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Liberal Studies
School of Arts and Sciences
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| Regional Accreditation — The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association. |
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| Affordable Tuition — Full-time financial aid availability and reasonable costs. |
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| Faculty — Academic credentials and real-world experience. |
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Why choose a Liberal Studies degree?
The liberal studies major allows students the flexibility to design a program around their own interests. Other students, who are not quite sure what they want to study, choose liberal studies as a major so they can explore various subjects in order to discover where their interests may be.
Still other students combine a professional degree - Physical Therapist Assistant (A.S.) or Occupational Therapy Assistant (A.S.), for example - with a B.S. in Health Sciences to further their educational and employment opportunities.
Each student works closely with an advisor to design and complete a program that leads to a B.A. or B.S. in a specific concentration. Typical concentrations organize core courses around subject areas in humanities, natural sciences, or social sciences.
What can I study?
- A student majored in liberal studies communication studies while also earning an associate degree in meteorology from another school. She combined the relevant meteorology into her communications studies degree as preparation to go into the field of weather forecasting for a news station.
- Many students combine criminal justice courses into their social sciences degree requirements in preparation for careers in counseling in the criminal justice system.
- Health promotions is often used as preparation for jobs in pharmaceutical sales.
- Social and behavioral sciences concentrations are both used in preparation for careers at social service agencies, mental health clinics, and state-run agencies administering social programs.
- Some liberal studies majors with an interest in English and literature design their degrees around graduate school requirements, while others use the degree to refine their writing skills for creative writing careers.
The program of study comprises 36 hours of general studies, 18 hours of liberal arts electives, and 66 hours career concentration courses, for a total of 120 semester hours.
General Studies
Complete 36 hours in the following areas with an overall average of C or better:
Computer proficiency 3
English Composition I and II 6Communication skills 3
Humanities and fine arts 6
Mathematics 3
Natural sciences 6
Social sciences 9
Total 36
Liberal Arts Electives
Complete 18 semester hours, with an overall average of C or better, in areas commonly associated with the liberal arts. Elective areas may include art, humanities, literature, music, philosophy, speech, communication, criminal justice, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, social work, sociology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, ecology, geology, mathematics, meteorology, physical science, physics, and statistics.
Career Component
The career component consists of 66 hours and must be completed with a minimum grade of C in each course. At least 36 hours of the career component must be fulfilled with 300- or 400-level courses. The career component may be partially fulfilled with LS 301 Focus and Design and LS 450 Capstone Seminar.
Career options
At MSU, approximately one-half of our students continue their education in graduate school and the other half enters the workforce after graduation. The senior practicum (internship) experience often serves as a bridge between studies and future employment.
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