Public and Applied Liberal Arts Major, B.A., B.A.A., B.S.
B.A. degree, B.S. degree, or B.A.A. degree
Major Map
Editor's note: This program has received external approval and has been updated. Contact your advisor for more information.
Advisors: Christi Brookes, JoEllen DeLucia, Desmond Harding, Guy Newland, Greg Smith
This is a transdisciplinary program that combines liberal arts courses with an applied field. The program will bring to bear the power and expertise of the liberal arts to solve problems in professional and public fields. Using key skills taught in the humanities and the social sciences (cross-cultural awareness, writing, public speaking, qualitative and quantitative analysis, research, storytelling, and textual analysis), students will work toward real-world problem-solving in their applied fields.
Admission Requirements, Retention & Termination Standards
To declare a major, students must meet with a Public and Applied Humanities faculty advisor.
Note: It is recommended that students select a minor or undergraduate certificate in consultation with their major advisor.
Program Requirements
Core Courses I: Introduction and Methods (6 hours)
| LAR 200 | Introduction to the Public and Applied Liberal Arts | 3(3-0) |
| LAR 201 | The Creative Lab: Campus, City, Community | 3(3-0) |
Core Courses II: Communication and Teamwork (6 hours)
| LAR 250 | Storytelling for the Public Good | 3(3-0) |
| LAR 302 | Wicked Problems: Working toward the Public Good | 3(3-0) |
Core Courses III: Capstone and Internship (6-9 hours)
| LAR 401 | Capstone Seminar: Projects for the Public Good | 3(3-0) |
| LAR 495 | Internship in Public and Applied Liberal Arts | 3-6(Spec) |
Electives: Humanities and Social Sciences (3 hours)
Select one elective in consultation with and approval by a PALA advisor.
Professional and Applied Option Courses (18 hours)
Select one of the following options:
Option 1: Resilient Communities (18 hours)
The six-class goal of the Resilient Environment option is to take liberal arts skills and apply them to key twenty-first-century environmental issues. As climates and environments change, the next generation of change makers will need to lead governments, business, and non-profits through how to respond, plan, and prepare human decision making for a changing environment.
| ENV 101 | Introduction to Sustainability, Environment, and Society | 3(3-0) |
| ENV 310 | Environmental Management and Regulations | 3(3-0) |
| ENV 312 | Adapting To Our Changing Climate | 3(3-0) |
| GEO 105 | Physical Geography | 3(2-2) |
| GEO 325 | Resiliency of Socio-Ecological Systems | 3(3-0) |
| GEO 331 | Introductory Urban Planning | 3(3-0) |
Option 2: Entrepreneurship (18 hours)
The Entrepreneurship option will enable students in the Public and Applied Liberal Arts degree to have the skill set to start their own ventures and explore topics pertaining to the financial side of running a business, legal issues relating to new ventures, and digital entrepreneurship.
Required Courses I (12 hours)
| BUS 100 | Introduction to Business | 3(3-0) |
| ENT 200 | Introduction to Entrepreneurship | 3(3-0) |
| ENT 301 | Innovation & Entrepreneurship | 3(3-0) |
| ENT 495 | Venture Development | 3(3-0) |
Required Courses II (6 hours)
Select two of the following:
| BLR 202 | Legal Environment of Business | 3(3-0) |
| ENT 210 | Accounting Concepts for Entrepreneurs | 3(3-0) |
| ENT 213 | Economics for Entrepreneurs | 3(3-0) |
| ENT 221 | Marketing Strategies for Entrepreneurs | 3(3-0) |
| ENT 300 | Digital Entrepreneurship | 3(3-0) |
| ENT 320 | Financial Concepts and Entrepreneurial Ventures | 3(3-0) |
| ENT 420 | Legal Aspects of New Ventures | 3(3-0) |
Option 3: Fashion Innovation & Human-Centered Design (18 hours)
The Fashion Innovation and Human-Centered Design option provides students in the Public and Applied Liberal Arts major the opportunity to build connections between purposeful design, innovation, and social responsibility. Students learn to combine creative-thinking skills with technology including 3D virtual visualization and printing in an interconnected approach that is applicable across disciplines and industries.
Required Courses I (12 hours)
| FMD 141 | Fashion Fundamentals | 3(2-2) |
| FMD 155 | Introduction to Textiles | 3(2-2) |
| FMD 365 | Introduction to Fashion 3D Printing | 3(1-3) |
| FMD 547 | Human-Centered Design | 3(1-3) |
Required Courses II (6 hours)
Select two of the following:
| FMD 401 | Internship in Fashion Merchandising and Design | 3(Spec) |
| FMD 555 | Electronic Textiles | 3(1-3) |
| FMD 565 | 3D Printing and Fashion | 3(1-3) |
Total: 39-42 semester hours