Liberal Studies, Individualized Concentration, BA

BA in Liberal Studies: Individualized
Location: AU Los Angeles
Credits for Degree: 180 quarter credits
Standard Mode of Instruction: Classroom
Standard time to completion: 36 months

Program Overview

The BA in Liberal Studies Program uses an interdisciplinary approach toward learning and emphasizes critical thinking, creative problem-solving, awareness of multiple perspectives, social and intercultural awareness, civic and community engagement, and an ability to connect learning to one’s lived experience. The Liberal Studies program is particularly structured to give students flexibility while designing their path to a meaningful degree. For this degree program, students can transfer in units from across a wide range of general education subjects without needing to follow a specific pattern of prerequisites. The core curriculum is recommended, rather than required, so that students can easily individualize their learning experience.

Although all students in the BA in Liberal Studies Program graduate with the same degree, students can choose an area of concentration to focus their studies. Students select a Major Area of Concentration from the following:

• Addiction Studies
• Business and Management Studies
• Creative Writing
• Liberal Studies
• Psychology
• Urban Studies

Students can also choose a Minor Area of Concentration in any of the above specialized areas, as well as the following:

• Child Studies
• Queer Studies

Areas of Concentration

Students must complete a minimum of 40 units and a maximum of 80 units in a Major Area of Concentration. The BA in Liberal Studies Program currently offers six Major Areas of Concentration with a wide variety of core courses, electives, internships, and independent study opportunities for each.

Note that units counted toward an Area of Concentration cannot be used to meet the domains of knowledge requirements and vice versa.

Students may also opt for a Minor Area of Concentration in any of the above-listed specialized Major Areas of Concentration. To earn a Minor Area of Concentration, a student must accrue at least 20 units in the concentration.

Students are encouraged to work closely with their faculty advisors as they develop degree plans appropriate to their educational and career goals. The faculty strongly recommends that at least half of the units in the student’s chosen Major or Minor Area of Concentration be upper division. Students who are not able to accrue 20 upper-division units in one of the specialized Major Areas of Concentration should opt for Liberal Studies as their Major Area of Concentration. Students are also strongly advised to take as many of the core courses in the specialized Major Area of Concentration, as listed in this catalog and as identified on the quarterly course schedule. Students who take the recommended core courses acquire a strong foundation in their chosen discipline.

The student should choose and declare the Major Area of Concentration in the first two quarters of enrollment and work closely with his or her advisor to identify internship opportunities and independent studies that will reinforce the learning in the chosen discipline. If a student has not completed 40 credits in a specialized Major Area of Concentration by the time of candidacy review, the Major Area of Concentration will be designated as Liberal Studies.

Individualized Concentration

In exceptional cases, a student may construct an individually designed Area of Concentration in consultation with his or her advisor. This option is appropriate only for students transferring to AULA with a substantial number of units in a specialized field of study not offered at AULA and who intend to complete work in that field through AULA classes, independent study, or through courses at other institutions. Students must petition for an individualized concentration to the Chair of Undergraduate Studies through their faculty advisor well in advance of their candidacy. Units counted toward an individually designed major Area of Concentration should include at least 20 upper division units; for an individually designed minor Area of Concentration at least 10 upper division units are expected. To be approved, the petition must demonstrate that the student has comp or has a plan to study courses that can be understood to constitute a core curriculum in the individually designed Area of Concentration.

Current Tuition and Fees

University Tuition and Fees