BA in Liberal Arts
It is often true that although the professors in one discipline are well acquainted with the methods and subjects of their particular field, they are far less familiar with the methods and subjects of other disciplines. In an interdisciplinary program, such as the undergraduate Liberal Arts degree or the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, the professors are encouraged to find the intellectual connections that exist with other disciplines. The goal in these courses is to use the questions asked within each discipline–which are sometimes remarkably similar in nature and scope–to develop an interdisciplinary methodology rather than simply combining multiple disciplines into one course. The enriching and stimulating exchange of ideas that scholars typically experience when they cross their discipline-specific boundaries indicates that there is something more to interdisciplinary studies than a simple combination of fields of study. It is this `something more’ that we hope to capture in our interdisciplinary programs.
It is also worth noting that just as funding in the sciences and humanities alike is increasingly aimed at interdisciplinary projects, there is an increasing awareness among executives in large corporations of the value of employees who can talk across boundaries. In fact, it is becoming common place for large corporations to advertise for people who are not isolated in one particular niche, however relevant to the concerns of the company, since it is often those who can communicate to those outside their field, and who can understand alternate perspectives, that allow the company to move in necessary, but often unanticipated, directions.
Degree Requirements
The bachelor of arts in liberal arts degree program is an interdisciplinary approach to university studies. The major/minor program allows the student to combine aspects of several academic disciplines both within and outside of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS). The program requires 60 hours in addition to the core curriculum requirements. The major must include 18 hours of study in three separate disciplines (54 hours total), as well as LIST 3310 Reasoning Across the Disciplines and LIST 4310 Liberal Arts Colloquium. Two of the three disciplines must be within the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
Areas outside the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences available for study include Business, Education, Professional Studies, and Sciences.
Students may select from the following disciplines within CAHSS:
| American Humanics | American Sign Language |
| Anthropology | Arkansas Studies |
| Art History | Creative Writing |
| Dance for the Theater | Developmental Psychology |
| Digital Graphics | English Literature |
| English as a Second Language (ESL) | Ethnic Studies |
| Film Studies | French |
| Gender Studies | Geography |
| German | Gerontology |
| History | Industrial Psychology |
| International Studies | Legal Studies |
| Linguistics | Medical Anthropology/Sociology |
| Music | Philosophy |
| Philosophy/Religious Studies | Photography |
| Political Science | Psychology |
| Religious Studies | Sociology |
| Spanish | Studio Art |
| Technical Theatre/Design | Theatre Arts |
| Writing (Technical and Expository) |
The 18-hour concentrations must include the courses required for the minor unless an alternate sequence of courses is approved by the Liberal Arts coordinator. If the minor requires more than 18 hours, then only 18 hours of the minor requirements are required to fulfill the concentration.