Major Requirements:

Bachelor’s Degree: 37 credits

1. Students should declare their intention to pursue the Liberal Studies and submit a rationale for their program of studies and the courses that will constitute it before they earn 75 credits.

2. This proposal must be approved by the two department chairs* who have agreed to sponsor the major. An advisor will be appointed from one of the departments.

3. A minimum of 15 credits must be taken in each of the two departments or programs. A minimum of 18 credits must be taken at the 300/400 level.

4. Students must complete a one-credit capstone course, COL 400, supervised by their advisor.

5. All major requirements are in addition to those required by the University core. Area II courses may not be fulfilled by courses from either of the two selected disciplines.

*If the two areas of study are within the same department, then the department chair and a faculty member who teaches in one of the specific areas are asked to approve the proposal.

Students have the opportunity to take six graduate credits during their senior year thereby allowing them to complete their M.A. in Liberal Studies within one year after graduation (these six credits also count toward undergraduate course requirements). With proper scheduling many students are able to complete their undergraduate and graduate degrees in five years.

Master of Arts in Liberal Studies

The Master of Arts Program in Liberal Studies cultivates an understanding of ideas, questions, and works from the liberal arts tradition. Exploring various approaches to studies of the arts and sciences complement students’ attempts to create and discover meaning in their personal and professional lives. Students broaden their understanding of ways to use knowledge from the liberal arts tradition to enrich the lives of individuals and to inform social action. Students who are serving in leadership roles in nonprofit organizations, churches, schools, and businesses can select courses which expand their understanding of core areas of theology and the practical implications of these concepts for the ministries and human services.

Graduate Assistantship opportunities may be available to graduate students. For more information on these opportunities and this M.A. program, contact the Graduate Center at 610-796-8228.

Course Descriptions

*500 and 600 level courses are for the M.A. program in liberal studies and the core courses (COR) are for the M.A., M.B.A., and the M.Ed. programs. See the Graduate Catalog for course descriptions.

COR 500    Communications and Information Literacy
COR 510    Moral Leadership
COR 600    Organizational Professional Ethics
LAS 500     The Evolution of Scientific Thought and Perceptions
LAS 501    Strategic Management in Criminal Justice
LAS 505    Case Management and Clinical Supervision
LAS 510    The Biology of Behavior
LAS 515    Research Methods in Behavioral Health
LAS 520    Major Artists and Writers in their Milieus
LAS 535    Criminological Theory
LAS 530    The Mathematics of Behavior
LAS 540    Organizational Behavior in Criminal Justice
LAS 550    Advanced Clinical Practice in Behavioral Health Counseling
LAS 600    Topics in Christian Ethics
LAS 601    Christian Origins
LAS 602    Hebrew Scriptures
LAS 610    Science, Literature and Philosophy in the Age of Pope and Swift
LAS 620    Cross-Cultural Conflict in our Communities
LAS 621    Gender, Family and Social Change
LAS 630    Abnormality and Society
LAS 631    Psychological Measurement
LAS 640    Welfare Politics
LAS 670    Seminar with Supervised Field Experience in Community Service

Liberal Studies