Liberal Studies allows you to build the degree that best suits your interests and ambitions. An interdisciplinary undergraduate program designed to meet the needs of our increasingly diverse culture and marketplace, Liberal Studies draws from all areas of traditional university learning-the humanities, fine arts, the social sciences, math, and the natural sciences-in order to develop the kind of learning valued today by many educators and employers: communication skills, critical thinking, and the ability to master new subjects, ideas, and skills. Working with the faculty, you will craft a degree plan that specifically meets your needs and ambitions.
| Core Curriculum Courses | ||
| See the Core Curriculum Requirements | 42 | |
| Required Courses in the Major | ||
| LIBS 300 | Introduction to Liberal Studies | 3 |
| LIBS 400 | Liberal Studies Senior Seminar | 3 |
| any two of the following three courses | ||
| Seminar in Critical Inquiry | ||
| Seminar in Global Human Rights and Social Justice | ||
| From Question to Creation: The Practice and Production of Knowledge | ||
| Language Requirement | ||
| foreign language or equivalent for BA degree * | 0-12 | |
| Concentration Requirements | ||
| Concentration in one subject area ** | 24 | |
| Complementary Field | ||
| Complementary Field Requirements | 15 | |
| Other Requirements | ||
| elective courses *** | 27 | |
Sequence in a foreign language is necessary for a BA in Liberal Studies. The number of hours will vary depending on prior course fulfillment at high school or transfer school. Students must ultimately achieve the equivalent of 12 course hours in the foreign language.
Concentration in one subject area (24 semester hours with at least 15 advanced hours) taken from existing courses, and studies in a Complementary Field (15 semester hours with at least 9 advanced hours) taken from existing courses. An individualized degree plan in both the Concentration and the Complementary Field areas will be developed by the student in consultation with the Liberal Studies advisor.
Enough elective courses must be taken (with at least 6 advanced semester hours) to complete, along with University Studies courses, 120 hours required for the degree. For the BS in Liberal Studies degree, this will be 27 hours. For the BA in Liberal Studies degree, this can range from 15 to 21 hours depending on foreign language requirements (see above).
Students select a Concentration (at least 24 semester hours) in either one of the four interdisciplinary fields (Child and Family Studies, Global and Multicultural Issues, Popular Culture Studies, and Ways of Seeing and Knowing) or one of the traditional disciplines represented by the College of Humanities, Social Sciences and Arts. Students may also select courses for the Complementary Field (at least 15 semester hours) from either the College of Humanities, Social Sciences and Arts, the College of Science and Engineering, the College of Business, or the College of Education and Human Services. Courses available from these colleges are listed in the current Undergraduate Catalog. An overall GPA of 2.5 is required in both the concentration and complementary fields with no grade lower than a C.
Liberal Studies students may focus their Concentration (24 hours) in one of the more traditional disciplines within the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts. Or students may choose to work in one of the four interdisciplinary concentrations listed below. They may focus their Complementary Field coursework (15 hours) in one of the disciplines in the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts; College of Science, Engineering, and Agriculture; College of Business; or College of Education and Human Services.
The Child and Family Studies concentration encourages investigation into the many facets of contemporary domestic living. This area of investigation explores such topics as home and family welfare, parental dynamics, community involvement, and childhood development.
| Courses for this concentration include: | ||
| AGED 371 | Agricultural & Youth Leadershi | 3 |
| ART 436 | GLB/Women and Art | 3 |
| CJ 328 | Juvenile Justice System | 3 |
| CJ 326 | Juvenile Delinquency | 3 |
| COMS 316 | Gender Communication | 3 |
| COMS 317 | Interpersonal Communication | 3 |
| COMS 321 | Communication in the Classroom | 3 |
| COUN 316 | Parent & Family Dynamics | 3 |
| COUN 414 | Home & Family Living | 3 |
| ECE 313 | Child Development: Early Years | 3 |
| ECE 358 | Language Acquisition & Development in Early Childhood Education | 3 |
| ECE 364 | Theor Influencing Cld Dev | 3 |
| ECE 366 | Learning Environments | 3 |
| ECE 460 | Teaching STEAM in ECE | 3 |
| ENG 305 | Children's Literature | 3 |
| ENG 355 | Women Writers | 3 |
| ENG 406 | Adolescent Literature | 3 |
| GDRS 200 | Introduction to Gender Studies | 3 |
| GDRS 340 | Topics in Sexuality Studies | 3 |
| GDRS 400 | Gender Topics | 3 |
| GDRS 425 | Gender, Culture, Society | 3 |
| GDRS 497 | Special Topics in Gender Studies | 3 |
| HHPH 331 | Nutrition | 3 |
| HHPH 362 | Survey of Human Diseases | 3 |
| HHPK 324 | Health and Kinesiology for Children | 3 |
| HIST 473 | Women and Gender in European History | 3 |
| HIST 479 | Women, Gender, and Sexuality in United States History | 3 |
| MUS 450 | Music and Movement for Children I | 3 |
| MUS 465 | Music & Movement for Children II | 3 |
| PLGL 325 | Family Law | 3 |
| PSY 300 | Learning Processes and Development | 3 |
| PSY 319 | Child and Adolescent Development | 3 |
| PSY 321 | Psychology of Adolescence | 3 |
| PSY 322 | Lifespan Development | 3 |
| PSY 443 | Psychology of Death & Dying | 3 |
| SOC 312 | Sociology of Gender | 3 |
| SOC 316 | Marriage and Family | 3 |
| SOC 323 | Sociology of Health and Illness | 3 |
| SOC 333 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| SPED 346 | Survey of Exceptionalities | 3 |
| SWK 361 | Issues in Family Treatment | 3 |
| SWK 362 | Child Welfare | 3 |
The Global and Multicultural Issues concentration emphasizes the diverse ways of looking at world cultures today. Its courses reflect the varying ways we understand communal and individual identity through the lens of race, ethnicity, gender, economics, politics, and culture, both in the United States and abroad. Students in this concentration are not only encouraged to enroll in courses that approach scholarship in a global context, but are also provided with an opportunity to apply that knowledge in a hands-on manner through practicum and field studies.
| Courses for this concentration include: | ||
| AG 392 | Appld Ethics US World Ag | 3 |
| ANTH 2351 | World Cultures: Perspectives from Anthropology | 3 |
| ART 306 | GLB/History of Ancient Art | 3 |
| ART 333 | History of Photography | 3 |
| ART 334 | Topics in Renaissance Art | 3 |
| ART 336 | Topics in Baroque Art | 3 |
| ART 338 | GLB/Topics in Non-Western Art | 3 |
| ART 404 | History of Contemporary Art | 3 |
| ART 405 | History Of Modern Art | 3 |
| ART 407 | History of 20th Century Graphic Design | 3 |
| BAAS 345 | Leadership Techniques | 3 |
| COMS 318 | GLB/Small Group Communication | 3 |
| COMS 408 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| CJ 384 | Terrorism | 3 |
| ENG 202 | Marginalized Literatures | 3 |
| ENG 323 | Mythology | 3 |
| ENG 336 | British Poetry | 3 |
| ENG 355 | Women Writers | 3 |
| ENG 358 | Language & Society | 3 |
| ENG 443 | Latino/a Literature | 3 |
| ENG 444 | African Diasporic Literatures | 3 |
| ENG 474 | Topics in World Literature | 3 |
| GDRS 200 | Introduction to Gender Studies | 3 |
| GDRS 425 | Gender, Culture, Society | 3 |
| GOV 323 | Internat Politics | 3 |
| GOV 324 | Internat Organiza | 3 |
| GOV 330 | Modern Euro Govs | 3 |
| HIST 303 | Historical Geography | 3 |
| HIST 306 | The Modern World | 3 |
| HIST 316 | Modern India | 3 |
| HIST 327 | Latin America in the Modern Period | 3 |
| HIST 338 | Modern Europe, 1848-1991 | 3 |
| HIST 345 | Civil War and Reconstruction | 3 |
| HIST 346 | Modern United States 1850-1920 | 3 |
| HIST 408 | Themes in World History | 3 |
| HIST 473 | Women and Gender in European History | 3 |
| HIST 479 | Women, Gender, and Sexuality in United States History | 3 |
| HIST 497 | Special Topics in History | 1-4 |
| LALS 101 | Introduction to Latin American & US Latino Studies | 3 |
| MUS 1313 | 3 | |
| MUS 1315 | World Music | 3 |
| PSCI 331 | European Political System | 3 |
| PSCI 333 | Non-European Polit Systm | 3 |
| PSCI 335 | Political Economy | 3 |
| PSCI 342 | GLB/Intro to Global Pub Pol | 3 |
| PSCI 367 | Middle East Politics | 3 |
| PSCI 410 | Order, Justice, and Community | 3 |
| PSCI 411 | Liberty, the State, and the Person | 3 |
| PSCI 412 | The Age of Ideology | 3 |
| PSCI 415 | 3 | |
| PSCI 437 | Foreign Policy | 3 |
| PSCI 438 | International Relations | 3 |
| PSCI 488 | Contemporary Ideas | 3 |
| SOC 311 | Social Class,Wealth/Power | 3 |
| SOC 310 | Psy & Soci Diverse Popula | 3 |
| SOC 335 | Global Social Issues | 3 |
| SOC 370 | Racial and Ethnic Diversity | 3 |
| SOC 416 | Conflicts in Society | 3 |
Popular Culture Studies focuses on the many ways in which mass culture and media both reflect and inform our daily lives. The courses that make up this interdisciplinary concentration examine the ways we work, define leisure, and become consumers. They cover a wide variety of topics such as movies, television, sports, music, comics, magazines, museums, folk art, memorabilia and collecting, celebratory events, as well as the cultural ramifications of technology and advertising. Students are encouraged to engage these popular subject matters not only within their personal lives, but in light of cultural and political contexts as well.
| Courses for this concentration include: | ||
| ART 1301 | Art Appreciation | 3 |
| ART 2313 | Visual Communication I | 3 |
| ART 333 | History of Photography | 3 |
| ART 404 | History of Contemporary Art | 3 |
| ART 407 | History of 20th Century Graphic Design | 3 |
| ART 408 | History of American Typography | 3 |
| ART 409 | History of Motion Graphics in Visual Communication | 3 |
| ART 438 | History of Architecture | 3 |
| COMS 301 | Computer Mediated Communication | 3 |
| CJ 360 | Mass Media and Crime | 3 |
| ENG 200 | Popular Literature and Culture | 3 |
| ENG 406 | Adolescent Literature | 3 |
| ENG 432 | History and Aesthetics of Film | 3 |
| GDRS 200 | Introduction to Gender Studies | 3 |
| GDRS 340 | Topics in Sexuality Studies | 3 |
| GDRS 400 | Gender Topics | 3 |
| GDRS 425 | Gender, Culture, Society | 3 |
| GDRS 497 | Special Topics in Gender Studies | 3 |
| HIST 345 | Civil War and Reconstruction | 3 |
| MKT 386 | Supply Chain Management and Marketing Channels | 3 |
| MMJ 1307 | Mass Communication in Society | 3 |
| MMJ 1335 | Studies in Electronic Communications | 3 |
| MMJ 2327 | Advertising Principles | 3 |
| MMJ 2331 | Media Performance | 3 |
| MMJ 328 | Public Relations Principles | 3 |
| MMJ 330 | Case Studies in Advertising | 3 |
| MMJ 334 | Advertising Campaigns | 3 |
| MMJ 335 | Media History | 3 |
| MMJ 336 | Media Law | 3 |
| MMJ 351 | Introduction to Photojournalism | 4 |
| MMJ 425 | Public Relations Case Studies | 3 |
| MMJ 426 | Public Relations Campaigns | 3 |
| MMJ 445 | Ethics in the Media | 3 |
| MMJ 453 | Social Media | 3 |
| MUS 1309 | 3 | |
| MUS 1310 | History of Rock and Roll | 3 |
| MUS 1313 | 3 | |
| MUS 1315 | World Music | 3 |
| MUS 441 | Entrepreneurship in Music | 2 |
| PHO 1301 | Photography Appreciation | 3 |
| PHO 2356 | Introduction to Digital Media | 3 |
| PHO 2357 | Basic Photography | 3 |
| THE 1351 | Fundamentals of Acting | 3 |
| THE 215 | Stage Technology I | 3 |
| THE 310 | Design Period Styles | 3 |
The Ways of Seeing and Knowing concentration is designed to enable the individual to look upon the world from multiple perspectives so as to appreciate its richness and diversity. We may be limited to our own two eyes in perceiving the world (our egocentric predicament), but by exploring ways of seeing and knowing, we can break out of our culturally-determined egocentric, ethnocentric, and aristocentric limitations to understand and appreciate the world in all its complexity.
| Courses for this concentration include: | ||
| ANTH 2351 | World Cultures: Perspectives from Anthropology | 3 |
| ALIB 464 | Introduction to Archives | 3 |
| ART 404 | History of Contemporary Art | 3 |
| ART 405 | History Of Modern Art | 3 |
| BAAS 345 | Leadership Techniques | 3 |
| COMS 319 | Leadership & Conflict Management | 3 |
| COMS 407 | Communication Research Methods & Theory | 3 |
| COMS 412 | Theory of Communication | 3 |
| COMS 422 | Organizational Communication | 3 |
| CJ 488 | Ethics in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| ENG 205 | Humor in the Humanities | 3 |
| ENG 323 | Mythology | 3 |
| ENG 331 | Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| ENG 388 | Shaping the Future | 3 |
| ENG 403 | 3 | |
| ENG 432 | History and Aesthetics of Film | 3 |
| ENG 462 | Language Acquisition and Processing | 3 |
| ENG 474 | Topics in World Literature | 3 |
| HIST 466 | Oral History Theory and Methods | 3 |
| MUS 323 | Music History: Early-1750 | 3 |
| MUS 324 | Music History: 1750-Present | 3 |
| PHIL 1301 | Intro to Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 2303 | Logic | 3 |
| PHIL 331 | History of Philosophy I | 3 |
| PHIL 332 | History of Philosophy II | 3 |
| PHIL 360 | General Ethics | 3 |
| PHIL 362 | Aesthetics | 3 |
| PHIL 497 | Special Topics | 3 |
| PLGL 222 | Introduction to Law | 3 |
| PSCI 345 | Public Opinion | 3 |
| PSCI 205 | Applied Professional Ethics | 3 |
| PSCI 410 | Order, Justice, and Community | 3 |
| PSCI 411 | Liberty, the State, and the Person | 3 |
| PSCI 412 | The Age of Ideology | 3 |
| PSCI 414 | Amer Political Thought | 3 |
| PSCI 430 | Rev & Revolutionary Movmt | 3 |
| PSCI 443 | Civil Liberties and Civil Rights | 3 |
| PSCI 488 | Contemporary Ideas | 3 |
| PSY 2301 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 310 | Psychology and Sociology of Diverse Populations | 3 |
| PSY 317 | Psychology of Personality | 3 |
| PSY 327 | Cognitive Social Psych | 3 |
| PSY 350 | Cognitive Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 443 | Psychology of Death & Dying | 3 |
| SOC 310 | Psy & Soci Diverse Popula | 3 |
| SOC 312 | Sociology of Gender | 3 |
| SOC 320 | Deviant Behavior | 3 |
| SOC 331 | Intro to Social Research | 3 |
| SOC 333 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| SOC 401 | SOC 401 GLB/ Comparative Sociology | 3 |
| SOC 436 | Sociological Theory | 3 |
| THE 340 | History Of Theatre I | 3 |
| THE 440 | History of Theatre II | 3 |
