Program Overview

Bachelor of Liberal Studies (BLS)

The Bachelor of Liberal Studies is a degree program that enables students to combine structured areas of academic emphasis in ways more relevant to their interests than the standard academic major.

Program Requirements

To obtain a Bachelor of Liberal Studies (BLS), a student must complete:

• UMSL General Education Requirements
• In addition, students must complete the State Requirement (3) and Cultural Diversity Requirement (3) if not met in General Education course selection
• The university requirement of proficiency in English Composition
  • ENGL 1100 - First Year Writing (to be completed in the first 24 credit hours at the university)
  • Junior Level Writing
• The university requirement of proficiency in Mathematics (to be completed in the first 24 credit hours at the university)
• Two emphasis areas that are satisfied by completing the requirements for:
  • two designated BLS Minors in participating departments or other units
  • a designated minor and any undergraduate certificate
  • No course may be used more than once
• A capstone course (minimum of 3 hours) selected from one of the concentration areas that make up the identified BLS core

Additional Requirements

• Minimum of 45 credit hours in upper-level course work (2000 or higher)
  • Electives 28-42
• A minimum of 120 credit hours
• Overall GPA of 2.0 or better
• GPA of 2.0 or better in BLS combination areas (unless otherwise specified)
• Minimum grade of C in all courses used in BLS combination areas unless otherwise specified by the department
• Residency requirement, in addition to campus residency, unless otherwise specified, 9 graded hours in each minor and certificate at 2000 level or above and one capstone course

Participating Units

The Colleges of Arts and Sciences (CAS), Business Administration (COBA), College of Education (COE), the Pierre Laclede Honors College (PLHC), and the School of Social Work (SW) have joined together to make available Liberal Studies combinations involving the following units:

• Department of Art and Design (CAS)
• Department of Biology (CAS)
• College of Business Administration (COBA)
• College of Education (COE)
• Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (CAS)
• Department of Communication and Media (CAS)
• Department of Computer Science (CAS)
• Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice (CAS)
• Department of Economics (CAS)
• Department of English (CAS)
• Department of History (CAS)
• Pierre Laclede Honors College (PLHC)
• Department of Language and Cultural Studies (CAS)
• Department of Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy and Statistics (CAS)
• Department of Music (CAS)
• Department of Philosophy (CAS)
• Department of Political Science (CAS)
• Department of Psychological Sciences (CAS)
• Department of Sociology (CAS)
• School of Social Work (SW)
• Undergraduate certificates

Capstone and Other Restrictions

1. Students who are planning to earn a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree should declare the BLS as their major within the first 90 hours of the program.
2. The College of Nursing and the Joint Engineering Program are not participants in the BLS program.
3. The following Colleges/Departments participate in the BLS program but do not offer a capstone course and must be paired with a minor from one of the areas listed below: Business, Studio Art, Statistics, Undergraduate Certificates, and Interdisciplinary minors.
4. Students admitted to the Pierre Laclede Honors College who wish to present the Honors Certificate as a minor for the BLS must complete the Honors Capstone, (one or two credit hours) and also direct three to six hours of their Honors independent study requirement to work demonstrably relevant to their BLS program.
5. The capstone is required in addition to the courses presented for the minor.
6. The following have identified a Capstone, so at least one of these minors must be included in the BLS program:

• Anthropology
• Art & Design
• Biology
• Chemistry/Biochemistry
• Communication
• Criminology & Criminal Justice
• Economics
• Education
• English
• Gerontology
• History
• Honors College
• Languages and Cultures
• Mathematics/Computer Science
• Media Studies
• Music
• Philosophy
• Physics
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Sociology

Capstone Courses

The following capstone courses are available:

• Anthropology: One additional 4000 level course in Anthropology not used in the minor
• Art & Design: One additional 4000 level topics course in Art History not used in the minor
• Biology: BIOL 3302 - Evolution
• Chemistry/Biochemistry: 3 total hours from the options listed
• Communication: One additional 3000/4000 level Communication course not used in the minor
• Criminology & Criminal Justice: One additional 4000 level course in Criminology and Criminal Justice, not used as part of the minor
• Economics: One additional 4000 level Economics course (except ECON 4105, ECON 4160, and ECON 4550) not used in the minor
• Education: A 3 hour capstone course must be selected from the following
• English: One additional 4000 level English Literature course not used in the minor
• Gerontology: One additional 4000 level course in Gerontology not used in the minor
• History: HIST 4999 - Senior Seminar
• Honors College: 3 total hours taken from the options listed
• Languages and Cultures: FRENCH 3211 - Contemporary French Culture, JAPAN 3280 - Readings in Japanese, or SPANISH 3210/3211
• Mathematics/Computer Science: One additional 4000 Level Course in Computer Science or Mathematics not used in the minor
• Media Studies: One additional 4000 level course not used in the minor
• Music: Select one of the following
• Philosophy: One additional 4000 level course not used in the minor
• Physics: PHYSICS 4381 - Directed Readings in Physics
• Political Science: POL SCI 4950 - Senior Seminar in Political Science
• Psychology: One additional 4000 level Psychology course not used in the minor
• Sociology: One additional 4000 level course in Sociology not used in the minor, excluding SOC 4350 or SOC 4385