Programs of Study

Liberty University's educational philosophy is based on the integration of fundamental Christian beliefs and the liberal arts tradition. Its programs are designed to prepare students to assume leadership roles in society.

Academic Programs

The requirements for graduation for all undergraduate programs are listed in this Catalog and on Degree Completion Plans (DCP) which can be accessed at http://www.liberty.edu/dcps. Specific Course Requirements and Course Sequences for all residential majors may be found at http://www.liberty.edu/casas.

Undergraduate students declare a major when they are accepted to Liberty.  They may process a change of major at any time following matriculation through the Center for Academic Support and Advising Services (CASAS). Exceptions are majors which require acceptance into the program, i.e., Athletic Training, Education, Individualized Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Nursing majors.

A complete listing of the majors and minors offered at Liberty follows. Concentrations and cognates within given majors are listed under the major. Liberty University defines a Concentration as a specific grouping of 18 or more credit hours that may be offered within the requirements for an Undergraduate Major or Graduate Program.  A Cognate is defined as a specific grouping of 9 to 17 credit hours that may be offered within the requirements for an Undergraduate Major or Graduate Program.

Unless published in this Catalog, no other undergraduate degree programs or major and minor fields can be offered by Liberty and students must be aware that Liberty has no responsibility to offer any degree program, major, or minor unless such information is found in this publication.  At least 50% of the course work for any program of study must be earned at Liberty University.

Teacher Licensure

Liberty University offers teacher licensure programs which are approved by the State of Virginia Department of Education.

Those who enter the teacher licensure program must complete the academic major, be subject to the same general education requirements as all other students, and complete academic and practicum experiences related to professional teacher training.

Those wishing to pursue teacher-related programs should seek information from the Teacher Licensure Office in the School of Education. Licensure information is also available at http://www.liberty.edu/uguide.

Course Identification

Each course is identified by a four-letter prefix and a three digit number. The letters represent the academic area. The first digit will be 1, 2, 3, or 4 to indicate that the course is a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior level course, respectively. Graduate course numbers begin with 5 and above.

COURSE PREFIXES

Liberty University en Español

Liberty University en Español offers Spanish-language versions of Liberty University Online programs.  The curriculum is the same as existing Liberty University Online programs, and the course requirements do not vary. The only difference in these programs is that Spanish-language versions of some of the course materials are available, and students are permitted to turn in written materials in their native language.  Further information is available at http://www.luonline.com/index.cfm?PID=21499 .

The University Honors Program

James H. Nutter, B.A., M.A., M.Ed., D.A.
Director, Honors Program
Associate Professor of English

If you participated in Gifted and Talented programs in high school or if you are academically talented and serious about your studies and seek to be appropriately challenged, you should consider the academic enrichment of our Honors Program along with its merit-based scholarships ($4,000).

The University Honors Program is designed to provide highly motivated students of above average ability the opportunity to achieve their highest intellectual and creative potential through a combination of homogenous honors seminars in general education course work and independent honors petitioned projects within the students’ major fields of study. Honors students also complete a Senior Honors Thesis as their capstone project during their last semester of college.

Qualified students may apply for admission to Liberty University and the Honors Program simultaneously, although application to the Honors Program must be made directly to that office. If admitted to the program, students must begin taking honors courses in their first semester at Liberty.

Criteria for applying to the Honors Program include the following:

1. Score at least 1270 on SAT (critical reading and math scores only) or 29 on the ACT;
2. Submit official high school or college transcripts indicating a GPA of at least 3.50 on an unweighted 4.00 scale;
3. Write an expository essay of four and one-half to five typed pages on the topic, “What I Hope to Gain from an Honors Program Education at Liberty University”;
4. Submit three letters of recommendation from present or former teachers;
5. Complete the Honors Program Application.

Transfer or Liberty University students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 and have no more than 60 credits earned; their recommendation letters must come from professors. 

In addition, National Merit Finalists who participate in the Honors Program receive a full tuition and on-campus room and board scholarship; National Merit Semi-Finalists who participate in the Honors Program receive a full tuition scholarship. 

The selection process is competitive, and Honors applications are reviewed on the first day of each month beginning March 1st. Applications will not be considered unless they are postmarked by April 20^th. For more information or to receive an Honors application, contact the Honors Program Office by phone at 434-592-3304 or email the Director at jhnutter@liberty.edu.  Visit the website at https://www.liberty.edu/academics/honors for additional information.

Study Abroad Office

The mission of the Study Abroad Office is to provide Liberty University students with a unique opportunity to transform their global outlook and grow in their faith while reaching their academic goals. It will also be an opportunity for the student to develop character, learn more about themselves and form lasting relationships.

In an increasingly global economy it is imperative that students have access to international experiences that will help them to lead in the 21st century. Studying abroad offers students a chance to serve, live and study in a setting that can broaden their intellectual horizons and expose them to other cultures in a way that is not possible on the home campus. For this reason, international experiences in a cross-cultural environment are part of Liberty University's aim to "Contribute to a knowledge and understanding of other cultures and of international events."

The Study Abroad Office, located in Green Hall 1567, assists students in selecting a program that best fits their educational needs. Semester and summer-long programs are available through collaborations with international faith-based program partners and future Liberty Abroad Programs.

For more information, contact the Study Abroad Office by email at studyabroad@liberty.edu, by phone at 434-592-4005, or visit the website at http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=19707.

Highlighted text indicates a change from the official version of the catalog.