Florida State University
Interdisciplinary program prepares students for civic leadership and data-driven decision-making through the Institute for Governance and Civics at FSU
Boca Raton, FL – March 23, 2026 – Florida State University’s (FSU) Institute for Governance and Civics (IGC) announced the launch of a new undergraduate degree in Civics and Liberty Studies (CLS), an interdisciplinary program designed to prepare students to be thoughtful, data-informed, and ethically-grounded civic leaders. Students may enroll now for the Fall semester.
Built at the intersection of the liberal arts and social science, the CLS degree helps students study constitutional thought, free speech, political philosophy, and foundational texts on liberty and governance, alongside statistics, survey research, public opinion, and public policy.
Florida State University
“Civic knowledge is collapsing at the very moment our public discourse feels most fragile,” said Ryan Owens, Director of the Institute for Governance and Civics. “The Civics and Liberty Studies degree is one way Florida State University is rebuilding civic literacy and preparing the next generation of thoughtful, effective citizens and responsible leaders. It is designed to marry the big ideas of American liberty with the technical and analytical skills today’s leaders need.”
The CLS curriculum consists of 27 credits of core coursework and 18 credits in one of four concentrations: constitutional liberty, economic liberty, conscience liberty, and educational liberty. Coursework spans civil discourse, constitutional law, political philosophy, public policy, economics, and applied statistics, culminating in an American civics research seminar.
“Students shouldn’t have to choose between studying great ideas and gaining real‑world skills,” Owens said. “The Civics and Liberty Studies program brings those together by pairing the intellectual grounding of the liberal arts with the data and analytical tools students need to lead in today’s civic and professional environments.”
Visit the Civics and Liberty Studies degree website for more information, including curriculum and admission details.
The Institute for Governance and Civics (IGC) at Florida State University is dedicated to creating the next generation of effective citizens and responsible leaders. Established in 2023, the IGC supports a variety of initiatives that promote constitutional liberty, economic liberty, conscience liberty, and educational liberty through data-driven research, excellence in teaching, and intellectually diverse exchange. To learn more about the IGC, visit igc.fsu.edu or follow on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
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