Have you ever felt like you function well as an adult, but there are gaps in your understanding of basic knowledge that society assumes you already have? Perhaps you can’t quite identify what’s missing, but it might relate to the natural sciences (like physics, astronomy, biology, geology, or chemistry), social sciences (like psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, or political science), or the arts and humanities (like art history, literature, music, or philosophy).

Most of the time, these gaps don’t interfere with daily life, but occasionally, you sense that a basic, expected level of understanding has eluded you. And you further sense that this missing knowledge could leave you more susceptible to misinformation, or exploitation or simply limit your ability to fully appreciate and engage with the world. It’s not due to any personal failure or inability—it’s simply because you haven’t had the opportunity to follow a deliberate curriculum designed to build foundational knowledge across these fields.

We’re not talking about the in-depth expertise of an astrophysicist, or economist, or a Shakespeare scholar. We mean the basic, foundational understanding that helps everything else click. If you’ve ever felt this way, we’ve built a solution for you.

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our latest offering at Newlane University: the B.A. in Liberal Arts degree program. And with this new degree we are also, for the first time ever, offering an optional specialization in either Business or Psychology. Newlane’s innovative online degree is designed to provide students with the foundational frameworks, skills, and knowledge needed to meaningfully engage with, adapt to, and excel in today’s fast-changing world.

A Foundation in the Liberal Arts

Our mission at Newlane is to make quality online liberal arts higher education accessible to everyone on earth by breaking down the barriers of cost, schedule, and geography. We think of this new degree as an important step to fulfilling our mission. 

The B.A. in Liberal Arts program emphasizes the importance of gaining deep familiarity with multiple disciplines—natural sciences, social sciences, and the arts and humanities. These disciplines represent some of the most powerful and enduring ways of understanding our world–the highly intertwined natural, social, and human worlds. Neglecting any of these perspectives shortens our viewpoint and cuts us off from their immense power to shed light on nature, culture, and experience. And learning to integrate perspectives, and/or intelligently assume an appropriate lens for a given situation are some of the most important values of an education–any education–today. 

Moreover, these perspectives are assumed as basic knowledge for adults today. Without a solid grasp of these foundational areas, individuals risk missing critical insights and becoming more vulnerable to exploitation. 

When we designed this program, we considered what would be an efficient path to a solid foundation in liberal arts that would prepare our graduates to engage the world effectively across a wide range of contexts. We took a novel approach by building survey courses for each of these fields. Typically, when a school offers a liberal arts curriculum, and they want to emphasize these different areas (natural science, social science, and arts and humanities), they just count different courses within those fields as providing the needed foundation. So students learn about the social sciences by taking a course in Psychology. Or they learn about the natural sciences by taking a course in biology. Or they learn about the arts and humanities by taking a philosophy course. But this approach leaves some big gaps.

For example, in the social sciences, students miss out on insights from sociology, economics, anthropology, etc. In the natural sciences, they miss out on insights from physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, and ecology. And in the arts and humanities, they miss out on insights from art history, literature, and music. Our program provides a much broader foundation for arts and humanities, and social and natural sciences, so students have a fuller picture as they encounter more of the world.

By providing a grounding for students in these essential fields, this program fosters a highly holistic, informed, and adaptable toolbox and worldview.

The core of the Liberal Arts program is a sequence of five courses that provide a solid foundation in the liberal arts: Exploring the Liberal Arts, Critical Reading and Writing, Foundations of Social Science, Foundations of Arts & Humanities, and Foundations of Natural Science. These courses offer a robust and solid foundation in the liberal arts equipping students with the skills and knowledge everyone needs today.

Choose Your Specialization

Recognizing the importance of specializing once an individual has a solid foundation in the liberal arts, we are excited to announce that for the first time ever, Newlane is offering two distinct specializations within the B.A. in Liberal Arts program:

1. Business Specialization: Develop expertise in management, marketing, finance, and accounting, equipping you with the skills to thrive in diverse business environments and leadership roles. The Business Specialization is a sequence of five courses outside of the liberal arts core: Introduction to Business, Principles of Accounting, Principles of Marketing, Principles of Management, and Principles of Finance.
2. Psychology Specialization: Gain a deep understanding of human behavior, exploring cognitive, emotional, and social processes to prepare for careers in counseling, mental health, and related fields. The Psychology Specialization is a sequence of five courses outside of the liberal arts core: Introduction to Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, and Research Methods in Psychology. 

Note: These specializations are optional. A student can complete the B.A. in liberal arts with no specialization, but if a student wants to do a deeper dive into one of these fields, they have that option to complement their liberal arts foundation, and develop focused skills aligned with their interests and goals.

Program Highlights

• 120 Credit Hours: This includes 60 credits from completing an associate degree.
• Transfer-credit Friendly: Transfer up to 75% of the required credits (i.e., up to 90 credits) and earn your degree upon completing as few as 10 courses.
• Fully Online: Flexible and accessible for students worldwide.
• Interdisciplinary Learning: Combine knowledge from diverse fields to understand and address complex challenges.
• Affordability: Newlane remains committed to providing high-quality, affordable education.

Program Outcomes

Graduates of this program will:

• Analyze complex global issues from multiple perspectives, understanding their interconnectedness across political, economic, environmental, societal, and cultural dimensions.
• Adapt written and oral communication strategies across disciplines and audiences.
• Construct persuasive arguments and articulate them effectively in both oral and written forms.
• Apply interdisciplinary approaches to analyze problems, propose solutions, and engage in intellectual inquiry.
• Develop self-directed and self-regulated learning practices, fostering creative problem-solving and adaptability to new tools and challenges.
• Conduct effective research by evaluating sources, synthesizing information, and forming evidence-based conclusions.
• Communicate proficiently across the natural sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities.
• Apply principles of ethical reasoning and social responsibility in written, oral, and civic contexts.

Join Us Today

Whether you’re completing your degree, advancing your education, pivoting your career, or pursuing lifelong learning, Newlane University’s B.A. in Liberal Arts with the optional specializations in Business or Psychology is a great pathway to fulfillment.

Discover how you can shape your future with this versatile, affordable, and high-quality degree. Learn more about Newlane’s degree programs and apply today.