BA in Liberal Studies

Liberal Studies Major
in the Arts, Humanities, and
Social Sciences

The Liberal Studies Major Offers A Broad-based Education and the Program Is Ideal for Teachers.
The Liberal Studies Major combines interdisciplinary training in the arts, humanities and social sciences, allowing students to design a flexible, yet rigorous program. Students may select from a wide variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary tracks. The major is ideal for those who seek a broad-based education and for pre-service teachers seeking certification in P-3 and  K-5. Upon completion students will understand: the interconnection among the arts, humanities and social sciences; have considerable exposure to two academic areas; and develop research, written, and oral communication skills. The Major is offered in collaboration between the College of the Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Arts and Communication. It is in housed in the Department of Philosophy.

Liberal Studies Outcomes

• Inquiry and problem solving

• Critical thinking

• Creative expression

• Communication skills

• Research and synthesis

• Mastery of content 

• Use of technology

• Career preparation and lifelong learning

 

What Can You Do With a Degree
in Liberal Studies?

A Liberal Studies degree opens a wide range of careers. In today's information-driven economy, you will need critical thinking skills for continuous learning on the job. Many employers prefer versatile, interdisciplinary thinkers with broad knowledge about the world over narrow specialists with expertise in a single discipline.

The Liberal Studies Program gives you a strong background in two or more academic disciplines, and trains you to think critically about the practical and intellectual connections between them. Our internship program challenges you to apply what you are learning to your professional future, or to do a research project in collaboration with our faculty. Our senior capstone experience helps you contextualize your learning and prepares for your next step after college.

A degree in Liberal Studies trains you to understand complex information, and to communicate it to diverse audiences with different perspectives. It gives you the skills needed to identify the information you need to make good decisions in a fluid and ever-changing world. Below is a list of some careers you might pursue after completing a degree in Liberal Studies:

  • Teaching, Law, Politics, Human Resources, Technical Writing, Advertising, Marketing, Social Work, Community Organizing, Journalism, Public Relations, Sales, Editing, Creative Writing, Library, Management, Government work, Communications, or Non-Profit organizations

The Program in Liberal Studies

The MAJOR consists of 39 to 45 credits, as follows:

Core Requirements: 9 credits

  • LBST2010 Liberal Studies Colloquium: Selected Topics – 3 credits (Must be taken at the beginning of the major)
  • LBST4980 Internship: The Liberal Arts and Civic Engagement – 3 credits

(Majors may also do an approved internship in one of the 18-credit tracks. Certification students may fulfill this requirement with EDUC4140 Student Teaching Internship.)

  • LBST4800 Senior Capstone Seminar: Selected Topics  3 credits 

(Students may also fulfill this requirement by taking a Senior Seminar in one of the two chosen tracks.)

Track Requirement

Students must select any two tracks consisting of 15 to 18 credits, for a minimum of 30 credits. The Liberal Studies Major requires at least 6 credits of electives in each track at the 3000 or 4000 level. Course selection will be done in consultation with the Liberal Studies director.

LIBERAL STUDIES TRACKS

Disciplinary Tracks 

Choose Two of the Five Tracks for the Major: English, History, Political Science, Psychology, or Sociology

Liberal Studies Tracks

English 

Prerequisites: 3 credits

ENG1500**: Intro to Literature (Mercer Equivalent – ENG 201)

 Requirements: 18 credits

ENG2000: Methods of Literary Analysis

In addition, choose one of these Survey Courses:

ENG3010, 3020, 3030, 3040, 3050, 3060, 3170, 3180, or 3250

And select one Core Writing Course:

ENG2310 or 3300

Advanced writing courses with a prerequisite of ENG 2310 include:

3000, 3090, 3240, 3320, 3340. 3380, 3390, 3430,3550

Advanced writing courses with a prerequisite of ENG 3300 include 3330 and 3340.

Please note: 3340 may have a prerequisite of 2310 or 3300. 

Three electives in writing or literature:

(one must be a literature course before 1900, including surveys: 3010, 3020, 3050)

*Note: 6 of the above credits must be at the 3000 or 4000 course level.

**waived for WPU at Mercer students who have completed an A.A./A.S. degree 2005 or later

 

History 

Prerequisites: 6 credits

HIST1010: Foundations of Civilization (Mercer Equivalent – HIS101)

HIST1020: West and the World (Mercer Equivalent – HIS102)

Requirements: 6 credits

HIST2050: U.S. History through Reconstruction

HIST2060: U.S. History since Reconstruction

Electives: 9 credits

Must be at the 3000- and 4000-level; one of which must be in European History

 

 

Psychology

Requirements: 3 Credits

PSY1100: General Psychology (Mercer Equivalent - PSY101)

Electives: 15 credits

(five additional Psychology courses at the 2000-4000 level by advisement)

 

Political Science

Requirements: 3 Credits

POL1200: American Government and Politics (Mercer Equivalent – POL101)

Electives: 15 credits

(five additional Political Science courses at the 2000-4000 level)    

 

Sociology (entirely on-line) 

Requirements: 3 Credits

SOC1010: Principles of Sociology (Mercer equivalent SOC101) 

Electives: 15 credits 

(Must be 5 additional Sociology courses by advisement)