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University Catalog 2015-2016 (Final Quarter Catalog) [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Liberal Studies, B.A.
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The program offers three options at the main Cal State L.A. campus and one at the downtown Cal State L.A. campus.Option I, Interdisciplinary Studies in Culture and Society, allows students to acquire an in-depth understanding of how ideology and discourse shape cultural traditions and social institutions. Option II, the Elementary Subject Matter Teacher Preparation: Traditional Option, provides students a broad-based Education in multiple subjects that prepares them for the California Subject Examinations For Teachers (CSET). Option III, the Elementary Subject Matter Teacher Preparation: Integrated Option, provides qualified students the opportunity to complete the requirements for a Multiple Subjects or Education Specialist teaching credential while completing the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree. Particular requirements and restrictions apply to candidates for teaching. Therefore, early consultation with a Liberal Studies advisor is essential. Refer to the Charter College of Education section for regulations governing all teaching credential programs. Option IV, Professional Option, allows students to pursue a guided course of study that emphasizes cross-cultural understanding in local and global contexts, applying academic knowledge and information to public and real-world environments. All Liberal Studies options place a strong emphasis on developing student skills in writing and communicating across disciplines, contexts, and media.
Advisement
All students who intend to major in Liberal Studies should confer with a Liberal Studies adviser by the end of the first quarter of residence in order to establish an official degree program.
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Requirements for the Major (66 units)
Students in both options must complete 18 units of Liberal Studies core requirements (including a senior project), 8 units of required courses in Liberal Studies, 20 units in a depth area, and 20 units of additional coursework. Liberal Studies Core Requirements (18 units)
The Liberal Studies core requirements are designed to provide the necessary analytical framework, including rhetorical skills, theoretical concepts, research methods, and techniques of argumentation to enable students to master each of the available options in the Liberal Studies major. All students in the major must complete the following core courses: Required Courses in Liberal Studies (8 units)
Students in both liberal studies options take 8 units of required courses in Liberal Studies with advisor approval. Courses taken for a concentration or depth area cannot be double counted as required courses in Liberal Studies. Interdisciplinary Foundations:
Select one course from the following (4 units) Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies:
Select one course from the following (4 units) Option Requirements
Students must select one of the following four options to fulfill the requirements for the major. Students at the main Cal State L.A. campus must choose from Option I, II, or III. Students at the downtown Cal State L.A. campus must select Option IV. The total number of units required for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies is 120 units, of which 48-51 units are in the major. Consult with an advisor for the specific number of units required in all areas of the degree including GE and free electives.
Options
Option I: Interdisciplinary Studies in Culture and Society (66 units)
This option offers students the opportunity to pursue an integrative interdisciplinary course of study that will provide them with a broad base of knowledge and skills. The knowledge and skills developed in this option prepare students for careers in fields such as education, law, journalism, publishing, government, business, and non-profit work.
Students in Option I must take a total of 180 units: 72 units of General Education Requirements, 6-8 units of University Requirements, 18 units of Liberal Studies core requirements, 8 units of required courses in Liberal Studies, 40 units in a concentration or two 20 unit depth areas (listed below), and 34-36 units of free electives. Of the 40 units taken in the concentration or depth areas, 28 units must be upper division (300- or 400-level courses). Concentration or Depth Areas (40 units)
Students in Option I must take 40 units by completing one of the concentrations listed below (A or B) or two 20-unit depth areas listed below (1¬10). While the depth areas are open to all Liberal Studies majors, depth areas 4, 5, 6, and 9 have been designed specifically to meet California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) standards for commonly taught subjects. A. Concentration in Science, Technology, and Medicine Studies (40 units)
Drawing from the traditions of critical science studies scholarship in a wide variety of disciplines, this concentration examines the social and cultural dimensions of science and its technological and medical applications. While deepening students’ knowledge of the sciences, the concentration explores the social and cultural imperatives that shape science and its applications. It also studies the influence of the sciences on social formations and cultural productions. The concentration is designed for students interested in science-focused careers in law, journalism, education, publishing, government, business, and non-profit work. Students interested in careers in medicine should consult with the Health Careers Advisement Office (HCAO) located in the Biological Sciences building (rooms 106 and 110) to discuss the recommended courses and preparation appropriate for their career goals. No more than 12 units can be taken in any one department. Interdisciplinary Science Studies: Select one course from the following (4 units)
Technology Studies (4 units)
Select one course from the following: Medicine Studies (4 units)
Select one course from the following: History and Religious Studies (4 units)
Select one course from the following: Science and Society (4 units)
Select one course from the following: Philosophy (4 units)
Select one course from the following: Global environment (4 units)
Select one course from the following: Electives (12 units)
With major advisor approval, students select 12 units of upperdivision coursework from the above courses or from related courses. B. Concentration in Women’s and Gender Studies (40 units)
The Women’s and Gender Studies Concentration is an interdisciplinary program of study that takes as its central object of study gender in culture and society. This concentration draws from the traditions of feminist scholarship in a wide variety of disciplines, from the natural and social sciences through the humanities and arts. Although the field of women’s studies has always looked at the construction of gender and gendered roles and representations, the use of “gender studies” makes the focus both general and specific: students critically analyze gender in the context of class, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, and explore gender as a category that structures power, as a set of cultural meanings to be interpreted, and as a set of bodily performances. Required Courses (8 units)
Natural Science Perspectives (4 units)
Select one course from the following: Social Science Perspectives (8 units)
Select two courses from the following: Arts and Humanities Perspectives (8 units)
Select two courses from the following: Electives (12 units)
With major advisor approval, students select 12 units of coursework from the above courses or from related courses. Depth Areas
In lieu of a concentration, students may select 20 units in each of two of the following depth areas to complete the requirements for Option I. For Option II students select 20 units in one depth area and may elect to complete 20 units in a second depth area if they pass the California Subject Examination for Teachers: Multiple Subjects. 1. Depth Area in American Studies (20 units)
Required courses (12 units)
Interdisciplinary Approaches (4 units)
With major advisor approval select one American studies course in Liberal Studies. Social Science Perspectives (4 units)
With major advisor approval select one American Studies course from the following departments:
- Asian and Asian American Studies
- Anthropology
- Chicano/a Studies
- Geography
- History
- Latin American Studies
- Pan African Studies
- Political Science
- Sociology
Arts and Humanities Perspectives (4 units)
With major advisor approval select one American studies course from the following departments:
- Art
- Communication Studies
- English
- Music
- Philosophy
- Theatre Arts and Dance
Electives (8 units)
With major advisor approval, students select 8 units in American studies from the departments listed above or from related departments. No more than 12 units in the depth area can be taken in any one department. 2. Depth Area in Creativity and Performance (20 units)
Interdisciplinary Approaches (4 units)
Theoretical Perspectives (4 Units)
Select one from the following: Creative Activity and Performance (8 units)
With the approval of a Liberal Studies adviser, select 12 units in Creative Activity or Performance classes in one or more of the following departments: Art, Communication Studies (screenwriting, film making, storytelling), English (creative writing), Music, and Theatre Arts and Dance. Electives (4 units)
With the approval of a Liberal Studies adviser, select 4 additional units in Creative Activity or Performance classes or one additional theoretical perspective class listed above. 3. Depth Area in Cultural Studies (20 units)
Required courses (8 units)
Electives (12 units)
With major advisor approval select three courses in cultural studies from the following departments. No more than 12 units in the depth area can be taken in any one department.
- Asian and Asian American Studies
- Anthropology
- Art
- Chicano/a Studies
- Communication Studies
- English
- Geography History
- Latin American Studies
- Liberal Studies/ Women’s and Gender Studies
- Music
- Pan African Studies
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Theatre Arts and Dance
4. Depth area in Language Arts (20 units)
Interdisciplinary Approaches (4 units)
Select one course from the following: Electives (16 units)
With major advisor approval, students select 16 units from the courses below or from related upper division language arts courses in English, Philosophy, Communication Studies, or related departments. 5. Depth area in Mathematics (20 units)
Interdisciplinary Approaches (4 units)
Select one course from the following: Electives (16 units)
With major advisor approval, students select 16 units from the courses below or from related courses. 6. Depth area in Natural Science (20 units)
Interdisciplinary Science Studies:
Select one course from the following (4 units) Pedagogy: Select one course from the following (4 units)
Life Science (4 units)
Select one course from the following: Physical Science (4 units)
Select one course from the following: Electives (4 units)
With major advisor approval, students select 4 units from the above courses or from related courses. 7. Depth Area in Race and Ethnicity Studies (20 units)
Required courses (8 units)
Electives (12 units)
With major advisor approval, select three courses from the following. Students can also take upper division courses in Asian and Asian American Studies, Chicano Studies, and Pan African Studies. No more than 8 units can be taken in any one department. 8. Depth area in Science, Technology, and Medicine Studies (20 units)
With major advisor approval, students select 20 units from the courses listed above in the concentration in Science, Technology, and Medicine Studies. No more than 8 units in the depth area can be taken in any one department. 9. Depth area in Social Science (20 units)
Interdisciplinary Approaches (4 units)
Select one course from the following: World History, Geography, and Political Science (4 units)
Select one course from the following: American History, Geography, and Political Science (4 units)
Select one course from the following: Electives (4 units)
With major advisor approval, students select 4 units from the above courses or from related courses. 10. Depth Area in Women’s and Gender Studies (20 units)
With major advisor approval, students select 20 units from the courses listed above in the concentration in Women’s and Gender Studies. No more than 8 units in the depth area can be taken in any one department. Option II. Elementary Subject Matter Teacher Preparation Option (180 units, of which 66 units are in the major)
Option II prepares prospective teachers for grades K-8. Since passing the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) is a prerequisite for a teaching credential, students in Option II are expected to prepare for and take the three portions of the CSET: Multiple Subjects at their earliest convenience and report their results to a Liberal Studies advisor. Based on the CSET results and students’ previous coursework, advisors will recommend directed elective courses to help students prepare for any sections of the CSET that have not been passed. A grade of C or higher is required in all courses used to meet the major requirements for the Elementary Subject Matter Teacher Preparation Option.
Students who select Option II must complete the following coursework for a total of 180 units: 72 units of general education requirements, 6-8 units of university requirements (i.e., ENGL 102 and either the Introduction to Higher Education or Transition to Cal State, L.A. course), 18 units of Liberal Studies core requirements (listed above), 8 units of required courses in Liberal Studies, 20 units in a selected depth area (listed under Option 1), 20 units of directed electives, either in one or more depth areas (provided the CSET has been passed) or from advisor recommended Elementary Subject Matter courses (if the CSET has not been passed), and 32-34 units of free electives. In the depth areas and directed electives, at least 28 units must be upper division (300- or 400-level courses). Liberal Studies Core Courses (18 units)
Students in Option II must complete the 18 units of core courses listed above under major requirements.
Required Courses in Liberal Studies (8 units)
With major advisor approval, students must complete 8 units of required courses in Liberal Studies listed above under major requirements. Depth Area (20 units)
Students in Option II must complete 20 units in one depth area (selected from those listed above under Option I). Directed Electives (20 units)
Students in Option II must complete 20 units of directed electives. If a student has not passed all sections of the Multiple Subjects CSET, with advisor approval, these electives must be selected from the list of Elementary Subject Matter courses or from other appropriate courses (see “A: Multiple Subjects CSET Preparation Courses” below). If a student has passed all sections of the CSET examination, then, with advisor approval, these electives may be taken in one or more depth areas. Students may also use their electives to pursue a teaching credential for elementary education (see “B: Multiple Subject Teaching Credential Minor” and “C: Educational Specialist Minor” below). A. Multiple Subjects CSET Preparation Courses
1. Reading, Language and Literature; History and Social Science (CSET Subtest I)
2. Science and Mathematics (CSET Subtest II)
3. Physical Education, Human Development, Visual and Performing Arts (CSET Subtest III)
4. Multiple Subjects CSET Review Course
Professional Education Courses (46 units)
A minimum GPA of 2.75 in the last 90 quarter units is required for enrollment in EDCI 300 or EDSP 300. See catalog, “Multiple Subject Credential” or “Education Specialist Credential,” for additional pre-requisites. An overall 3.0 GPA must be attained in all professional education courses with a minimum grade of “C” in each course. Students should see both a major adviser and a Multiple Subject or Special Education Credential adviser regarding completion of the degree and other credential requirements. B. Multiple Subject Teaching Credential (46 units)
These courses are for a Multiple Subject (Elementary Education) Teaching Credential. Required Prerequisite Courses (2 units)
Block One (must be completed before Block Two)
Block Two (must be completed before Block Three)
Block Three (must be completed before Block Four)
Directed Teaching Credential Requirements (12 units)
Block Four (must attend a mandatory directed teaching meeting prior to enrolling in these courses.) C. Education Specialist Requirements (46 units)
Completion of this minor and passage of the CBEST qualify students to be eligible for a Special Education Internship Credential with verification of employment from a cooperating school district. For a Preliminary Education Specialist Credential, students must complete the additional credential coursework in their area of specialization (i.e., mild/moderate disabilities, moderate/severe disabilities, physical and health impairments or visual impairments). Students must consult with a special education adviser for specific program requirements. Internship Emphasis Requirement: Specialization (8)
Complete 8 units of appropriate work in the selected area of specialization. Mild-to-Moderate Disabilities
Moderate-to-Severe Disabilities
Physical and Health Impairments
Visual Impairment and Blindness
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