Liberal Arts, B.A.
Dr. Kim Daniel-Robinson, Program Coordinator
Office: CAS 111
Email: kdanielr@kean.edu
Degrees Offered:
Admissions Requirements:
Students must meet the required grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 for admissions into the B.A. in Liberal Arts program.
Declaration Requirements:
In order to become a declared Liberal Arts major, students must maintain a 2.0 GPA.
Graduation Requirements:
Student must have a 2.0 GPA in order to graduate with a Liberal Arts degree.
Program Descriptions:
The Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts program, housed in the School of General Studies, is designed to provide an opportunity for current and new students to complete their course of studies with an undergraduate degree and career path in Liberal Arts. This program offers an opportunity to complete an undergraduate course of study at Kean University in a unique, broad-based liberal arts environment.
The Liberal Arts major combines interdisciplinary training across the Humanities (Fine Arts, English, History, Philosophy, etc.) the Social Sciences (Anthropology, Economics, Psychology, Sociology, etc.) and in Business. Students will gain a broad understanding of the various career choices for students in liberal arts and focus on the interconnections between themselves and society at large.
Degree Requirements:
The Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts (B.A.L.A.) major is designed for students to complete the major in four years with no less than 120 completed semester hours. Students will take 41 or 43 semester hours of the University's approved General Education curriculum and 31 semester hours of required major courses. As part of the major course requirements, students will take no less than three (3) credits of an internship experience. The internship requirements will give students practical work experience in the field of Liberal Arts. Students are also required to take six (6) credits of Social Justice theme-based courses and they can choose two courses from various disciplines. These courses will provide a context for B.A.L.A. majors as they examine the interconnections between themselves, societal issues and society at large.
In addition, B.A.L.A. majors have either 43 or 45 semester hours of free electives. However, at least 15 credits of their free electives must go toward an approved minor course of studies within the university. Kean University offers a wide variety of minor programs that focus on specific areas of study. Students are required to complete a minor to complement or augment the major, to develop a second concentration of study, and to help enhance their marketability upon graduation. Students have the option to select a second minor as credits allow.
For more information about College of Liberal Arts programs, please see: http://www.kean.edu/academics/college-liberal-arts
General Education 41-43
Foundations Requirements 13
GE 1000, GE 3000: University Requirement for Graduation for all undergraduate students that must be satisfied in one of two ways: Complete GE 1000 (all freshmen and transfers entering with 0-29 credits) or GE 3000 (transfers entering with 30 credits or more).
ENG 1030 or equivalent: A minimum grade of "C" or higher is required.
Prerequisite: Placement testing or exemption from placement testing. According to placement results, students may be required to take ENG 1025 Introduction to Composition as a prerequisite for ENG 1030.
Disciplinary/Interdisciplinary Distribution Requirements 28-30
Humanities 9
ENG 2403: GE Distribution course required of all students.
Select Two GE Approved courses from two areas below:
| Fine Arts or Art History | 3 |
| Philosophy or Religion | 3 |
| Foreign Languages (Must take I and II for credit) | 3 |
| Music or Theatre | 3 |
| Interdisciplinary | 3 |
Social Sciences 9
| HIST 1062 | WORLDS OF HISTORY: TRADITIONS AND ENCOUNTERS | 3 |
| SOC 1000 | INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | 3 |
HIST 1062: GE Distribution Course required of all students.
Select One Additional GE Approved course from below:
| Psychology | 3 |
| Economics or ES 1010 World Geography | 3 |
| Political Science | 3 |
| Anthropology | 3 |
| Interdisciplinary | 3 |
Science and Mathematics 10-12
Math or Computer Science 3
Select one Mathematics or Computer Science course.
Select two GE Approved Science courses from areas below; one must be a lab science
| Biology | 3-4 |
| Chemistry or Physics | 3-4 |
| Environmental Sciences, Earth Sciences, Forensic Sciences or Sustainability Sciences | 3-4 |
| Interdisciplinary | 3 |
Academic Major 34
Major Required Courses 18
All Major courses require a grade of C or higher.
Major Electives 12
Select two Approved Social Justice Themed Courses from below
| ANTH 1800 | INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY | 3 |
| ANTH 2801 | INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE | 3 |
| ANTH 2802 | INTRO TO AFRICAN AMER STUDIES | 3 |
| CJ 3500 | DIVERSITY & CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 |
| ENG 2220 | DIVERSE TRADITIONS AND VOICES OF AMERICAN LITERATURE I: BEGINNINGS TO 1860 | 3 |
| ENG 2221 | DIVERSE TRADITIONS AND VOICES OF AMERICAN LITERATURE II: 1865 - PRESENT | 3 |
| HIST 3306 | 20TH CENTURY BLACK HISTORY | 3 |
| HIST 3363 | AMERICA IN THE 1960'S | 3 |
| PS 2100 | AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS | 3 |
| PSY 2630 | PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON PREJUDICE & RACISM | 3 |
| PSY 3630 | SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| SOC 3350 | SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN AMERICA | 3 |
| SOC 4301 | GENDER AND SOCIETY | 3 |
| COMM 3525 | COMM AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION | 3 |
| COMM 3530 | COMMUNICATING ACROSS CULTURES | 3 |
| COMM 3630 | GENDER LANGUAGE &COMMUNICATION | 3 |
Select an Additional Course from the College of Liberal Arts CLA with advisement
| Additional Course from the College of Liberal Arts (CLA): | 3 |
All Major Elective courses require a grade of C or higher.
Major Capstone Courses 4
| BLA 4980 | CAREER CAPSTONE IN LIBERAL ARTS | 1 |
| BLA 4990 | RESEARCH SEMINAR IN LIBERAL ARTS | 3 |
A grade of C or higher is required for Capstone courses.
All major courses require a grade of C or higher.
Free Electives 43-45
At least 50% must be at 3000/4000 level.
Must include at least one Academic Minor offered in the College of Liberal Arts or though the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies. It can be combined with Major Elective Courses.
Minor Selections: Art History, Communications, Dance, Economics, English, Fine Arts, History, Music, Political Science, Philosophy & Religion, Psychology, Social Media, Sociology, Theatre, Africana Studies, Asian Studies, Chinese Studies, Environmental Justice, Jewish Studies and World Affairs, Latin American Studies, or Women's and Gender Studies.
Total Credit Hours: 120