Liberal Studies
Liberal Studies Degrees From Oklahoma City Community College
Choose four areas of focus in your studies and enjoy a broad educational foundation.
Are you just not sure what to major in? You’re not alone.
Did you know that most students who start college aren’t sure what they want to do with their lives? Their careers? To ease the pressure of making that decision or feeling like you might make the wrong one, Oklahoma City Community College offers an associate degree in arts in liberal studies.
This plan of study will give you a broad foundation in a variety of interests and help you develop effective communication, writing and problem-solving skills in addition to a sense of civic responsibility and critical thinking.
Get started today! Complete an online community college admissions application.
Can’t decide on just one area of study? Choose four!
Liberal studies is a great choice if you want to continue your education at a four-year college or university. By that time, and after taking your basic courses and liberal studies electives at Oklahoma City Community College, you’ll be able to narrow your interests and choose an area of specialty to pursue.
Just talk with a faculty advisor to see which courses are best suited for you.
The bottom line is this: We want you to come to our college. We want you to succeed. Even if you’re not sure of your ultimate goal, it’s never too early or too late to get started and apply college credits to a degree program.
Liberal Studies Degrees at Oklahoma City Community College
An associate in arts in liberal studies will give you the academic foundation to transfer to a four-year college or university to pursue a more specialized area of study.
Liberal Studies Classes at Oklahoma City Community College
What makes the liberal studies option so appealing is that it opens up a world of information to you! From history to literature and so much more, you are in charge of deciding what you want to study. Here are some areas where you can choose the classes that interest you:
- General Education Electives
- Humanities Electives
- Social Science Electives
- Approved Major Electives
Visit OCCC’s online course catalog for full details on your liberal studies degree. You can also check the current community college class schedule for evening and online classes available in this academic program.
Jeffrey Cleek
Professor of English/Humanities
Jeffrey Cleek became a full-time faculty member at OCCC in 2008.
Angela Cotner
Professor of English
Both of my parents are natural teachers. My mother taught me to cook and to enjoy reading. My father taught me to drive a tractor, to change a tire, and to shoot an arrow into a bale of hay(essential bits of information necessary in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, where I grew up).I began my college education intending to teach high school English and received a bachelor's degree in English Education. After not finding a teaching job right out of college, I began work on a master's degree in American Studies, which is a combination of American literature and American history. While in graduate school, I began a teaching assistantship. I immediately loved it and knew I did not want to teach anything except college classes. I eventually went to law school, where my research and writing skills helped me greatly. While practicing law for a short time, I knew I wanted to return to the college classroom. I began as an adjunct professor at OCCC and am now a full-time professor.There is no better job than being a college professor. I enjoy teaching students new ways of looking at issues and approaching problems in philosophy courses, and I enjoy teaching students critical thinking and organizational skills in composition and Success courses.
Michael Franco
Coordinator of Composition
An alumnus of OCCC, Michael Franco earned both his BA and MA in English from the University of Central Oklahoma. Before serving as the Coordinator of Composition, Michael served as Professor of English for seven years. Prior to teaching at OCCC full time, Michael also worked at OCCC as a library assistant, recruiter, and adjunct.
Jon Inglett
Professor of English
Professor Inglett received a B.A. Degree in English from the University of Arkansas and an M.A. in English from Missouri State University. He has taught full time at OCCC since 2000. His ultimate goal as a teacher is to empower students, train them for the workforce, provide them with a desire for life-long learning, engage them in global diversity and sensitivity, and instill compassion, creativity, and contemplation in every student.
Tonya Kymes
Professor of English
I am a Cherokee and Creek native Oklahoman. I was born and raised in Southeastern Oklahoma, and I am the first in my family with a college education. My focus is Rhetoric and Composition, and I have an interest in ancient languages (Koine Greek, Aramiac).
Marybeth McCauley
Professor of English
Marybeth McCauley began her educational career at Keystone Learning Center and eventually completed a M.A. degree in English with Creative Writing Emphasis at UCO. In addition to currently teaching Comp I, Comp II, and Creative Writing, she is the faculty editor and advisor for Absolute, the literary journal housed at OCCC.
Stephen Morrow
Professor of English
At heart, I am a teacher.I studied Philosophy at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania and at The University of Dallas. I became very interested in both the Philosophy of Religion and the Philosophy of Science, two great loves of my life still today, with an evolving love for the Philosophy of Peace. I studied English and Education at Oklahoma City University, and now use all my incredible education in the Humanities as a source of both knowledge and passion in my classes.I have studied cooperative learning with the two gurus of the field, David and Roger Johnson. My great intellectual hero is Parker Palmer, and I am proud to say he is now a friend and someone whom I work with professionally. I am involved through his organization, Courage and Renewal, and I am now involved in his new work in revitalizing democracy.I love our students, my field of the Humanities, and teaching. You will always be welcome in my courses and will be treated like an equal Socratic soul-all of just trying to figure out this big, beautiful world!
Mary Punches
Professor of English
Born and raised in northwestern Oklahoma, I received my B.A. in English Education from Northwestern Oklahoma State University and my M.A. in English from the University of Oklahoma. I have taught at OCCC since 1996.
Michael Punches
Professor of English
I have been teaching at OCCC for over twenty years. My wife Mary, to whom I've been married for 29 years, is also a professor here. During my career, I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to teach at a four-year university, at a small private school where I taught grades 6-10, and of course, at OCCC. The community college is by far the best fit for me. I enjoy the diversity in age, ethnicity, religion, and career goals.
Nina Smith
Professor of English
Professor Smith was awarded her Bachelor's Degree from the University of Oklahoma and her Master's Degree from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Michael Snyder
Professor of English
BA English, Haverford College MA English, University of Colorado PhD English, University of Oklahoma Specialty areas: Twentieth-century and contemporary American literature and culture, Native American literature and culture, Composition and Rhetorical Studies, Gender Studies, American Studies, Indigenous Studies, Film Studies, Cultural Studies, Jazz, John Joseph Mathews, Gerald Vizenor, James Purdy, and James Leo Herlihy. Professor Snyder has published numerous peer-reviewed critical articles in scholarly journals including SAIL: Studies in American Indian Literatures, Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction (x2), Chronicles of Oklahoma, and Huxley Annual. His book chapters appear in edited collections such as Gerald Vizenor: Texts and Contexts (U of New Mexico P), Across Cultures/Across Borders: Canadian Aboriginal And Native American Literatures (Broadview P), the forthcoming Gerald Vizenor: Poetry and Poetics (UNM P), and several book reviews. His poetry appears in the book collection Ain't Nobody that Can Sing Like Me: New Oklahoma Writing (Mongrel Empire), and the journals Windmill, Sugar Mule, and Absolute. Snyder is a music fan, especially jazz, rock, and indie, and plays a little guitar and drums when he has time. Snyder has written album and book reviews for Skyscraper, once a print magazine, now an online music magazine, for over a decade.
Pamela Stout
Professor of English
In 1990, I earned a B.A. in Education and in 1992, an M.A. in English, both from the University of Central Oklahoma. I have been teaching English and Humanities courses at OCCC since 1992, and my special interests are world mythology and folklore. Some things I enjoy outside of my time at OCCC include practicing and teaching yoga, reading for pleasure, and playing with my dogs.
Chris Verschage
Professor of English
I am happy to be here at OCCC. I am not a "native Oklahoman" but a "northern transplant." I grew up in Lansing, Michigan, and received there most of my college experience. I attended Lansing Community College, where I received my Associate's degree; and then transferred to Michigan State University, where I received my Bachelor's degree in both English and Psychology.Upon completing my B.A., I transferred to Northern Arizona University, where I received my Master's degree in English. Prior to working here, I was an Adjunct Professor in English for the Maricopa Community College District for eight years; and at the same time, I was a Reading Specialist for the ABC Phonetic Reading School in Phoenix. Then in 1999, I was hired as a full-time instructor at Elizabethtown Community & Technical College, where I worked until I was hired here full-time at OCCC in Aug. 2005. This December 2011, my wife and I will be celebrating our 30th year anniversary. We have 4 children, 3 grandchildren, and 3 Pomeranian-Poodles, and I am also currently a licensed minister with the Assemblies of God. In Nov. 2012, I am planning on completing the requirements for my ordination. For more information about me, please consult my personal home page.
Bertha Wise
Professor of English
I have lived in Oklahoma for over 30 years, but before that I was in many other states, including South Carolina, New Hampshire, New York, California, and Arizona. I also lived in Japan for two years, an experience for sure! I started my educational journey at a college in South Carolina, but earned my BS in English Education at UCO and went on to earn an MA in English at UCO too. Being the first in my family to earn college degrees, I say it's not out of the question, if one wants it badly enough. I started teaching as an adjunct in 1985 at various colleges in the Oklahoma City area: Rose State College, OSU-OKC, UCO, and OCCC. In 1991, I became a full-time professor at OCCC. Through the years, I have been afforded many opportunities to be a part of the OCCC community as a department chair, first faculty director of the Center for Learning and Teaching, coordinator of multi-divisional programs, and co-chair of the 2011 accreditation self-study. I am an active member of the Two-Year College English Association in the Southwest Region (TYCA_SW) as well as participating in many other professional activities. I write poetry and have read at various locations over the years, most notably in Ukraine, Wales, Seminole, OK. I was a featured poet at the Poetry at Rose (Rose State College) one year, too. I enjoy reading and traveling when I can. I also take care of my husband and two kitties and have a daughter and son, both grown with families of their own. I am a proud grandmother of a granddaughter and three grandsons too.
Mark Zindelo
Professor of English/ Multicultural English Program Coordinator
Professor Zindelo has taught at OCCC since 1998. He loves learning about the world outside the Unites States and working with students from diverse nations.In his spare time he practices Tae Kwon Do, runs, reads books about spirituality, volunteers at his church and at the St. Vincent De Paul society, and watches Star Trek episodes while reading X-Men comics.Before teaching at OCCC Professor Zindelo was a reporter for newspapers across the Midwest including the Des Moines Register, Knoxville Journal and the National Examiner Tabloid. He once was almost hit by a can of creamed corn thrown by Clint Eastwood in anger.
Careers in liberal studies demand the following:
- The ability to distribute and communicate information
- Make judgments and decisions
- Understand and analyze difficult concepts
- Write and speak well
Positions can be found in many different industry sectors including education, research organizations, nonprofit, public and private.
