Liberal Arts Major

About the Liberal Arts Major  

The Liberal Arts Major is a good fit for the student interested in a variety of academic fields and who craves the intellectual challenge of thinking about the ways they converge and diverge in approaches to pressing issues and problems. It is a major that fosters independence, develops critical and creative thinking and communication skills, and offers students the opportunity to learn outside the classroom. Upon completing this major, students will be able to:

• Demonstrates ability to use multidisciplinary perspective and intra-disciplinary perspective to solve complex problems
• Conduct research that evaluates and employs primary and secondary resources (and research) effectively, using appropriate disciplinary conventions for citation and documentation
• Develop, write, and present original analyses in clear, grammatical prose

What you will learn

As a Liberal Arts major, you will take two core courses (6 credits) plus two concentrations, each requiring 3 classes @ 300 level (15 credits).  In addition, you will complete all General Education/University Studies and Bachelor of Arts (College of Arts & Sciences) degree requirements. As you complete classes, you will develop:

• an ability to learn beyond college as you discover how to find information in different disciplines and analyze, interpret, and make connections between those diverse fields of knowledge;
• an ability to discover and fill gaps in your knowledge by identifying issues and formulating multidisciplinary research questions as you learn to review discipline-based literature and existing practice in your areas of concentration;
• an ability to think critically and communicate well by relating academic knowledge to civic engagement and issues in your community;
• an understanding of diverse research methods and the ability to evaluate and employ primary and secondary sources;
• an ability to analyze and interpret information and present your own original analyses in clear, grammatical, properly documented prose.

With these skills, you will graduate capable of fulfilling the top three expectations of the new college-educated employee: strong communication skills (oral and written), the confidene to assess a situation well and develop an innovative course of action, and the ability to work successfully independently.

How you will learn

Another benefit of the LAR major is our new initiative to bring classes to you using the latest technology. You can study in the classroom, you can study online, or you can take blended classes that incorporate the best techniques from both face-to-face and online learning. In blended classes, the class is organized using online software and much of your work is done in an asynchronous manner (on your time, not ours), but you also meet periodically in a classroom so that you can get to know the professor and other students while performing learning tasks more conducive to a traditional classroom. How do LAR students benefit? From the latest research in college learning, from the use of the latest teaching technology, and from scheduling flexibility afforded by these classes. Although many of your classes will remain in the traditional classroom, you will also enjoy new opportunities for learning.

What comes afterwards

With your degree, you may successfully find.....

• a career in business...employers are interested in employees who can think than in employees who have learned a specific course subject. You can teach someone how to keep accounts, but you can’t easily teach them to make good decisions or to think both critically and creatively.
• a career in Human Services...employers who work with the public seek out employees who have experience with the vast variety of cultures in this country and around the world, and who have developed cultural competency.
• a career in many of the fields included in the LAR major: for example, museums (art history), newspaper reporting (English), politics (Political Science), public policy (Policy Studies), social work (sociology), court advocate (Crime and Justice Studies), and much more.
• acceptance to law or medical school....or entry into graduate school in almost any field
• and so much more...

Please note: The UMass Dartmouth Undergraduate General Catalog for the year you entered the university is your guiding document. When you have questions regarding a policy, please consult the catalog and speak with your faculty advisor or the Director of the Liberal Arts major.