Information about the Department of Liberal Studies

Office

Engineering and Technology A405
Phone: (323) 343-4100
Website: Department of Liberal Studies and Department of Women, Gender &Sexuality Studies

Chair

Michael Willard
mwillar@calstatela.edu
(323) 343-4100

Director of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Alejandra Marchevsky
amarche@calstatela.edu
(323) 343-4100

The Faculty

Liberal Studies Professors: Patrick B. Sharp, Victor Viesca, Michael Willard (Chair).
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Professors: Dionne Espinoza, Alejandra Marchevsky (Director).
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Associate Professor: Kimberly Robertson.
Liberal Studies Assistant Professor: Claudia Diera.
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Assistant Professor: David B. Green.

Overview

Liberal Studies is an interdisciplinary program that offers students the opportunity to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree grounded in the humanities and qualitative social sciences. The Liberal Studies major provides an appropriate foundation for professional training in education, librarianship, law, medicine, various fields of public service, and business and industry. In addition, with careful selection of electives, students may prepare for graduate study in such areas as education, American studies, communications, English, cultural studies, history, film and television studies, and the social sciences.

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies engages students in the interdisciplinary study of gender and sexuality as interwoven with race, ethnicity, colonization, class, nation, and ability. Grounded in intersectional feminist and LGBTQ frameworks, WGSS introduces students to hidden histories, explores complex social structures, confronts injustice and oppression, and imagines more liberatory and just futures. Students can pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree, a Minor, or a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in WGSS. A Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies degree prepares students for graduate education and professional pathways in multiple fields, including public policy and politics, education, law, community organizing and the non-profit sector, social work, creative arts and entertainment, and human resources and business.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Liberal Studies department is to provide students with a solid interdisciplinary education in the Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and the Arts, preparing them to pursue post-graduate work and careers in education, government, law, business, the nonprofit sector, and several other fields. Through the Liberal Studies curriculum, the students will learn how disciplines work, how they resemble and differ from one another, and how they fit together into a bigger picture. The Liberal Studies faculty will train students to think critically about the ways in which meaning is generated and disseminated through various practices, beliefs, and institutions. The Liberal Studies faculty will expose students to diverse thinking and approaches, preparing them to become productive and empowered members of our globalized society, where knowledge is highly specialized, diverse, and interconnected. Our graduates will be prepared to traverse and integrate multiple fields, and think critically about the ethical and societal implications of how knowledge is produced, organized, and valued in our world.

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies provides students with a strong intersectional and interdisciplinary foundation to engage in research, creative and professional work, and public debates concerning women and LGBTQ people, especially in communities of color. Through the WGSS curriculum, students develop strong skills in verbal, written and visual communication, research, critical thinking, and working collaboratively. Students are trained as problem-solvers with a strong basis in concepts of research that seek to collaborate with marginalized communities to identify innovative solutions to pressing social justice issues that involve these communities. Students also learn about the role of the arts and humanities in fostering a diverse and humane society. These skills prepare students to advance to pursue post-graduate education and careers in a wide variety of fields, including the following: K-12 education and higher education; creative arts, including museums, media, and marketing; social services, including social work; community organizing and the non-profit sector; library and information sciences; and public policy and law, including legal services and advocacy.

Programs

• Liberal Studies, B.A.
• Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, B.A.

• Minor in Science Fiction
• Minor in Science, Technology, and Medicine Studies
• Minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

• Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies