Discover your passions and set yourself up for academic success by earning an associate degree in Liberal Arts. The Liberal Arts program at Ivy Tech provides a chance to explore.
This program focuses on:
Communication
Critical thinking
Creative expression
Scientific inquiry and reasoning
Ethical decision making
As a Liberal Arts student, you can also select transfer elective courses tailored to your specific interests. Students learn in small groups and discover a variety of subject matter with the guidance of highly trained faculty. Graduates also receive the Indiana College Core Long-Term Certificate (previously known as a technical certificate).
Career Options
Both Liberal Arts program degrees—the Associate of Arts and the Associate of Science in Liberal Arts—are a strong first step towards your career. They are transfer programs, which means that students will graduate ready to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Students may choose to pursue further study in Liberal Arts or to pursue another major of their choosing.
The associate degrees in Liberal Arts provide a solid foundation of general education courses, so students can pursue the academic and professional pathways that most closely match their goals.
As students gain valuable knowledge and skills touching many aspects of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences and mathematics, they can seamlessly transition into the bachelor’s degree program which most sparks their interest.
Note: Program availability varies by location and not all program tracks are offered at each campus/location.
Transfer Agreements
Both of Ivy Tech's Liberal Arts associate degrees are designed for students who wish to transfer to a four-year college or university to pursue a bachelor’s degree. You can save upward of $10,000 by completing your first two years at Ivy Tech and then transferring!
Our Liberal Arts program currently has partnerships with fifteen schools so you can seamlessly transfer without losing your credits or time:
Talk to our transfer advocates for information about continuing your education after completing your associate degree at Ivy Tech. You are also encouraged to contact the university to which you plan to transfer. Note that admission is not guaranteed just by enrolling in the Liberal Arts program. You will need to be admitted to the institution you intend to transfer to.
Students completing their associate degrees through ASAP attend classes Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ASAP classes are held in small groups, allowing for collaboration and discussion. Students graduate from this academically rigorous program fully prepared for a bachelor's degree program.
The Ivy Tech Associate of Arts degree in the Liberal Arts program prepares students for transferring to a four-year university where they can pursue degrees such as:
A completion guide provides the recommended path to graduation, broken out by eight-week terms. For students taking fewer classes at a time, the courses are numbered to show the overall number that will be taken.
The Ivy Tech Associate of Science degree in the Liberal Arts program prepares students for transferring to a four-year university where they can pursue degrees such as:
A completion guide provides the recommended path to graduation, broken out by eight-week terms. For students taking fewer classes at a time, the courses are numbered to show the overall number that will be taken.
A degree in Liberal Arts can help you build foundational skills you can transfer to a variety of majors and career paths. If you’re considering pursuing an associate degree in Liberal Arts, review the following program attributes.
An associate degree in Liberal Arts can help you:
Strengthen communication skills
Enhance ethical decision making skills
Provide an outlet for creativity
Expose you to new cultures and languages
Develop analytical thinking and problem-solving skills
Sound Like You?
If you identify with the program outcomes above, Liberal Arts may be the path for you! Take the next step to get started or speak with your local advisor to learn more.
There are no prerequisites that must be taken prior to pursuing the Liberal Arts associate degree programs.
No Expiration of Credits
There is no expiration date for course credits that were earned in previous years from Ivy Tech Community College.
Transfer Credit
Courses completed at colleges other than Ivy Tech will only be considered for general education selection points if transfer credit has been awarded and courses appear on the Ivy Tech transcript prior to the application deadline.
TR grades are not recognized by the online application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that transfer credit has been awarded and that TR grades are updated to transfer letter grades (TA, TB, TC) on their Ivy Tech transcript.
It is recommended that college transcripts be submitted to the Registrar’s office for evaluation and transfer credit at least 4 weeks prior to the program application deadline to ensure adequate time for processing.
Liberal Arts Courses
Descriptions of Liberal Arts courses can be found in our online course catalog:
See when specific courses will be offered by searching our class list in Schedule Builder. First, select the semester you’re looking for and then enter the name of the class in the search bar.
If you’re a current student, upcoming classes are easy to find in Schedule Builder in MyIvy.
Course Formats
Liberal Arts courses are offered both in person and online.
Big Dreams? Go for Honors
If you're motivated and want a more robust, personalized academic experience, consider enhancing your associate degree in Liberal Arts by pursuing an Honors pathway. Honors courses are fully virtual with opportunities to meet and network with honors students and faculty across the state. The coursework is designed to support a student’s spirit of inquiry and intellectual growth, as well as foster multicultural awareness and leadership. View eligibility requirements
Graduating with a Liberal Arts degree with an Honors pathway can help you stand out as a high-achieving college student, boost your resume, and help you land an acceptance letter to a top four-year college or university.
The Ivy Tech application is free and easy—you don’t need a certain test score, GPA, or class rank to get started at Ivy Tech. Applying takes about 10-15 minutes and can be completed entirely online.
No Application Deadlines
Ivy Tech does not have a deadline for admission. Our 8-week class sessions start throughout the year—in January, March, June, August, and October—and there is no hard deadline for applying for any of the start dates. It's important, though, to apply early enough that you'll be able to complete all the degree planning, financial aid, and registration activities that need to happen before your first day. We recommend you apply about one month before you intend to start classes. See upcoming start dates
Steps to Apply
(1) Apply to Ivy Tech
If you’ve never applied to Ivy Tech Community College before (or if it’s been two years since you last attended classes here), your first step is to apply to Ivy Tech. You can apply online or in person. To apply in person, reach out toyour local admissions team and arrange a meeting. Or, stop by any campus on any Tuesday for Tuesdays@TheTech to receive personal assistance with applying and registering for classes.
After you submit your application, you'll be asked to upload documentation—such as SAT/ACT/PSAT scores or high school and college transcripts—that can assess your readiness for college-level coursework and help us make sure you are taking classes that are the right fit for you. How to upload assessment documents
If you don't have your scores or transcripts at your fingertips, don’t worry. Go ahead and submit your application. You can go back to upload assessment documents at any time until the end of the term for which you applied.
(3) Look for a Confirmation Email
Once your application is processed, you will receive a confirmation email at the email address provided on your application. Typically the email will arrive within 1-2 business days of submission, but during peak processing periods (April-June) could take up to 5-10 business days.
The email will contain instructions on how to register for classes, as well as important information regarding your Ivy Tech student portal (MyIvy account), tuition, payment options, and more.
(4) Create an Account in MyIvy
MyIvy is Ivy Tech's online student portal. Students use MyIvy to check e-mail, register for classes, pay tuition, manage financial aid, get the latest news and announcements, and much more. MyIvy also contains "QuickLinks" to the Ivy Tech websites and online tools you will use most often. Learn more about MyIvy
Before you can register for classes you will need to submit documentation or complete an assessment test. Your test scores can help us determine the best English and math starting classes for you. See the Test Score Course Placement Chart
If you submitted assessment documentation during the application process, your advisor will likely be able to work with those documents to determine course placement and you won't need to take any further steps. If you don't have any of those documents or the scores don't meet minimum thresholds, don’t worry! Your advisor will direct you to complete our freeKnowledge Assessment to help develop your customized learning path to better prepare you for courses.
(6) Register for Classes
Once you have completed the steps above, you may register for classes. Ivy Tech students register for courses using the Schedule Builder tool which can be accessed withinMyIvy. If you are a new, first-time Ivy Tech student, we recommend that you meet withyour advisor who will help you develop your Academic Completion Plan and help you sign up for courses that are the best fit for you.
For a complete list of registration steps, including detailed registration steps, deadlines, and information about holds, withdrawals, waitlists, and refunds, visit our Registration 101 page.
(7) Pay Your Tuition
After registering for your courses, your bill can be viewed in yourMyIvy account > Student Dashboard- > View/Pay Balance. Payments can also be made in your MyIvy account. For complete information about payments, including payment options, payment plans, how to make immediate payments, due dates, information about refunds, and more, visit our Payments page.
Art courses – Art Appreciation (ARTH 110), Survey of Art & Culture I (ARTH 101), Survey of Art & Culture II (ARTH 102), History of Design (ARTH 105)
Humanities courses:
Introduction to Global Studies (HUMA 120), Humanities Prehistory through the Renaissance (HUMA 201), Humanities Renaissance to Present (HUMA 202), Travel Study (HUMA 250)
Music Appreciation (HUMA 118), Introduction to Music Theory (HUMA 117)
Theatre Appreciation (HUMA 100), introduction to Theatrical Production (HUMA 261), Acting (HUMA 262)
Language courses:
French Level I (FREN 101), French Level II (FREN 102)
Spanish Level I(SPAN 101), Spanish Level II (SPAN 102)
Philosophy courses – Introduction to Philosophy (PHIL 101), Introduction to Ethics (PHIL 102), Introduction to Logic (HUMA 213 or PHIL 213), Philosophy of Religion (PHIL 220)
Amanda M. Purcell, M.Ed. Associate Professor & Program Chair of Education, Liberal Arts, General Studies, & Student Success Acting Dean, School of Arts, Sciences, & Education (812) 537-4010 ext. 5235 apurcell15@ivytech.edu
Madison Advising Center
590 Ivy Tech Drive
Madison, IN 47250
Fax 812-265-4028
Zoom Video Calls Available by appointment only. Call 812-256-2580, ext. 4502 to make an appointment.
Advising Team Tricia Miracle 812-265-2580 ext. 4137 tmiracle2@ivytech.edu Text during business hours 812-510-3844 Virtual Drop-In Advising Hours: Wednesdays 9:00am-1:00pm & Thursdays 2:00pm-5:30pm Zoom Link
Lisa Kelley 812-265-2580 ext. 4163 lkelley3@ivytech.edu Text during business hours 502-414-1597 Virtual Drop-In Advising Hours: Tuesdays 1:30pm-5:00pm & Thursdays 8:30am-12:00pm Zoom Link
1 Source: US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage estimates: Indiana.(2023). Lightcast™, lightcast.io. Occupational Overview for Indiana, 2023-2024
2 Associate degree cost is determined by tuition for an in-state, full-time student. Certificate and technical certificate costs are determined by tuition for an in-state, part-time student. Additional fees may be applied. Visit the Tuition & Fees page to learn more.
