Liberal Arts

Liberal Arts provides a broad education that can be used in many different careers programs of study. Liberal arts studies include English, Communication, Arts and Humanities, Science, Social Science, and Physical Education. At SMC, the program offers students the choice of focusing on the arts and humanities or on the social and behavioral sciences. Arts and humanities coursework includes languages, literature, art, music, philosophy, and religion. Social and behavioral sciences coursework emphasizes economics, history, political science, psychology, sociology, and anthropology. Elementary school teachers often earn degrees in liberal arts. Additional career options include advertising, business, health administration, human resources management, politics, education, government, computers, writing, and editing. For additional information on Teacher Preparation, please see the Teacher Preparation guide, available online at smc.edu/articulation and in General Counseling & Transfer Services.

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Programs Offered

Degrees and Certificates

Associate Degree

Liberal Arts – Arts and Humanities
Liberal Arts – Social and Behavioral Science

Associate Degree Requirements

An Associate degree is granted upon successful completion of a program of study with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 (C) in degree applicable coursework and a minimum of 60 degree applicable semester units, including:

Completion of the area of emphasis with a grade of C or higher in each course, or with a P if the course was taken on a Pass/No Pass basis, and the P is equal to a C or higher;
Completion of one of the following general education patterns: SMC GE, CSU GE, or IGETC;
Completion of the SMC Global Citizenship graduation requirement.

Catalog Rights

Transfer Preparation

Many colleges/universities offer baccalaureate degrees in this field. Students planning to transfer to a four-year college or university should complete the lower-division major requirements and the general education pattern for the specific transfer institution. SMC has articulation agreements with the many UC and CSU campuses, as well as several private and out-of-state institutions.

Exact major requirements for UC and CSU campuses can be found online at assist.org.

A listing of private, nonprofit California colleges and universities can be found online at aiccu.edu. For articulation agreements between SMC and some of these institutions see smc.edu/articulation.

Liberal Arts, Associate Degree (Historical)

The Liberal Arts Associate degree is available to students who enrolled at SMC in spring 2010 or earlier and who have maintained catalog rights. For Liberal Arts Associate degree requirements, please see the 2008-09 SMC catalog.

Liberal Arts – Arts and Humanities

Liberal Arts – Arts and Humanities is program that focuses on combined studies in art and humanities, as distinguished from the social and behavioral sciences, with an emphasis on languages, literature, art, music, philosophy, and religion. This major provides a broad education that can be used in a variety of careers, including teaching. For additional information on teacher preparation, please see the Teacher Preparation Guide in General Counseling & Transfer Services or at smc.edu/articulation.

Program Learning Outcomes: Students completing a degree in Liberal Arts – Arts and Humanities will demonstrate through oral and written academic work knowledge of the arts and humanities and be prepared to pursue further study in a related major at the baccalaureate level. Students will be proficient in the research, analytical, and communication skills necessary to present a critical analysis.

Area of Emphasis: (18 units)

Required Courses:

Complete 18 units, including at least 1 course from Area A and 1 course from Area B. Remaining units may be chosen from either area.

AREA A: ARTS

Select at least 1 course from the following: (3 units minimum required)

AHIS 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 11, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, 52 (same as PHOTO 52), 71, 72;

ANIM 5 (formerly ET 61);

ART 10A, 10B, 13, 20A, 20B, 40A, 40B, 43A, 43B;

DANCE 2, 5, 6;

ENGL 55;

FILM 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11;

IARC 15 (formerly INTARC 34);

MUSIC 1, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 36, 37, 39, 60A, 60B, 66;

PHOTO 52 (same as AHIS 52);

TH ART 2, 5, 41

AREA B: HUMANITIES

Select at least 1 course from 2 from the following: (3 units minimum required)

ASL 1, 2;

ARABIC 1;

CHNESE 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9;

COM ST 12, 14;

ENGL 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17, 18, 26 (same as HUM 26), 30A, 30B, 31, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 45, 49, 50, 51 (same as REL ST 51), 52 (same as REL ST 52), 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 61, 62;

ENVRN 20 (same as PHILOS 20);

FILM 7, 11 (same as ENGL 11);

FRENCH 1, 2, 3, 4, 8; 9;

GERMAN 1, 2, 3, 4, 8;

HEBREW 1, 2, 3, 4, 8;

HIST 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 (same as ENVRN 14), 15 (same as ECON 15), 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32 (same as ENVRN 32), 33, 34, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43, 47, 52, 53, 55, 62;

HUM 9A, 26 (same as ENGL 26);

ITAL 1, 2, 3, 4, 8;

JAPAN 1, 2, 3, 4, 8; 9;

KOREAN 1, 2, 3, 4;

LING 1;

PERSIN 1, 2;

PHILOS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 20 (same as ENVRN 20), 22, 23, 24, 41, 48, 51 (same as POL SC 51), 52 (same as POL SC 52);

POL SC 51 (same as PHILOS 51), 52 (same as PHILOS 52);

PORTGS 1; 2;

REL ST 51 (same as ENGL 51), 52 (same as ENGL 52);

RUSS 1, 2, 8;

SPAN 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 11, 12, 20;

TURKSH 1

Liberal Arts – Social and Behavioral Science

The Liberal Arts – Social and Behavioral Science program focuses on the combined study of the social and behavioral sciences, as distinguished from the arts and humanities, with an emphasis on economics, history, political science, psychology, sociology, and anthropology. This major provides a broad education that can be used in a variety of careers, including teaching.

Program Learning Outcomes: Students completing a degree in Liberal Arts – Social and Behavioral Science will demonstrate through oral and written academic work knowledge of the social and behavioral sciences and be prepared to pursue further study in a related major at the baccalaureate level. Students will be proficient in the research, analytical, and communication skills necessary to present a critical analysis.

Complete 18 units, including at least 6 units from Area A and 6 units from Area B, as specified below. Remaining 6 units may be chosen from any area/group. Select from the following two groups:

Area of Emphasis: (18 units)

Required Courses:

Complete 18 units, including at least 1 course from Area A and 1 course from Area B. Remaining units may be chosen from either area.

AREA A: SOCIAL SCIENCE

Select at least 1 course from the following: (3 units minimum required)

AD JUS 1, 2;

COM ST 9, 20, 30;

ECON 1, 2, 5 (same as GLOBAL 5 and POL SC 5), 6, 8 (same as WGS 8), 15 (same as HIST 15);

ENGL 32;

ENVRN 4 (same as ECON 4), 7 (same as GEOG 7); 14 (same as HIST 14), 22 (same as POL SC 22); 32 (same as HIST 32);

ETH ST 1; 6, 7;

GEOG 2, 7 (same as ENVRN 7), 8 (same as URBAN 8), 11 (same as GLOBAL 11), 14;

GLOBAL 5 (same as ECON 5 and POL SC 5); 10, 11;

HIST 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 (same as ENVRN 14), 15 (same as ECON 15), 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32 (same as ENVRN 32), 33, 34, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43, 47, 52, 53, 55, 62;

PHILOS 48, 5 (same as POL SC 51), 52 (same as POL SC 52);

POL SC 1, 2, 3, 5 (same as ECON 5 and GLOBAL 5), 7, 8, 11, 14, 21, 22 (same as ENVRN 22), 23, 24, 31, 47, 51 (same as PHILOS 51), 52 (same as PHILOS 52);

SOCIOL 1, 1s, 2, 2s, 4, 12, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34;

URBAN 8 (same as GEOG 8);

WGS 10, 20, 30

AREA B: BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE

Select at least 1 course from the following: (3 units minimum required)

ANTHRO 2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22;

ASTRON 6;

BUS 1;

COM ST 31, 35, 36, 37;

ECE 11;

ENVRN 40 (same as PSYCH 40);

GLOBAL 3 (same as MEDIA 3);

MEDIA 1, 3 (same as GLOBAL 3), 4, 10;

NUTR 7;

PSYCH 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19, 25, 40 (same as ENVRN 40)