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Liberal Studies
Interdisciplinary Program Director:
Interdisciplinary Program Advisor: Jackie Hampton
The Liberal Studies major is a self-designed major that integrates an interdisciplinary program of study in the liberal arts with a culminating experiential learning requirement. The major serves students whose interests extend beyond the scope of a single department or division. The capstone experiential learning requirement, which is typically an internship or individual project, provides students an opportunity to integrate their academic learning with practical experience-based opportunities.
Assessment
Liberal Studies conducts regular assessment of student learning. The primary method of assessment requires students to compile a portfolio including: statement of intent, junior reflection paper, student designed experience reflection, writing samples, critical thinking samples, and internship performance appraisal and/or Independent Learning Project Moderator’s appraisal. In addition, students may be asked to participate in other assessment activities such as the Small Group Instructional Diagnosis.
Major (44-48 credits)
32 credits of coursework are required, within which 20 must be at the upper division level. This can be done two ways:
A. Interdivisional: Course Requirements
- 32 credits are required to include one course addressing methodology or theory.
- 12 credits in each of two different divisions noted below are required (art and sociology, for example).
- 8 additional credits of coursework from any of the four noted divisions are required.
- 20 of the 32 credits of coursework must be completed at the upper division (300+) level.
OR
Within a Division: Course Requirements
- 32 credits are required to include one course addressing methodology or theory.
- 12 credits in each of two within a division are required (history and English, for example).
- Eight additional credits of coursework from any department within the selected division are required.
- 20 of the 32 credits of coursework must be completed at the upper division (300+) level.
- Humanities: theology, philosophy, history, English, communication, modern and classical languages (not including courses that can fulfill the core curriculum foreign requirement)
- Fine Arts: art, music, theater
- Social Sciences: economics, political science, psychology, sociology, management, peace studies
- Natural Sciences: astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, COLG courses in natural science, nutrition, physics, mathematics, computer science
B. Student Designed Experience:
A 12-16 upper division credit student designed educational experience which integrates a topic or issue through several disciplines. A minimum of 4 credits and a maximum of 8 credits must be experiential in nature (i.e. internship or individual learning project). The experiential component must be combined with 8-12 additional credits of course work to satisfy the total Student Designed Experience. A preliminary proposal for your SDE is required by the close of your junior year. Once in progress, a one-page reflection describing the SDE as a bridge between theory and application is due to the Liberal Studies Advisor no later than the semester of graduation.