, a bachelor's degree in letters, arts, and sciences can help you gain the leadership and organizational skills you need to succeed.
Why a Letters, Arts, and Sciences Degree Online at Penn State?
You can customize your degree — Penn State's letters, arts, and sciences program is a multidisciplinary, student-designed major that allows you to take the lead in the development of your individual program of study. You will work with an academic adviser to design a program that creates a level of intellectual depth in an area of study that is unique to your interests, but also aligns with the theoretical foundation for a liberal arts education. Your degree program will be developed around four academic principles — communication skills, critical analysis, research, and theory and application.
You can gain immediate results — While earning your bachelor's degree online, you can enhance your résumé by acquiring a professional certificate or an associate degree. For example, both the certificate in organizational communication and the associate degree in letters, arts, and sciences include many of the courses required for the Bachelor of Arts in Letters, Arts, and Sciences. You can gain credits toward a bachelor's degree while also accomplishing these notable milestones along the way.
The Penn State Difference — In this program, you will have the opportunity to study with highly regarded faculty from Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts, one of the premier institutions in the world to study and work in the liberal arts disciplines.
Who Should Apply?
The bachelor’s degree in letters, arts, and sciences could be a good choice if:
- you have faced challenges starting or completing college because of life's circumstances or geographical constraints
- you are currently in a managerial or leadership position and need a degree to advance in your career
- you want to broaden your educational horizons in the liberal arts
- you aspire to attend graduate school
If you are looking for a high-quality academic program that focuses on issues of leadership and organizational dynamics, yet do not want to limit yourself to a narrow, single-discipline approach, this degree program may be for you.
The goal of the bachelor's degree in letters, arts, and sciences is to provide a broad education that introduces methods of analysis used in the liberal arts disciplines. However, it can also prepare you for the complex social, cultural, and organizational issues that you may face in most leadership positions. The degree is an excellent choice for anyone, but is particularly suitable if you can bring real-world experience to your studies.