Liberal Studies alumnus Angineh Bandari (Class of 2006) with her Kindergarten class.
The Liberal Studies Core
All Liberal Studies majors must complete the following 15-unit core in addition to the requirements specific to each option:
-
LBS 3010 Interdisciplinary Investigation
-
LBS 3020 Writing the Interdisciplinary Essay
-
LBS 3600 Interdisciplinary Approaches to Culture and Society
-
LBS 4890 Senior Project
-
LBS 4900 Prose Seminar in Liberal Studies
Students must take LBS 3010 and 3020 during the same quarter with the same professor. LBS 4890 and 4900 are also linked courses, and must be taken during the same quarter with the same professor.
Required Courses in Liberal Studies
All Liberal Studies majors must also complete 9 units (depending upon option) of Required Courses in Liberal Studies. These courses are broken down into the following categories:
Interdisciplinary Foundations
-
LBS 2340 Multicultural Arts L.A.
-
LBS 3860 Gender in Science
-
LBS 4050 Race, Class, and Gender in the Classroom
-
WOMN 2000 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies
Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies
-
LBS 4100 National Identity, Race, and Popular Culture
-
LBS 4200 Science, Culture, and Representation
-
LBS 4540 Selected Topics in Liberal Studies
-
LBS 4600 Cultural Studies: Theories and Methods
-
WOMN 4000 Women's and Gender Studies: Theories and Methods
Liberal Studies Options
Students majoring in Liberal Studies must select one of the following options.
Option I. Interdisciplinary Studies in Culture and Society (66 units). This option prepares students for careers in fields such as law, education, journalism, government, publishing, business, medicine, and non-profit work. Students in this option must complete the GE program and other university requirements (78-80 units), 15 units of LBS major core courses (see above), 9 units of required courses in Liberal Studies, and either two 24-unit depth areas or one 40-unit concentration, leaving up to 36 units of free electives that may used to pursue a minor (to reach the total of 180 units required for graduation).
Option II. Elementary Subject Matter Teacher Preparation (180 units).This option offers students who have not completed the ESM Common Core the opportunity to prepare for the multiple subjects CSET or, if they pass the CSET early enough, to acquire a second depth area. Accordingly, this option is appropriate for those who select the multiple subject teacher preparation program midway through their college careers, for those who need additional training to pass one or more sections of the CSET, or for those who wish to acquire a second depth area. This option offers students the most direct path to meeting the entrance requirements for the credential programs: a B.A. with a 2.75 GPA and successful completion of the CSET. Students in this option must complete 78-80 units of GE and university requirements, 18 units of LBS major core courses (see above), 8 units of required courses in Liberal Studies, 20 units in one depth area, 20 units of directed electives that may be utilized for CSET preparation or for a second depth area, and up to 36 units of electives. Students who apply and are accepted into a credential program at CSULA can use their electives to take credential courses.