Bachelor of Arts 4 Yr Liberal Studies

The 120 credit Bachelor of Arts (Liberal Studies) degree will provide the students with a unique opportunity to combine both breadth and depth of intellectual inquiry within one degree program, building skills and expertise which are particularly relevant to the 21st century student and job market. This program is more than a conglomeration of courses from many disciplines. It is a program strategically and deliberately crafted to reflect the rich, 2,000 year-old intellectual tradition of Catholic Liberal Arts Education - the very tradition upon which St. Mary's University College was founded. That means that we are interested in much more than having students become aware of intellectual insights from a variety of academic disciplines. The Catholic Intellectual Tradition encourages students to develop to their full potential as selfaware individuals of sound body, mind and character who use their talents and skills in service to society. This development is encouraged through rigorous scholarship and commitment to spiritual and ethical values. Students will be active learners, reflective thinkers, ethical decision makers and responsible contributors to society. They must have appreciation for cultural diversity, aesthetic sensibility and important social, political and ethical issues. The 120 credit Bachelor of Arts (Liberal Studies) will provide students with a unique undergraduate experience. The program has two major emphases: 1. the development of comprehensive critical and reflexive thinking skills derived from a Liberal Arts core of subjects and other Liberal Studies breadth requirements in the humanities, social sciences, fine arts and natural sciences; 2. the opportunity to apply and further develop valuable skills through the completion of a specific substantive specialization of interest. Students will complete their degrees with a year-long capstone senior seminar.