Liberal Studies

Undergraduate Studies
Dean: Daniel Buttlaire

Liberal Studies Office
BH 255
415-338-6927
Website: www.sfsu.edu/~ls.htm
Program Coordinator: Helen Goldsmith

Advisers

Advising takes place at the Liberal Studies Office. Advising schedules are available at the Liberal Studies Office and on the web.

Programs

B.A. in Liberal Studies
B.A. in Liberal Studies: Concentration in NEXA

Program Scope

The Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies requires 120 units for graduation. The 46-unit liberal studies major has a multidisciplinary curriculum encompassing all areas of knowledge in the arts and sciences. Many employers and professional schools prefer graduates with the type of richly diversified education that this major provides.

Before meeting with an individual adviser, liberal studies majors must attend a liberal studies workshop on Advising Day or a "virtual" workshop on the web. At the workshop, students are introduced to the requirements and receive information and materials about the program and advising.

Career Outlook

The liberal studies major is applicable to a variety of fields. Since the major has considerable flexibility, it can be designed to meet a student's personal and academic interests. The program's interdisciplinary approach provides the broad academic background necessary for teaching in an elementary classroom. The major can be planned with a particular career in mind, such as government or public service, management, or work in multicultural communities. It is appropriate preparation for various professional and graduate programs such as business, counseling, law, librarianship, and medicine.

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN LIBERAL STUDIES

Each student must consult with an adviser to discuss the liberal studies major, liberal studies program (pre-credential candidates), the selection of courses, and the preparation of the planning worksheet.

Each student's planning worksheet must be approved by an adviser and the coordinator before the student has completed 100 units. The approved worksheet must be on file in the Liberal Studies Office before the graduation application will be signed.

The 85-unit liberal studies program is designed for those students seeking the Multiple Subject Credential. The 46-unit major is a component of the liberal studies program. The other 39 units fulfill specific subject matter requirements. Courses in this component of the liberal studies program are listed under Additional Subject Matter Requirements in the Multiple Subject Matter Preparation Program at the end of the course listings for the major.

First-time freshman liberal studies majors desiring to become elementary school teachers may begin a combined Liberal Studies B.A. and credential program. Call 415-338-6927 for more information about program requirements and eligibility.

NEXA offers a concentration within the liberal studies major which allows students to pursue the NEXA theme, a convergence of conceptually different disciplines upon a core of common concern that cuts across all disciplines, in depth and with a specific focus.

Additional informational materials on the major and the program are distributed at the liberal studies workshop or on the web.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR

Area of Emphasis

A twelve-unit pattern from one of the four Areas identified above must be selected. Within that pattern, a minimum of six units must be upper division.

Units on Advisement

Students must select a minimum of nine additional units. These units may be either lower or upper division and must be approved by the Area of Emphasis adviser. There are three ways to choose these courses: (1) select three units in each area of knowledge outside the Area of Emphasis for a total of nine units minimum; (2) complete at least nine units in a single foreign language (including ASL); (3) for students completing the MSAT equivalency, select three courses from the Additional Subject Matter Requirements in the Multiple Subject Matter Preparation Program course list at the end of this section.

COURSES INCLUDED IN THE LIBERAL STUDIES MAJOR

All courses included in the liberal studies major must be selected in consultation with a liberal studies adviser.

With adviser and coordinator approval, courses transferred from other institutions may be used to fulfill the Core requirements of the major if they are upper division and equivalent in content to those courses listed below. Lower and/or upper division courses transferred from other institutions may be used in the Area of Emphasis so long as at least six units are upper division and the content of the courses is equivalent. Lower and/or upper division courses transferred from other institutions may be used in the Units on Advisement category. All residence requirements stipulated in the Bulletin must be met.

Courses used to meet General Education Basic Subjects (Segment I) requirements may not be used to meet any part of the Liberal Studies major. A maximum of twelve units used to meet General Education requirements in Segment II and/or Segment III may be included as courses in the Core, Area of Emphasis, or Units on Advisement categories.

Grading. A maximum of two courses in the major may be taken for a CR grade. Additionally, students completing the MSAT equivalency must complete the 85-unit Liberal Studies program (major plus additional subject matter requirement) with no letter grade lower than C in every course listed on the Liberal Studies Planning Worksheet (no letter grade of C- or below is allowed to satisfy the equivalency).

A course may be used for only one purpose within the major. For example, if a course is used in the Core, it may not be used in the Area of Emphasis or in the Elective Units on Advisement.

On-line course descriptions are available, including any prerequisites or corequisites.

REQUIRED CORE COURSES

Before beginning the Core courses, students should have completed Segment I of General Education, including ENG 214 or equivalent.

AREA OF EMPHASIS BEYOND THE CORE

Liberal studies majors must emphasize one of the four Areas in which they take an additional twelve units beyond the Core according to one of the following patterns. A minimum of six units in the chosen Area of Emphasis must be upper division.

AREA I—COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE, AND LITERATURE (Area of Emphasis)

Students who select Area I as the Area of Emphasis must take ENG 480, Junior Seminar, as the course in the Area I Core Literature. In addition, at least one course in the emphasis must be from Category A, Literature, and at least one course must be from one other category; i.e., Category B, Communication Strategies; Category C, Language/Speech Performance; or Category D, Language/Speech Studies. The other two courses (for a minimum of twelve units) may be taken from any category in Area I.

AREA II—LIFE SCIENCE, PHYSICAL SCIENCE, AND MATHEMATICS (Area of Emphasis)

Students who select Area II as their Area of Emphasis must take a minimum of twelve (12) units from either the Science or Mathematics Pattern. Upon adviser and department approval, students emphasizing Area II may substitute more advanced upper division courses normally taken by majors in these fields.

AREA III—BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES (Area of Emphasis)

Students who select Area III as their Area of Emphasis must take a minimum of twelve units from one of the following patterns.

AREA IV—CREATIVE ARTS, HUMANITIES, AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES (Areas of Emphasis)

Students who select Area IV as their Area of Emphasis must take a minimum of twelve units in one of the following: Creative Arts or Humanities or Foreign Languages.

Creative Arts Emphasis

Within the twelve units for this Area of Emphasis, students must select at least three units in each of the following categories: Category A, History; Category B, Theory/Criticism; and Category C, Performance/Production. The final three units may be taken from any category. NOTE: At least six of the units chosen must be upper division.

ADDITIONAL SUBJECT MATTER REQUIREMENTS IN THE MULTIPLE SUBJECT MATTER PREPARATION PROGRAM

Students seeking the Multiple Subject Credential are advised to complete the subject matter preparation program. Students who choose not to complete this program must pass the Multiple Subjects Assessment for Teachers (MSAT). The program consists of the Liberal Studies major plus the additional subject matter requirements listed below. With adviser and area coordinator approval, courses transferred from other institutions may be used to meet the additional requirements if they are equivalent in content to those listed below.

Courses used to meet General Education Basic Subjects (Segment I) requirements may not be used in the additional subject matter requirements component. However, courses used to meet General Education requirements in Segment II and/or Segment III may be included in the additional requirements component.

Students interested in becoming elementary or special education teachers should attend an information meeting given by the Credential Programs Admission Office. At the meeting, students learn all of credential program admission requirements. Consult www.sfsu.edu/~credinfo/ or 415-338-7038 for more information. General information about teaching careers may be found at the Teacher Preparation Center in BH 244.

Grading. A maximum of two of the courses taken to meet the additional subject matter requirements may be taken for a CR grade. Additionally, students completing the MSAT equivalency must complete the 85-unit Liberal Studies program (major plus additional subject matter requirements) with a grade of C or better in every course listed on the Liberal Studies Planning Worksheet (no grade of C- or below is allowed to satisfy the equivalency). Thus, pre-credential candidates may complete a total of two courses in the major and two courses in the additional subject matter requirements for a CR grade (for a maximum of four courses) and may receive no letter grades less than C.

Students completing the MSAT equivalency must complete an assessment packet. For more information, go to the Liberal Studies Office in BH 255.

Deadline to Complete Program: The requirements to complete this program will be changing beginning Fall 2003. The current program must be entirely completed by June 1, 2008 in order to satisfy the MSAT equivalency. Students completing the program after that date will be held to new requirements.

Field Experience—Select 1:

NOTE: All of the courses listed under "Field Experience" provide experience in a classroom, but to be admitted to the Multiple Subject Credential (MSC) program at SFSU and most programs in California, the Early Field Experience (EFE) Classroom needs to meet CLAD and other specific criteria. Students who need to meet the EFE requirement for MSC application purposes should contact the Teacher Preparation Center in Burk Hall 244. Students may also wish to consult the following web site: www.sfsu.edu/~credinfo/.

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN LIBERAL STUDIES: CONCENTRATION IN NEXA

This concentration requires 46 units of course work, culminating in a senior project. NEXA courses in the student's program must include one Concepts course, two Sequences courses, and one Issues course.

The student will develop a specific focus related to the NEXA theme. In order to achieve sufficient depth and competence in the focus of interest, the student will prepare a 3-4 semester study plan. The study plan should define courses relevant to the specific topic, and show how a core group of courses can be integrated around and build toward the proposed theme. The student will work with a NEXA faculty member in the preparation of the study plan. Upon approval of the study plan by the NEXA steering committee, the student will be admitted to the major.

In order to complete the NEXA major, the student will consult with two faculty members: one to help with the study plan and one to help with the senior thesis. On occasion, one faculty person may serve both these functions. The student should consult with the NEXA advising coordinator in order to choose the most appropriate faculty member(s).

The culminating experience of the NEXA concentration, and in many ways the most important part of the major, is the senior thesis. The senior thesis is an in-depth, original exploration of the specific theme (or aspect of the theme) chosen earlier by the student. At the end of the junior year, and with the help of the NEXA advising coordinator, the student will choose a specific faculty member to serve as the thesis adviser. Two other faculty members are chosen to constitute the thesis committee. A thesis proposal which clearly delineates the proposed course of study leading to the thesis is submitted and approved by the NEXA steering committee. The committee of three advisers is responsible for assisting the student in the preparation of the thesis. Final approval is made by the NEXA steering committee.

Junior Year, First Semester. Student works with an appropriate NEXA faculty member to produce a study plan.

Junior Year, Second Semester. With the aid of the NEXA advising coordinator, the student will choose a faculty member to serve as thesis adviser. The NEXA steering committee must approve the choice of thesis adviser.

Senior Year, First Semester. Completion of thesis proposal. Approval of thesis proposal by NEXA steering committee.

Senior Year, Second Semester. Enrolled in NEXA 698. Thesis completed and approved by the thesis committee. Course work completed.