UIS Home Page Search the UIS Website

UIS Liberal Studies ProgramPhotos of Students and Faculty

the major

The Liberal Studies program requires the following structure for all degree plans:

  • 10 hours Liberal Studies core courses
  • 38 hours focused elective coursework
  • Freshmen/Transfer Course Requirements

Studying at home

38 hours of focused elective coursework

Students must choose 38 hours of elective courses that focus on the Boyer Categories. Possible courses that may meet the requirements of these categories include the following:

Online students can review courses that have been taught online at UIS by looking at the online course history. Since not all classes at UIS are taught every semester, this .pdf file can give you a historical basis for anticipating when courses may be taught. You make need to download Adobe Acrobate Reader to view it.

  • Self designed themes – you may design their electives around  goals for the future.  For example, students who plan to continue their education in a graduate program, may use their electives to meet prerequisite course work or learning deficits.  Career professionals may wish to enhance their current career with selections that meet their learning needs.
  • Minor Concentrations – You may choose courses to comprise a minor concentration from a number of minors offered, including Women's Studies, African-American Studies, or International Studies. Check individual program websites to determine the number of hours and courses required.
  • Multidisciplinary Courses – UIS offers multidisciplinary courses that provide a thematic integration across disciplines. Offered each semester, these are compatible with the general goals of a Liberal Studies Online degree.
  • Credit for Prior Learning – The Credit for Prior Learning Program offers a course to assist in the development of materials used to assess experiential learning. Through the process of completing AST 401, the Assessment of Experiential Learning gained through extensive work or volunteer experiences, students prepare a written portfolio that includes a series of written essays and documentation.
  • Independent Studies/Tutorials – Students who wish to structure one-on-one learning experiences that are not regularly available, but nevertheless relevant to their programs, can register for independent study or tutorial courses. These courses are offered for variable credit, ranging from two to six credit hours.

Freshmen/Transfer Course Requirements

Incoming Freshmen: Complete ECCE coursework according to the General Education requirements.

Transfer students entering summer 2007 semester and prior: UIS requires 12 semester hours of courses focusing on public affairs and services topics. These can be chosen from two of the following three types of course areas:

  • Liberal Studies Colloquia (LSC) – multidisciplinary courses that engage important issues having significance beyond a single discipline. Each semester, a number of different colloquia are offered. There are no prerequisites for any of these.

  • Public Affairs Colloquia (PAC) – each semester a number of different PAC courses are offered to provide interdisciplinary exploration of contemporary public issues. There are no prerequisites for any of the colloquia.
  • Applied Study and Experiential Learning Term (AST) – Similar to an internship, the applied study term teaches students to learn from experience, acquire skills characteristic of lifelong learners, and develop abilities to apply academic learning to practical problems.

Transfer students entering fall 2007 semester and beyond may take LSC and PAC courses as electives but will not be required to complete the 12 hours of credits listed above. Instead, these students will be required to complete the following list of Engaged Citizen Common Experience (ECCE) requirements:

  • Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE)
    • U.S Communities (3 hours) – courses should broaden a students’ knowledge about substantial, distinctive, and complex aspects of the history, society, politics, and culture of United States communities.
    • Global Awarness (3 hours) – courses should help students understand and function in an increasingly interdependent and globalizing environment and to develop an appreciation of other cultural perspectives.
    • Engagement Experience (3 hours) – courses provide structured opportunities for students to integrate knowledge, practice, and reflection in the context of engaged citizenship.  Opportunities include Applied Studies Term, Credit for Prior Learning, service-learning courses, research projects, and study abroad.
    • ECCE Elective (3 hours)
    • ECCE Speakers Series (1 hour)

Back to top