Photo of College Hall Bell Tower
University News

Interested in Finishing What You Started?

New Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies at Montclair State provides path for adults to return and earn their college degree

Posted in: University

Finishing college can be hard. Plans change. Life gets in the way. Now Montclair State University is providing a new Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies to help adults return and complete their college degrees.

University College Associate Dean Daphne Galkin says the program, launching in fall 2021, provides a supportive, flexible path to graduation. It’s open to both former Montclair State students and adults who started their education elsewhere.

“The Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies is an opportunity for working adults who started their undergraduate degrees, but for whatever reason didn’t end up finishing, to return and earn their degree so they can continue advancing in their careers,” Galkin says.

“Montclair State would love to partner with all of the more than 74,000 New Jersey residents who have had some college and no degree to finish what you started,” adds Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and Dean of University College David Hood.

Classes will be fully online and scheduled in eight-week terms. “We are providing a way that’s accessible, flexible and supportive of the reality that adults have obligations outside of the Montclair State campus,” Galkin says.

Students will be able choose a concentration in either the Humanities or Education Studies. The curriculum will allow students to graduate in an accelerated time period, in some cases depending on previous credits earned, in as little as 18 months, Galkin says.

The BA in Liberal Studies is an excellent opportunity for New Jersey employers to elevate the credentials of employees who have not obtained an undergraduate degree, Hood says.

Both the Humanities and Education Studies concentrations offer a carefully developed curriculum offering a broad range of course options and electives applicable to students’ current careers and interests.

Academic success coaches will guide students through the transfer credit evaluation process, course registration and provide ongoing advising support toward degree completion.

Applications are being accepted for fall 2021. For more information, email Daphne Galkin at galkind@montclair.edu. Learn more and apply at montclair.edu/university-college/ba-in-liberal-studies