Degree Overview
Design Your Own Degree, Built Around a Single Big Idea
Most degrees tell you what to study. The Comprehensive Liberal Studies major lets you decide. Rather than following a fixed curriculum, you'll design an individualized program of study that draws from all four academic schools at Batten — humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and professional studies — unified around a clear intellectual theme that you define. The result is a degree that reflects who you are and where you're headed, not just what was available in a catalog. The program has structure: 44 semester hours, at least 24 at the 300/400 level, a required lab science, and a 2.5 GPA requirement in the major. You'll start by filing a contract with your faculty advisor outlining your plan of study and your goals, and finish with a reflective essay in your final semester. It takes planning, but for the right student it's the most genuinely personal degree Batten offers.
Course Information
All Batten students complete a shared general education curriculum designed to build critical thinking, communication, and a broad academic foundation alongside your major coursework. The four components are:
- English Composition — ENG 105: The Art of Writing (must be passed with a C or higher)
- Foreign Language Proficiency — demonstrate competency through coursework, AP/CLEP credit, or prior study. Transfer students entering with 60+ credits have a simplified pathway.
- Batten Seminars — three seminar-style courses (Seminars I, II, and III) that develop scholarly inquiry, writing, and oral communication skills
- Breadth Requirement — 24 credit hours spanning arts and humanities, mathematics, natural sciences, and social sciences, drawn from at least six different departments outside your major
View full General Education requirements on the Batten University website →
The CLS major totals 44 semester hours drawn from four academic schools of your choosing. Your plan of study is developed in consultation with a faculty advisor and must be approved before you can declare the major. The following rules govern how those 44 hours are distributed.
Distribution Rules
A 2.5 GPA in all CLS courses is required for graduation — higher than the 2.0 required for other programs. English and foreign language courses taken for General Education may not be counted toward the major.
Lower-Level Options
Upper-Level Options
Course titles and full descriptions are available in the full catalog. Prerequisites may apply. Consult your advisor before registering.
Career Outcomes
Comprehensive Liberal Studies is designed for students who want to build an interdisciplinary degree around a focused academic theme. Because each student's program is customized, career outcomes vary based on the pathway they create. What graduates share is the ability to think across disciplines, communicate clearly, and apply broad analytical skills in complex professional environments.
Public Service and Nonprofit Work
Students who build their program around social sciences, policy, and professional studies may pursue roles in public agencies, advocacy organizations, nonprofits, and community-focused institutions.
Business and Organizational Support Roles
Students who incorporate business, communication, and organizational coursework may apply their interdisciplinary training in management support, operations, administration, and entrepreneurial environments.
Graduate Study and Research
The program's emphasis on writing, analysis, and interdisciplinary thinking provides a strong academic foundation for graduate study in education, humanities, social sciences, law, public administration, and related fields.
Communications and Creative Industries
Students emphasizing humanities and communication may pursue work in writing, editing, content development, media support, arts administration, and related communication-focused fields.
Why Batten Online
92%
Successful Graduates
Of our graduates receive job offers or go on to graduate school within one year of graduation.
Free & Rolling
Apply Anytime
Rolling admissions means you can start when you're ready. Our application is free — no fee standing between you and your degree.
No Tests
Streamlined Admission
Admission is based on your undergraduate transcript. No SAT, ACT, or GMAT required. Ever.
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Nationally Ranked Programs
Selected for inclusion in U.S. News & World Report's Best Online Bachelor's Programs, Best Online MBA, and Best Online Graduate Education.
How to Apply
Admission Requirements
- Complete our online application.
- Applicants who have not yet completed 12 semester hours of college work must submit an official high school transcript and an official college transcript from all colleges and universities previously attended. Applicants who have not taken an SAT or ACT may be admitted on the basis of an evaluation of high school coursework. Applicants who are not high school graduates may be admitted on the basis of GED test results.
- Applicants who have successfully completed 12 or more semester hours of college work must submit official college transcripts from all institutions previously attended. Generally, individuals transferring to Batten University must present a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.
Financial Aid
There may be financial aid options available to you when you apply for an online program at Batten University.
Explore Financial Aid Options