Program Overview

Introduction to the Liberal Studies Program

The Liberal Studies program at the University of Illinois Springfield is designed to provide students with a well-rounded education that integrates key learning categories with a variety of instructional methods. The program emphasizes the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills, and encourages students to become engaged and responsible citizens.

Program Overview

The Liberal Studies program is a Bachelor of Arts degree that can be completed on campus or entirely online. The program is designed to be flexible and allows students to create a personalized degree plan that meets their individual needs and interests. Students can choose from a wide range of courses in various disciplines, including humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and fine arts.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the Liberal Studies program, students must meet the university's general admission requirements. Online students must have completed at least 30 hours of transfer credit prior to admission into the program. Additionally, online applicants must have successfully completed at least two semesters of freshman-level composition for admission into the program.

Program Requirements

The Liberal Studies program requires students to complete a minimum of 40 hours of coursework, including:

• LIS 301: Self-Directed Learning (4 hours)
• LIS 451: Senior Seminar (3 hours)
• At least 12 hours of interdisciplinary coursework at the 300 or 400 level
• At least 3 hours of coursework in each of the seven Boyer categories: identity, work, nature, institutions, language, heritage, and art

Boyer Categories

The Boyer categories are a framework for understanding the different aspects of human experience and are used to organize the Liberal Studies curriculum. The seven categories are:

• Identity: the search for meaning
• Work: the value of vocation
• Nature: ecology of the planet
• Institutions: the social web
• Language: the crucial connection
• Heritage: the living past
• Art: the aesthetic dimension

Course Offerings

The Liberal Studies program offers a wide range of courses in various disciplines, including:

• LIS 101: The Studio Age: Our Hollywood Heritage
• LIS 107: Globalization and Power
• LIS 211: Liberty Studies
• LIS 241: ECCE: Survey of African American History I
• LIS 244: Literary Heroines
• LIS 261: Survey of African American Literature
• LIS 262: Calabash: Caribbean Literature and Culture
• LIS 301: Self-Directed Learning
• LIS 302: ECCE: African American Studies
• LIS 315: Individualism and Self-Reliance in America
• LIS 319: Philosophy of Business
• LIS 325: ECCE: Latina/o USA
• LIS 342: Conducting Liberal Studies Research
• LIS 344: ECCE: Serving up Art
• LIS 360: Special Topics in Liberal Studies
• LIS 362: ECCE: Interdisciplinary Study of Work
• LIS 363: ECCE: Multicultural American Novels
• LIS 366: European Cinema
• LIS 368: ECCE: African American Popular Fiction
• LIS 375: ECCE: African American Popular Culture
• LIS 380: Exploration of Learning Resources
• LIS 411: Liberty Struggles
• LIS 417: Free Market Philosophies
• LIS 421: Baseball: An Interdisciplinary Approach
• LIS 424: Ancient Sport and Spectacle
• LIS 431: The Beatles: Popular Music and Society
• LIS 432: ECCE: Expatriate Paris
• LIS 433: ECCE: Civil Rights Movement of the Twentieth Century
• LIS 439: African And Diaspora Music
• LIS 442: International Women Writers
• LIS 447: ECCE: Symbolist Movement in Europe: 1850 - 1920
• LIS 451: Senior Seminar
• LIS 455: ECCE: African American Popular Culture
• LIS 458: ECCE: Memoirs Across Cultures
• LIS 460: Special Topics in Liberal Studies
• LIS 465: ECCE: Black Women Writers
• LIS 467: Rationality and Moral Choice
• LIS 471: Honors Thesis
• LIS 499: Independent Study: Tutorial

Minors

The Liberal Studies program offers two minors:

• Liberty Studies Minor
• Social Responsibility and Leadership Development Minor

Liberty Studies Minor

The Liberty Studies minor is a course of study that focuses on the foundations, meanings, and implications of liberty. The minor requires students to complete 16-17 hours of coursework, including:

• LIS 211: Liberty Studies
• PHI 341: Ethics or PHI 441: Moral Theory
• One course from each of the following categories:
  • Liberty and Commerce
  • Liberty and Authority
  • Liberty and Culture

Social Responsibility and Leadership Development Minor

The Social Responsibility and Leadership Development minor is an interdisciplinary program that includes both theoretical and experiential components. The minor requires students to complete 15-17 hours of coursework, including:

• IPL 210: Introduction to Leadership Theory and Practice
• IPL 361: Social Responsibility and Leadership Development Capstone
• IPL 362: ECCE: Social Change and Leadership
• Two electives (6-8 hours) that can be taken online or on campus.