Liberal Studies, BLS
for the degree of Bachelor of Liberal Studies in Liberal Studies
The Bachelor of Liberal Studies (BLS) degree-completion program allows students to explore various subject areas available across campus, while still having the opportunity to build strong foundational knowledge in liberal arts. Students will work with an advisor from the College of LAS to select concentration(s) and coursework based on their interests with the purpose of aligning their educational and career goals with their academic plans.
Students will earn a degree with a major indicated as Liberal Studies and have 1 or more concentrations noted on their transcript.
Students in the Bachelor of Liberal Studies program must maintain a 2.0 or higher GPA to remain in good standing.
Specific course recommendations will vary depending on the student's goals and interests. Course substitutions will be permitted upon consultation with the BLS academic advisor and LAS guidelines.
for the degree of Bachelor of Liberal Studies in Liberal Studies
Graduation Requirements
Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours.
Minimum Overall GPA: 2.0
University Requirements
Minimum of 40 hours of upper-division coursework, generally at the 300- or 400-level. These hours can be drawn from all elements of the degree. Students should consult their academic advisor for additional guidance in fulfilling this requirement.
The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.
General Education Requirements
Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Composition I | 4-6 | |
| Advanced Composition | 3 | |
| Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours) | 6 | |
fulfilled by PS 201; and one other course approved as Social & Behavior Sciences | ||
| Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning I) | 6-10 | |
fulfilled by STAT 100; and one other course approved as Quantitative Reasoning I or II | ||
| Language Requirement (Completion of the third semester or equivalent of a language other than English is required) | 0-15 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses | 44 | |
| ACE 240 | Personal Financial Planning | 3 |
| ADV 120 | Consumer Data and Society | 3 |
| ADV 370 | Sales and the Consumer | 3 |
| BADM 310 | Mgmt and Organizational Beh | 3 |
| BTW 380 | Global Business Communication | 3 |
| CMN 211 | Business and Professional Communication | 3 |
| CMN 326 | Mass Media and the Audience | 3 |
| ECON 300 | Everyday Economics for Non-Majors | 3 |
| EPOL 310 | Race and Cultural Diversity | 4 |
| GER 455 | Multilingual Europe | 3 |
| LAS 103 | BLS Online Student Success | 0 |
| LEAD 440 | Interpersonal Intelligence for Professional Success | 2 |
| LEAD 470 | Leading Professional Organizations and Communities | 2 |
| PHIL 442 | The AI Revolution | 3 |
| PS 201 | US Racial & Ethnic Politics | 3 |
| STAT 100 | Statistics | 3 |
| Concentrations: Choose at least one below | 14-15 | |
| Free Electives | ||
Free electives to bring total to 120 hours | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | |
for the degree of Bachelor of Liberal Studies in Liberal Studies
This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.
Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a third level of a language other than English. See the corresponding section on the Degree and General Education Requirements page.
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | Summer Semester | Hours |
| LAS 103 | 0 | ADV 120 | 3 | PS 201 | 3 |
| Composition I or General Education course | 4 | Composition I or General Education course | 3 | ||
| CMN 211 | 3 | ||||
| 7 | 6 | 3 | |||
| Total Hours 16 | |||||
| Second Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | Summer Semester | Hours |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 | Language Other than English (3rd level) | 4 |
| Language Other than English (1st level) | 4 | Language Other than English (2nd level) | 4 | ||
| 7 | 7 | 4 | |||
| Total Hours 18 | |||||
| Third Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | Summer Semester | Hours |
| ADV 370 | 3 | BTW 380 | 3 | STAT 100 | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | ACE 240 | 3 | ||
| 6 | 6 | 3 | |||
| Total Hours 15 | |||||
| Fourth Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | Summer Semester | Hours |
| PHIL 442 | 3 | CMN 326 | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| BADM 310 | 3 | EPOL 310 | 4 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 3 | |||
| Total Hours 16 | |||||
| Fifth Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | Summer Semester | Hours |
| Concentration course | 3 | ECON 300 | 3 | Concentration course | 3 |
| Concentration course | 3 | Concentration course | 3 | ||
| 6 | 6 | 3 | |||
| Total Hours 15 | |||||
| Sixth Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | Summer Semester | Hours |
| Concentration course | 3 | GER 455 | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | Free Elective course | 3 | ||
| 6 | 6 | 3 | |||
| Total Hours 15 | |||||
| Seventh Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | Summer Semester | Hours |
| Free Elective course | 3 | Free Elective course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 | Free Elective course | 3 | ||
| 6 | 6 | 3 | |||
| Total Hours 15 | |||||
| Eighth Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| LEAD 440 | 2 | LEAD 470 | 2 |
| Free Elective course | 3 | Free Elective course | 3 |
| 5 | 5 | ||
| Total Hours 10 | |||
Total Hours: 120
for the degree of Bachelor of Liberal Studies in Liberal Studies
Learning Outcomes
- Students will demonstrate proficiency in written and oral communication, expressing ideas clearly in various formats and for diverse audiences.
- Students will learn to inspire, cooperate, and motivate others to achieve shared goals. Students will understand the importance of obtaining feedback from others and appreciating other perspectives.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to learn independently, make inquiries, think critically, discover solutions, and integrate knowledge across both similar and varied areas of liberal arts. Students will analyze complex problems, identify relevant information, formulate creative and effective solutions, and demonstrate critical thinking skills in addressing real-world challenges.
- Students will understand the importance of using data and gain the ability to effectively acquire, analyze, and interpret data. Students will be able to effectively convey complex data insights to diverse audiences across various industries.
- Students will broaden their global and disciplinary knowledge, enhancing their understanding of the world around them. Students will demonstrate awareness, attitudes, and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different local and global cultures.
- Students will be able to integrate knowledge and approaches from multiple disciplines, recognizing the interconnectedness of ideas and applying a holistic understanding to real-world challenges. Students will be equipped with the skills to adapt to evolving challenges and new contexts, demonstrating a commitment to continuous learning and personal development.
for the degree of Bachelor of Liberal Studies in Liberal Studies
Bachelor of Liberal Studies Website
For more information, contact onlinebls@illinois.edu