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The Liberal Studies degree is designed to help students develop the breadth of knowledge and skills that represent the core of liberal education, including knowledge of human cultures and the natural world; communication, critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical skills; and teamwork and collaborative abilities. Employers seek employees who have the broad general skills, like those developed through the liberal studies major. In addition, they want employees who have applied the knowledge in real-world settings; and this is an area where UW-Eau Claire truly excels for its students.

Creating your program

This major is ideal for students with multiple academic interests, for transfer students and non-traditional students. It provides an alternative to traditional majors by allowing you to design an interdisciplinary major around a theme of your choosing in consultation with your adviser. The liberal studies major provides you with an opportunity for study in greater breadth than is possible when majoring in a specific disciplinary area.

Creative Curriculum

You will take three required liberal studies seminars and develop three interrelated theme- or discipline-based concentrations.

This provides a coherent intellectual framework for academic work and formalizes student engagement in integrating and transferring knowledge across subject matter and skills areas.

Collaborative research with faculty

Students in this program will be encouraged to take advantage of UW-Eau Claire’s strong tradition in student-faculty collaborative research by developing and implementing a research, scholarly, or creative project, especially related to the integrating themes of their individual academic program.

Cap it off

The Liberal Studies major culminates in a capstone seminar in which you will reflect on your interrelated concentrations and course work taken and complete a semester-long project related to the theme of your major. This approach allows students to focus on critical inquiry in and complex interactions among the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. This experience is beneficial for students planning to pursue graduate education and those applying critical thinking in the job field.
More career information

** In order to graduate with a Liberal Studies Comprehensive Major, students must complete the requirements specified for the Bachelor of Liberal Studies (BLS) (see degree program requirements for the College of Arts and Sciences).

Admission to Major Requirement:

- Completion of Liberal
  Studies 201

Curricular Requirements for the Major:

A minimum of 60 credits including three Liberal Studies Seminars
(9 credits):
- LS 201, Introductory
  Liberal Studies Seminar