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Liberal Studies

Liberal Studies (B.A.)

Liberal studies is unique at Marymount in that it provides a broad general education and the opportunity to gain knowledge in two major fields, designated as concentrations. Concentration options are biology/physical sciences, business and related fields, communication, English, fine and applied arts, gender and society, graphic design, history, humanities, information technology, mathematics, philosophy/religious studies/theology, politics, and psychology/sociology/criminal justice. Other concentrations may be considered.

Liberal studies is especially appropriate for transfer and nontraditional students with previously earned college credits and full-time work experience. The program provides an efficient way to maximize the number of transfer credits and/or shorten the time required for graduation in a single discipline. The program is also desirable for students who have more than one specialized interest, have altered their career goals, or want to change their major.

The liberal studies program consists of three components: the Liberal Arts Core, the two concentrations, and the liberal studies triad (LS 300, LS 400, and LS 420).

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to

  • demonstrate liberal learning by exhibiting analytical original thought, empathetic judgment, and mature values in their current writing, critical thinking, and independent decision making; and
  • demonstrate applied learning through experience documented in a personal e-portfolio and an oral presentation that provide evidence of competent scholarly research, mature writing and speaking, and effective use of technology.

The e-portfolio contains a collection of experiential and scholarly writings, including a lengthy senior thesis. The topic of this paper involves the student in conducting scholarly research integrating knowledge of the student’s two fields of concentration. The e-portfolio is often sent to prospective employers to demonstrate students' high level of research and writing skills and knowledge of the controversial issues in their fields of concentration.

Degree Requirements — Liberal Studies

Liberal Arts Core and University Requirements

See University Requirements and the Liberal Arts Core for details. Liberal studies majors will satisfy the three-course university Writing-Intensive (WI) requirement in the following way: LS 300 Liberal Studies Readings and Portfolio Development, LS 420 Senior Seminar, and one additional WI course from an area of concentration or from the Liberal Arts Core or university electives.

Major Requirements

Liberal studies majors will complete two concentrations for a total of 42 credits. Students may take 21 credits in each field or as few as 15 credits in one of the fields, as long as the required total of 42 credits for the two concentrations is met. Of these 42 credits, a total of 18 credits must be completed in concentration courses numbered 300 or above; students may take 9 credits in each field, or as few as 6 credits in one of the fields, as long as the required total of 18 credits of 300-level courses is met.

NOTE: Courses used to fulfill students' requirements in their two concentrations cannot be used to fulfill Liberal Arts Core requirements.

In addition, students will take a triad of liberal studies specific courses:

LS 300 Liberal Studies Readings and Portfolio Development

LS 400 Internship

LS 420 Senior Seminar

Students with significant work history may fulfill the internship requirement through submission of a portfolio (LS 400 Pace Internship) with requires approval of the dean.

Gender and Society Concentration

Concentration Requirements

15 – 21 credits

IS 200 Approaches to Gender and Society (to be taken before other courses in the concentration)

Four (4) to 6 courses in a minimum of three academic disciplines from the following: AA 410 Clothing Selection and Behavior, CMD 220 Intercultural Communication, EN 340 Major Women Writers, EN 230 American Multicultural Literature, PSY 110 Human Growth and Development, PSY 220 Social Psychology, PSY 250 Biological Bases of Behavior, PSY 321 Psychology of Gender, SOC 203 The Global Village. Courses used for this concentration cannot be used to fulfill Liberal Arts Core requirements.

Humanities Concentration

Concentration Requirements

15 – 21 credits

Five (5) to 7 courses in a minimum of three of the following academic disciplines: English, fine arts, history, philosophy, and theology and religious studies. Courses selected for this concentration cannot be used to fulfill Liberal Arts Core requirements.

Sample Degree Plan — Liberal Studies

Please note that this is a sample plan; all students must consult with an advisor in making course selections.

Year One — Fall

EN 101 Composition I (WR core course)*

Mathematics (MT) core course*

Introductory Social Science (SS-1) core course*

DSC 101 DISCOVER First-Year Seminar*

One (1) elective

Year One — Spring

EN 102 Composition II (WR core course)*

Introductory History (HI-1) core course*

Natural Science (NS) core course*

TRS 100 Theological Inquiry (TRS-1 core course)*

One (1) elective

Year Two — Fall

Two (2) first concentration courses § **

One (1) second concentration course § **

Introductory Literature (LT-1) core course*

Introductory Social Science (SS-1) core course*

Year Two — Spring

One (1) first concentration course § **

Two (2) second concentration courses § **

Fine Arts (FNA), Advanced History (HI-2), or Advanced Literature (LT-2) core course*

PH 200 Introduction to Philosophy (PH-1 core course)*

Year Three — Fall

LS 300 Liberal Studies Readings and Portfolio Development § *

Two (2) first concentration courses § **

Advanced Philosophy (PH-2) or Philosophical Ethics (PH-E) core course*

Advanced Social Science (SS-2) core course*

Year Three — Spring

Two (2) first concentration 300/400-level courses § **

Two (2) second concentration 300/400-level courses § **

Advanced Theology/Religious Studies (TRS-2) or Theological Ethics (TRS-E) core course*

Year Four — Fall

LS 400 Internship § *

Two (2) second concentration 300/400-level courses § **

Introductory Social Science (SS-1) or Natural Science (NS) core course*

Year Four — Spring

LS 420 Senior Seminar § *

Fine Arts (FNA), Advanced History (HI-2), or Advanced Literature (LT-2) core course *

Three (3) electives

§ Requirement for the major

* Fulfills Liberal Arts Core/University Requirements. See University Requirements and the Liberal Arts Core and Course Descriptions for further information.

** Students select two concentrations, as noted in the program description and degree requirements.

Catalog Contents

General Information

Admission

Financial Information

Academic Support Services

Academic Information and Policies

University Requirements and the Liberal Arts Core

Academic Opportunities

Undergraduate Programs

Course Descriptions

Accounting Courses

Applied Arts Courses

Astronomy Courses

Biology Courses

Business Law Courses

Center for Career Services

Chemistry Courses

Communication and Media Design Courses

Criminal Justice Courses

Economics Courses

Education Courses

English Courses

EN 090 Introduction to College Reading

EN 100 Introduction to College Writing

EN 101 Composition I

EN 102 Composition II

EN 150 Introduction to American Sign Language

EN 200 Elements of Literary Study

EN 201 World Literature: The Ancient World

EN 202 World Literature: The Middle Ages

EN 203 World Literature: Renaissance through Enlightenment

EN 204 World Literature: Romanticism through Post-Modernism

EN 205 American Literature I

EN 206 American Literature II

EN 207 Theater History

EN 211 Principles of Language

EN 212 Topics in Acting

EN 220 The Movie or the Book? Narrative Adaptation in the Cinema

EN 225 Literary Superheroes

EN 227 Short Fiction

EN 230 American Multicultural Literature

EN 240 Introduction to Visual and Cultural Studies

EN 250 Introduction to Shakespeare and Elizabethan Literature in London

EN 270 Approaches to Creative Writing

EN 280 Perspectives on Language Acquisition

EN 290 Literary Theory and Practice

EN 301 The Writing Process: Theory and Practice

EN 303 Literary Nonfiction

EN 305 Topics in Creative Writing

EN 308 Style and Revision

EN 321 Modern Drama

EN 322 19th-Century British Poets

EN 323 Modern Poetry

EN 330 Chaucer and the Courtly Love Tradition

EN 340 Major Women Writers

EN 350 The American Dream

EN 351 Literature of Childhood and Adolescence

EN 355 Shakespeare

EN 357 Topics in Literature Before 1800

EN 385 Approaches to Teaching Secondary English

EN 400 Internship

EN 421 Project

EN 424 Senior Seminar

EN 426 Studies in the Novel

EN 428 Studies in Contemporary Literature

EN 429 Topics in Performance

EN 433 Research

EN 490 Major Author(s)

Finance Courses

Fine Arts Courses

First-Year Seminar Courses

French Courses

Geography Courses

Geology Courses

German Courses

Global Scholars Courses

Health And Human Performance Courses

Health Care Management Courses

Health Information Management Courses

History Courses

Honors Courses

Human Resource Management Courses

Humanities Courses

Information Technology Courses

Interdisciplinary Studies Courses

Interior Design Courses

Legal Administration Courses

Liberal Studies Courses

Literature Courses

Management Courses

Management Science Courses

Marketing Courses

Mathematics Courses

Multidisciplinary Studies Courses

Nursing Courses

Philosophy Courses

Physical Science Courses

Physics Courses

Politics Courses

Psychology Courses

Sociology Courses

Spanish Courses

Theology and Religious Studies Courses

University Leadership

Notices to Students

Index