About the Program
 The Bachelor of Liberal Studies (BLS) is designed to meet the educational needs of those students who desire a broad exposure to the humanities, social sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, and technology as they pursue their own individualized course of study.
The degree offers students the opportunity to tailor primary and secondary concentrations to meet their specific needs, whether these involve promotions at current jobs, the start of new careers, graduate study, good citizenship, or personal fulfillment. Students create their own concentrations with the assistance of skilled advisors. Areas of concentration can include but are not limited to technology, humanities, pre-law, pre-medicine, pre-physical therapy, behavioral sciences, communication, business, organizational leadership and supervision, and natural sciences or combinations of these.
Students may also transfer credits from other PNW programs or other accredited institutions toward the BLS degree requirements, making the plan of study even more flexible.
The highly individualized concentrations are grounded on a solid foundation of knowledge and insights, transferable skills such as analytical, critical and synthetic thinking, and sharp writing skills sought by employers. The General Education Core common to all Purdue Northwest degrees, a supplementary liberal arts core, and free electives broaden the base for the personalized concentrations. A BLS gateway course at the beginning of the program and two BLS capstone courses at the end add cohesion to the degree and stress thinking skills (logical, analytical, critical, synthetic), reading comprehension, effective writing in standard English and a familiarity with the great issues that face humanity as understood by great thinkers throughout history.
The Bachelor of Liberal Studies is particularly well-suited for students who
- seek a quality, interdisciplinary college education transferable skills,
- have unique interests and educational goals,
- transfer from other institutions or other degree programs and do not want to lose credits already earned
Degree Requirements
- 120 Credit Hours
- Minimum GPA of 2.0 required for graduation
PNW General Education Core (30 Credits)
CHESS College Core (21 Credits)
- Gender Issues (3 Credits)
- Global Cultures (3 Credits)
- Literature and the Arts (3 Credits)
- Modern Language Levels I and II (6 Credits)
- Racial and Ethnic Diversity (3 Credits)
- U.S. Tradition (3 Credits)
For courses that meet these requirements, select from the CHESS College Core List .
Major Core (60 Credits)
- Liberal Studies Gateway Course (3 Credits) - LBST 23500 - Introduction To Great Issues
- Liberal Studies Capstone Courses (6 Credits) - LBST 43500 - Great Issues I and LBST 43600 - Great Issues II
- Primary Area of Study (30 Credits) - Students must complete 30 credit hours in one of the following primary areas, including three subjects within that area. Area must be approved by advisor.
- Humanities: History (HIST), philosophy (PHIL), English literature (ENGL), second language literature (SPAN, FR, GER), creative arts and aesthetics (AD, MUS, THTR)
- Social and Behavioral Sciences: Economics (ECON), political science (POL), psychology (PSY), sociology (SOC), communication (COM), social work (SWRK), education (EDCI, EDPS)
- Natural Science and Mathematics: Biology (BIOL), chemistry (CHM), mathematics (MA, STAT), physics (PHYS), Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS), engineering (ENGR, CE, CET, ME, MSE), science (SCI)
- Business and Technology: business (BUSM), management (MGMT, OBHR, OLS), finance (FIN) technology (CIS, ECET, IET, ITS)
- Secondary Area of Study (21 Credits) - Students must complete 21 credit hours in one of the following primary areas, including two subjects within that area. Area must be approved by advisor.
- Humanities: History (HIST), philosophy (PHIL), English literature (ENGL), second language literature (SPAN, FR, GER), creative arts and aesthetics (AD, MUS, THTR)
- Social and Behavioral Sciences: Economics (ECON), political science (POL), psychology (PSY), sociology (SOC), communication (COM), social work (SWRK), education (EDCI, EDPS)
- Natural Science and Mathematics: Biology (BIOL), chemistry (CHM), mathematics (MA, STAT), physics (PHYS), Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS), engineering (ENGR, CE, CET, ME, MSE), science (SCI)
- Business and Technology: Business (BUSM), management (MGMT, OBHR, OLS), finance (FIN) technology (CIS, ECET, IET, ITS)
Other Required Courses (9 Credits)
- Free Electives (9 Credits)
Civics Literacy Proficiency
The Civics Literacy Proficiency activities are designed to develop civic knowledge of Purdue Northwest students in an effort to graduate a more informed citizenry.
Students will complete the Proficiency by passing a test of civic knowledge, and completing one of three paths:
- Attending six approved civics-related events and completing an assessment for each; or
- Completing 12 podcasts created by the Purdue Center for C-SPAN Scholarship and Engagement that use C-SPAN material and completing an assessment for each; or
- Earning a passing grade for one of the approved courses (or transferring in approved AP or departmental credit in lieu of taking a course)
For more information visit the Civics Literacy Proficiency website.
Total 120 Credits Required
Other Requirements and Limitations:
- A minimum of 30 credits must be taken at the 300 level or above
- A minimum of 30 credits must be taken at Purdue University Northwest
- A minimum of 32 credits must be taken at a campus of Purdue University at the junior level or above
- A maximum of eight courses from any one discipline may be counted toward the fulfillment of the degree requirement
Requirements
Minimum Grade and Grade Point Average (GPA): 2.0 GPA
Experiential Learning (EL): One EL course required. EL courses are noted by (e) next to the course title.
General Education Core: General Education notations can be found within the course description. Please click on a course to see if it meets a Gen Ed requirement.
Milestone Courses noted by (m) next to the course title have been identified as being critical to your success in this field of study.
Courses that are only offered on one campus will be noted by an (H) for Hammond, or (W) for Westville.
Please see the Additional Information and Guidelines section below for more information.
Year One - Fall (15 Credits)
Year One - Spring (18 Credits)
Year One - Summer (9 Credits)
Year Two - Fall (18 Credits)
Year Two - Spring (15 Credits)
- Literature and the Arts - select from list
- Primary Area (See Note 1)
- Primary Area (See Note 1)
- Secondary Area (See Note 3)
- Secondary Area (See Note 3)
Year Two - Summer (9 Credits)
- Primary Area (See Note 1)
- Primary Area (See Note 1)
- Secondary Area (See Note 3)
Year Three - Fall (18 Credits)
- LBST 43500 - Great Issues I
- Primary Area (See Note 1)
- Primary Area (See Note 1)
- Primary Area (See Note 1)
- Secondary Area (See Note 3)
- Secondary Area (See Note 3)
Year Three - Spring (18 Credits)
Semester 3 (15 Credits)
♦ Discuss option for a Minor with Advisor
Semester 6 (15 Credits)
- Primary Area Course
- Primary Area Course
- Primary Area Course
- Secondary Area Course
- Secondary Area Course
Additional Information and Guidelines
Note 1: Identify Primary Area with advisor.
Note 2: Student must complete two levels of any one world language.
Note 3: Identify Secondary Area with advisor.
Note 4: Discuss option for a Minor with advisor.
The BLS complies with all Purdue Northwest requirements.
A maximum of eight courses from any one discipline may be counted toward the fulfillment of the degree requirement.
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