The Bachelor of Liberal Arts (BLA) degree offers students the opportunity to design a personalized program of study in two concentrations based in the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
Careers
The degree appeals to students seeking an interdisciplinary approach to learning in order to examine complex topics dealing with environment, poverty, governance, peace and conflict, education, etc.
It is well suited for students who are considering graduate school or careers in a wide range of fields, including: education, law, international business, international governance and humanitarian assistance, journalism, human services, museum sciences, etc.
Requirements
Students begin by selecting two concentrations from an approved list. Students will take a minimum of six courses in each of their two concentrations.
Students must also satisfy the Interdisciplinary Focus requirement, which ties everything together. Most students will satisfy this requirement by taking Foundations in Liberal Studies in their sophomore year and either the Capstone in Liberal Studies course or an Internship Course during their senior year.
The Foundations course uses a case study approach to teach students how to examine complex topics using interdisciplinary methodologies.
As students near the completion of their degree, the Capstone course enables them to synthesize their knowledge by choosing a particular topic or problem to examine via a novel interdisciplinary lens that combines their two concentrations. For example, a student concentrating in Environmental & Society and Political Science may examine the social & political consequences of climate change. Another student concentrating in Political Science, History, or Legal Studies might examine legal responses to genocide in the 20th century.
Students in the BLA program must also satisfy the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (FAHSS) language requirement.
BLA advisers work closely with each student throughout the program leading to the successful completion of the degree.