Department of Applied Liberal Studies

Coordinator: Nicholas Vaught M.S. Ed.

MISSION

The mission of the Applied Liberal Studies program is to:

Graduate students who are well grounded in liberal arts skills – critical thinking, analysis and synthesis, oral and written communication, and a broad application-based knowledge of human behavior, social sciences, the humanities, as well as mathematics, and science.
Graduate students who are not only grounded in theory but are action-oriented and equipped to develop and implement solutions to complex problems

GOALS

The goals of the Bachelor of Science Degree Program in Applied Liberal Studies will:

Enable students to establish a firm foundation in liberal or general education suitable for the workplace;
Provide students with opportunities for substantial specialization in their unique areas of interest;
Afford students the opportunity to design a flexible program of study suited to their employment, career plans and personal goals;
Prepare students for multiple career opportunities and give them versatility in the job market through interdisciplinary instruction;
Enable students to prepare for more focused and advanced study for a variety of fields; and
Afford greater access to the bachelor’s degree for traditional and nontraditional students.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The Bachelor of Science Degree Program in Applied Liberal Studies will have the following student learning expectations and outcomes; specifically, upon completion of in the General Education or Liberal Education requirements, will be able to:

gather information independently through extensive reading, viewing, listening and researching in both print and electronic media online and in academic research databases, evaluate sources for credibility and appropriateness and demonstrate intermediate-to-high-level understanding of the history, theories, principles, contributors, developments and contemporary applications based on the course content the students have mastered within their respective areas of interest;
synthesize and critically analyze information presented through lecture and/ or discussion and gathered independently and to communicate this synthesized information orally and in writing and demonstrate competency in applying principles and theories to practical situations based on the course content the students have mastered within their respective areas of interest;
demonstrate mastery of the fundamentals of oral and written expression in standard American English and make clear, informative and persuasive oral, written and electronic presentations based on the course content the students have mastered within their respective areas of interest;
understand and practice methods of scientific inquiry, demonstrate knowledge of problem-solving techniques in the basic concepts and principles of the biological and physical sciences and be familiar with social issues related to the sciences (scientific method and scientific analysis);
demonstrate understanding and practice scientific inquiry into society, social groups, and human behavior and develop civic competency, while showing command of information literacy and the habits of the mind;
demonstrate foundational knowledge of the arts, history, institutions and legacies of Western civilization (the Western Heritage and Its Critics) and of nonwestem civilizations, particularly those of the African continent and the African Diaspora (Non-Western Cultures in the Global Community), while showing command of information literacy and the habits of the mind demonstrate competency in and commitment to applying knowledge and skills to address the problems and challenges of urban and suburban communities; and,
use the knowledge and skills acquired for advancement in the workplace and for further advanced study in the discipline(s).

The Applied Liberal Studies degree program offers a Bachelor of Science in Applied Liberal Studies. Within this major students complete general education requirements, focus on a multi-disciplinary area of interest and complete an extensive external experience related to their area of interest.

Major Requirements: In addition to meeting the requirements in General Education, students must complete sixty (60) credits within their area of interest. Areas of interest can be made up of a wide variety of courses from any school and department at Morgan State for which they have met all academic and/or prerequisites. Students must complete eighteen (18) credits of an external internship/service based experience.

Courses composing a student’s Area of Interest must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher. Twenty-four (24) credits for the Area of Interest requirement must be completed at the Lower Level (100-200). Thirty-six (36) credit hours within the student’s Area of Interest must be completed in upper-level courses at the 300-400 levels. Students must select courses from approved degree programs at Morgan State University to fulfill Area of Interest requirements.

External internships/service experiences must be approved by the Applied Liberal Studies Coordinator prior to enrollment in ALPS 490 Internship/External Experience.

In order to satisfy graduation requirements in order to earn the Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Liberal Studies, students must maintain a cumulative average of 2.0 or higher.