Mar 29, 2024  
2015-2017 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2015-2017 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Liberal Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies, B.S.


Theron Corse, PhD., Interim Coordinator
408 Hubert Crouch Hall
Telephone 615-963-5755

General Statement: The Liberal Arts (Interdisciplinary Studies) degree program is a creative, flexible, and inter-disciplinary program which allows students to concentrate their upper-level studies in one of the three concentrations: the humanities, the social sciences, or the natural sciences. The program exposes the student to the knowledge and methodologies of two specific disciplines within a given concentration.

The degree, which is the Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts, permits students to develop a personalized program of study in consultation with their advisor which would not be met through participation in a traditional discipline. This degree program is designed to provide students with flexibility while maintaining the quality and excellence expected of all degree programs. Students choose one of the three concentrations and then identify their first discipline which requires 15 semester hours of upper-level (3000-4000) courses, and a second discipline which requires 8 semester hours of upper-level courses. For example, a student with a concentration in the humanities may choose any two of the following disciplines: Art, English, French, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Spanish, and Theatre. A student with a social sciences concentration may choose any two of the following disciplines: Africana Studies, Anthropology, Criminal Justice, Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, and Communications. A student with a natural sciences concentration may choose any two of the following disciplines: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Physics.

A student may be allowed another combination of disciplines, provided he or she makes a reasonable case for it. However, this approach to the program is the exception rather than the rule. Ultimately, this combination must be approved by the Coordinator and the Dean’s office prior to embarking on coursework rather than after the coursework has begun.

The degree is especially useful for some pre-professional curricula, such as pre-law, pre-pharmacy, pre-medicine, and pre-dentistry, because it allows the student to construct more easily a degree program from the required courses in various disciplines while gaining disciplinary knowledge which can be beneficial to success in the professional program. The degree is also useful for non-traditional students who desire a liberal arts education that will maximize their flexibility with the job market. Additionally, traditional students desiring a degree program that is not currently offered at the university may find this degree useful for constructing a degree program that allows them to gain the prerequisite skills, knowledge, and experience to fulfill their graduate school or career aspirations.

The Coordinator of Interdisciplinary Studies serves as the academic advisor for all students in the program, except for those who are seeking certification in Elementary Education.

Mission: The major in Liberal Arts (Interdisciplinary Studies) is designed to prepare students to be life-long learners, effective community leaders, community service advocates, and productive global citizens who are able to understand and integrate diverse perspectives and methods to solve complex problems and produce practical applications and solutions to global issues.

Goals: It is the goal of the Liberal Arts (Interdisciplinary Studies) Program: 1) to provide students with a flexible, individualized degree program that allows them to integrate disciplinary knowledge and methods to prepare for their personal, academic, and career goals; 2) to assist students in developing a personalized success plan that addresses their personal, academic, and professional goals; 3) to develop students who are able to engage in multiple perspective taking in order to integrate disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge and methods to solve complex global problems; 4) to produce students who are life-long learners, critical thinkers, and community service advocates.

Program Learning Outcomes:

Students who graduate with a Bachelors of Science in Liberal Arts should acquire:

  1. the ability to describe a theme or problem from the perspective of different disciplines;
  2. a basic knowledge of student’s areas of study and an understanding of the techniques used by different disciplines to produce and analyze that knowledge;
  3. the ability to integrate knowledge and modes of thinking drawn from two or more disciplines; and
  4. the ability to produce an interdisciplinary understanding of a complex problem or intellectual question.

Program Requirements: 32 Semester Hours


General Education Core


Communications: (9 hours)


Humanities and/or Fine Arts: (9 hours)


  • ENGL 2110 -ENGL 2320  - Sophomore Literature Course (3)
  • Elective - One course from approved list. (3)
  • Elective - One course from approved list. (3)

Social and Behavioral Science: (6 hours)


  • Elective - One course from approved list. (3)
  • Elective - One course from approved list. (3)

Natural Science: (8 hours)


Mathematics: (3 hours)


  • One course from approved list. (3)

Total General Education Hours: 42


Upper-division Admission


For admission to the upper-division program of the Interdisciplinary Studies major, the student must complete all of the requirements listed above under General Education Core and Other Requirements. In addition, one must have removed all high school deficiencies, passed all required remedial/developmental courses, and earned a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on college-level course work.

Major Core:


A minimum of 32 upper-level (3000- and 4000-level) hours must be completed in Liberal Arts. For this purpose Economics, Computer Science, and Psychology are treated as Liberal Arts disciplines, although they are administered through other colleges in the University. Students must earn at least a C in all 32 of these hours.

  1. Twenty-three upper-level hours must be completed in one of the three broad areas or concentrations: the humanities, the social sciences, or the natural sciences. Fifteen of these hours must be in a single discipline and eight must be in a second discipline from the same family.
  2. Nine additional upper-level hours must be completed in Liberal Arts disciplines or in Economics, Computer Science, or Psychology.

Suggested Four-Year Plan:


Freshman Year


Fall Semester


Total: 14 Hours

Spring Semester


Total: 16 Hours

Sophomore Year


Fall Semester


Total: 15 Hours

Spring Semester


Total: 15 Hours

Junior Year


Fall Semester


  • 1st Discipline 3000/4000 (3)
  • 2nd Discipline 3000/4000 (3)
  • Elective 3000/4000 Liberal ARTS (3)
  • Electives (Any Level) (6)
Total: 15 Hours

Spring Semester


  • 1st Discipline 3000/4000 (6)
  • 2nd Discipline 3000/4000 (3)
  • Elective 3000/4000 Liberal ARTS (3)
  • Elective 3000-4000 (Any School or College) (3)
Total: 15 Hours

Senior Year


Fall Semester


  • 1st Discipline 3000/4000 (3)
  • 2nd Discipline 3000/4000 (3)
  • ELECTIVE, 3000/4000 Liberal ARTS (3)
  • Electives 3000/4000 (Any School or College) (3)
  • Elective (Any Level) (3)
Total: 15 Hours

Spring Semester


  • 1st Discipline 3000/4000 (3)
  • Elective 3000/4000 (Any School or College) (6)
  • Elective (Any Level) (6)
Total: 15 Hours