Navigating the academic landscape is a pivotal aspect of every student's journey. For Liberal Studies students at the University of Illinois Springfield, a wealth of resources awaits to enhance your learning experience. From direct access to our comprehensive program handbook to informational links for additional support services, our Student Resources function as a centralized hub equipped with tools designed to guide you throughout your studies at UIS.

Students in Liberal Studies can design their own degree program and chart a unique pathway based on their prior learning, experiences, goals, and aspirations. Below are some example pathways. Explore these and other possibilities with the help of our program advisor. For Liberal Studies degree requirements, please visit the catalog.

Liberal Studies B.A. Coaching and Athletics Leadership pathway

Coaching and Athletics Leadership Pathway helps students gain foundational knowledge and transferrable skills to work on compliance, education, health and wellness, leadership, management, support service, & other areas related to coaching and sports.

Employment Areas: athletic administration, coaching and training, health and nutrition education, outreach coordination, sports management, wellness programming, etc.

Stackable Credentials: credit hours completed for minors (e.g.: English, Psychology, Sociology, & Sports Management) may count as electives toward the Liberal Studies B.A. degree.

General Education Courses to Consider: 

Math: MAT121 Applied StatisticsFirst-Year Seminar: TEP189 Athletics & the American University
Humanities: PHI101 Intro to PhilosophyBehavioral/Social Sciences: SOA101 Intro to Sociology or PSY201 Principles of Psychology
Science: MLS225 NutritionElective: EXR222 Musculoskeletal Anatomy & Physiology
 Visual, Creative, Performing Arts: ART236 Intro to Digital Media

Upper-Division Electives to Consider:

CCJ414 Criminology of SportEXR301 Motor LearningCOM464 Conflict Management
ENG309 Professional WritingMGT474 Leadership & MotivationEXR329 Kinesiology & Biomechanics
EXR 341 ECCE Sport & SocietyEXR363 Exercise & Sport PsychologyHIS447 ECCE Sports & US History
LIS424 Ancient Sport & SpectacleCOM463 Organizational CommunicationSOA464 Sociology of Mental Health/Illness
SOA361 Social PsychologySOA338 Sex, Gender & Pop CulturePSY333 Positive Psychology
THE323 Voice & MovementWGS366 ECCE Beyond BiasIPL300, 301, & 305

Liberal Studies B.A. Community Relations and Services pathway

Community Relations and Services Pathway prepares students for planning, developing, coordinating, and implementing a variety of community programs, events, and projects and working in grant-seeking, engagement, policies and procedures, & other areas.

Employment Areas: advocacy and outreach, community engagement, grant writing, government agencies, non-profit management, program development and coordination, etc.

Stackable Credentials: credit hours completed for minors (e.g.: African American Studies, Art Therapy, Child Advocacy Studies, Criminology and Criminal Justice, English, Sociology, & Women and Gender Studies) may count as electives toward the Liberal Studies B.A. degree.

General Education Courses to Consider: 

Humanities: HIS204 U.S. History to 1877Humanities: HIS205 U.S. History since 1877Math: PSC242 Statistics for Social Sciences
Behavioral/Social Sciences: CCJ221 Intro to CriminologyBehavioral/Social Sciences: CCJ231/SOA232 Juvenile DelinquencyBehavioral/Social Sciences: SOA101 Intro to Sociology
Behavioral/Social Sciences: PSC201 Intro to the American Political SystemBehavioral/Social Sciences: PSY201 Principles of PsychologyElective: COM210 Media Writing

Upper-Division Electives to Consider:

BUS331 ECCE Business, Ethics, & SocietyCOM331 Business & Managerial CommunicationCOM362 Intro to Public Relations
CCJ364 Communities, Fear, & Crime ControlCCJ463 Intro to Human RightsCCJ312 ECCE Policing in America
CCJ337 Corrections & the Mass MediaCCJ343/WGS343 ECCE Women & Criminal JusticeCCJ347 ECCE Race, Class, & Social Justice
ECO315 Economics for AdministrationENG309 Professional WritingENG368 ECCE Creative Writing, Publishing, & Community
HIS421 ECCE Intro to Oral HistoryAAS433/HIS429 ECCE Civil Rights Movement of the 20th CenturyLES307 Law & Society
PAD310 Nonprofit Sector & SocietyPAD302 Leadership & Management of Public OrganizationsPHI353 Person, Identity, & Dignity
PSC311 Intro to Public PolicyPSC403 Public OpinionsENG481/LIS458 ECCE Memoirs across Cultures
SOA312 ECCE Perspectives on PovertySOA361 Social PsychologySWK355 Social Welfare Policies and Services

Liberal Studies B.A. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice pathway

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Pathway prepares students for developing, coordinating, and leading a variety of DEIJ initiatives and advising, implementing, & updating policies and procedures, among others.

Employment Areas: community engagement and outreach, consulting services, DEIJ education and training, DEIJ events planning, government agencies, program management, media content development, support services, etc.

Stackable Credentials: credit hours completed for minors (e.g.: African American Studies, Criminology and Criminal Justice, English, Legal Studies, Sociology, & Women and Gender Studies) may count as electives toward the Liberal Studies B.A. degree.

General Education Courses to Consider: 

First-Year Seminar: GBL101 Global Culture & College-Age YouthHumanities: PHI101 Intro to PhilosophyMath: MAT121 Applied Statistics
Behavioral/Social Sciences: CCJ239 Intro to Criminal JusticeBehavioral/Social Sciences: ECO201 Intro to MicroeconomicsBehavioral/Social Sciences: SOA221 Social Problems
Behavioral/Social Sciences: PSY Principles of PsychologyElective: SOA235 ECCE Working USA and the 99% 

Upper-Division Electives to Consider:

AAS301 ECCE African American StudiesAAS465 ECCE Black Women WritersAAS403/SOA451 ECCE Women of Color & Minority Women
BUS331 ECCE Business, Ethics, & SocietyCOM331 Business & Managerial Communication COM362 Intro to Public Relations
COM425 ECCE Intercultural CommunicationCCJ347 ECCE Race, Class, & Social JusticeCCJ463 Intro to Human Rights
ENG309 Professional WritingENG321 ECCE China to Chinese AmericaENG331/WGS381 ECCE Asian American Women & Literature
ENG381 ECCE Graphic NovelAAS433/HIS429 ECCE Civil Rights Movement of the 20th CenturyLES307 Law & Society
LES333 ECCE Sexual Orientation and Public PolicyMGT310 Managing Organizational BehaviorMGT431 Human Resource Management
PHI353 Person, Identity, & DignityPSY341 Industrial-Organizational PsychologyPSY422 Race, Culture, & Psychology
SOA302 Understanding CulturesWGS301 ECCE Intro to Women & Gender StudiesWGS449 Employment Discrimination Law

Liberal Studies B.A. Health Humanities pathway

Health Humanities Pathway helps student combine scientific and humanistic approaches to understanding disease and illness, health and wellness, medical intervention, patient experience, & prevention and healing. 

Employment Areas: health advocacy, healthcare administration, medical sales, patient relations and outreach, public health education, wellness program coordination, etc.

Stackable Credentials: credit hours completed for minors (for example: Anthropology, Biology/Pre-Medical, English, Public Health, Sociology, & Women and Gender Studies) may count as electives toward the Liberal Studies B. A. degree.

General Education Courses to Consider: 

Humanities: PHI101 Intro to PhilosophyLife Science: MLS115 Solving Medical MysteriesMath: MAT121 Applied Statistics
Behavioral/Social Science: SOA101 Intro to SociologyBehavioral/Social Science: SOA103 Intro to AnthropologyBehavioral/Social Science: PSY201 Principles of Psychology
Elective: EXR233 Personal Health & WellnessElective: MPH224 Epidemiology Science of Disease Discovery 

Upper-Division Electives to Consider:

COM302 Intro to Interpersonal/Organizational CommunicationCOM425 ECCE Intercultural CommunicationCOM428 Nonverbal Communication
ENG306 Intro to LinguisticsENG309 Professional WritingENG338 ECCE Intro to Health Humanities
ENG382 ECCE Comics, Health, IllnessEXR352 Health Promotion & Disease PreventionHIS345 ECCE U.S. Women's History
HIS421 ECCE Intro to Oral History MethodsHIS454 ECCE History of the FamilyMIS323 ECCE Social Health Care Informatics
MLS325 Evidence-Based Research ConceptsMPH441 Human Well-BeingMPH471 Emerging Disease
PHI341 EthicsPHI471 Philosophy of SciencePHI473 Philosophy of Mind
WGS458 Women, Health, & HealingPSY335 Health PsychologySOA304 Human Evolution
SOA428 ECCE Culture, Health, & PowerSOA464 Sociology of Mental Health/IllnessSOA563 Sociology of Death, Dying, & Bereavement