Liberal Studies, B.A.
Program Description
The Liberal Studies major develops students’ knowledge and skills with coursework drawn from throughout the School of Arts and Sciences. Students engage in a self-directed program of study where, in consultation with an advisor, they select upper-level courses across two to three related disciplines. In these disciplines, students acquire key ideas, concepts and skills, examine questions with cross-disciplinary perspective, and complete a capstone project that allows them to integrate and apply prior learning.
Requirements for the Liberal Studies Major
- Satisfy Core Level 1 requirements, two of which may be courses that count towards the below major requirements
- Complete six courses in a discipline, at least four must be at the 300-level or above
- Complete five courses in one to two related disciplines, four must be at the 300-level or above.
- Disciplines are considered “related” if they fall within the same general grouping, social sciences, humanities, natural sciences, as the primary discipline (NB: some disciplines are understood to belong to two of those groupings).
- The student’s primary advisor may permit an exception to this if the student purposefully seeks an interdisciplinary degree organized around a theme. For example, a student interested in science communication might elect to take courses in the natural sciences plus communication courses.
- Capstone experience – a capstone course or an individually supervised research project or internship relevant to the student's major coursework. This course must fulfill the ILO Level 2 requirement of “Active Responsibility.”
- Three of the above 10 courses must fulfill three Level Two ILOs: diverse perspectives, expanded literacies, effective expression. The course chosen must be designated to fulfill the ILO within a major.
Why Take This Major?
This major prepares students for a wide array of possible careers or graduate level studies as it allows for great flexibility in selecting areas of interest.