Liberal Studies

The Bachelor of Liberal Studies Program Requirements and Guidelines

Each student must develop an educational contract that satisfies the following requirements:

A. Total number of hours required                                                              120

B. General Education                                                                                      36

C. Liberal Studies Breadth Area Courses                                                       30

     1. Fine and Performing Arts (BFPA or FPA)                                                6

     2. Humanities (BHUM or HUM)                                                                 6

     3. Information and Communication in Society (BICS)                                6

     4. Life Sciences and/or Physical Sciences (BLS/LS or BPS/PS)                    6

     5. Social Sciences (BSS or SS)                                                                6

At least two courses from each of the five Liberal Studies Breadth areas, consisting of a minimum of 6 semester hours, above and beyond the general education requirements, must be completed with a grade of C or better.

D. Elective Hours                                                                                              51

Courses taken as elective hours should be designed around the student’s interest toward their career and educational goals. The elective hours must be completed with an average GPA of 2.0.

E. Senior Project                                                                                               3

The Senior Project (a capstone academic experience), serving as a component in senior assessment, affords the student an opportunity for self-reflection and guided independent study. The academic breadth of the liberal studies program orients students’ attention toward activities that might include, but are not limited to, a student practicum, internship, integrative research paper, presentation, or creative undertaking. A minimum grade of C in LIBS 400 is required to meet degree requirements.

A minimum of 42 hours of upper-level (300/400 level) coursework must be completed. The Interdisciplinary Studies course all SIUE students complete, as well as the Senior Project (LIBS 400), will count for 6 of the 42 hours of upper-level coursework.

A maximum of 24 hours, beyond general education requirements, may be used in any one discipline to meet degree requirements.

Graduation Requirements

• Complete all specific program requirements
• Complete all University requirements including:
  • All general education requirements
  • A minimum of 120 credit hours
    • At least 30 of which must be completed at SIUE
    • At least 60 of which must be completed at a regionally accredited 4-year institution
  • A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0
  • One of the following University Intellectual Areas:
    • At least eight (8) courses in the fine and performing arts and humanities, including, as part of those eight courses, a two (2) semester sequence of a foreign language
    • At least eight (8) courses in the sciences (life, physical, or social), including, as part of those eight courses, two (2) courses designated as labs (LAB)

File an Application for Graduation by the first day of the term in which you plan to graduate