Interdisciplinary Programs, Bachelor of Science (BS) - Concentration in Liberal Arts
The BS in Interdisciplinary Programs is an outcome based degree, drawing from the richness of a liberal arts based education, which provides opportunities for students to develop an interdisciplinary educational program of study in consultation with their adviser. Students select courses that demonstrate competency in the following three areas:
- Oral and Written Communications
- Interpersonal Skills and Civic Responsibility
- Quantitative, Analytical, and Critical Thinking Skills
The specific courses used to meet these degree requirements vary with each student. The courses selected to meet the above listed outcomes are based upon the academic emphasis identified by the student for their program of study and are approved by their academic adviser.
Pathways within the Liberal Arts Concentration:
There are two primary pathways within the Liberal Arts concentration:
Design Your Own Major and Degree Completion
Design Your Own Major
The Liberal Arts concentration at SRU provides students with the opportunity to design an individualized program of study tailored to their interests, strengths, and career goals. Working closely with an academic advisor, students develop a meaningful concentration area built around competency areas that employers value, while integrating coursework from multiple disciplines.
The interdisciplinary nature of the Liberal Arts concentration encourages students to examine issues from multiple perspectives and develop skills in critical thinking, communication, problem-solving, and collaboration. These abilities are highly valued by employers and are especially useful when addressing complex social, organizational, and community challenges.
Degree Completion
The Liberal Arts concentration also provides a flexible degree-completion pathway for current students and readmitted students who have accumulated credits in another major but are unable to complete all of that program's graduation requirements.
Because the concentration is structured around three core competency areas, previously completed courses can often be re-evaluated and applied toward Liberal Arts degree requirements. For example, students who are unable to complete a required course, internship, or other major-specific requirement may be able to use successfully completed coursework to satisfy competency-based requirements within the concentration. This approach allows students to maximize previously earned credits and complete their degree without starting over in a new major, potentially reducing both the time and cost required to graduate. Degree-completion students also work closely with an academic advisor to develop a meaningful emphasis area within the Liberal Arts concentration that aligns with their academic interests and career aspirations.
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Asian Studies
- Non-Profit Leadership
- Fraud
- Pre-Law and other Pre-Professional Programs
The department also offers a number of minors in the following areas: Sociology, Anthropology, Non-Profit Leadership, and Leadership.
All students must have a 2.00 GPA and have earned 30 credits before they can be accepted into the degree program. Minors do not carry these requirements. New students to the university can select this degree, but will start their program of study in the Exploratory Program while having faculty from the Department of Interdisciplinary Programs serve as their advisers. Once the degree entry requirements are met the students formally move into the degree program.
The BS in Interdisciplinary Programs affords students opportunities to be flexible and creative in designing their program of study. Students who want to integrate more than one area of study in ways not found in Slippery Rock’s traditional majors may consider this degree. Students with a specific career or professional interest, an interest in graduate school or a graduate level professional program that has certain competencies, but does not require a specific undergraduate major, may find this degree appropriate for them. This degree is also valuable as a second major for students who want more than a minor to their program of study.
Program Learning Objectives
LO 1 – Knowledge (UO 3 & 4)
Students will be able to identify, explain, and apply major social science theories, concepts, foundations, and methodologies to analyze social institutions, processes, and values that shape social life and social relations
LO 2- Critical Thinking (UO 2)
Students will be able to analyze and critically evaluate explanations of human behavior, social phenomena, and social processes informed by social science theories, empirical evidence, and arguments to construct well-reasoned explanations and evidence-based conclusions about social issues and social structures.
LO 3 – Community Inclusion (UO 9)
Students will be able to analyze and evaluate how systems of power, privilege, and inequality shape social experiences and outcomes across diverse populations, and apply social science concepts and evidence to propose informed responses or solutions
LO 4 – Effective communication (UO 1)
Students will be able to present and defend evidence-based arguments by integrating scholarly sources, appropriate methodologies, and disciplinary conventions from the social sciences in written and oral formats
LO 5 – Civic Engagement (UO 7)
Students will be able to demonstrate informed, ethical, and reciprocal civic engagement by applying social science knowledge and skills to community or public issues and reflecting on the impacts of their participation on themselves and the communities involved.
RELATED LINKS
Curriculum Guide
GPA Requirement
Major GPA: 2.0 or higher
Overall GPA: 2.0 or higher
Summary*
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Rock Studies 2 Requirements | 42 | |
| Major/Concentration Requirements | 42 | |
| Electives | 36 | |
* All undergraduate degree programs require a minimum of 120 credits. Some courses meet multiple requirements, but are only counted once toward the 120 credit total required to graduate.
Rock Studies 2 Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| The Rock | ||
| SUBJ 139 | Foundations of Academic Discovery 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 102 | Critical Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 104 | Critical Reading | 3 |
| MATH 117 | Quantitative Reasoning | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Civil Discourse: Theory & Practice | ||
| Ethics and Civil Discourse | ||
| Civil Discourse and Democracy | ||
| Subtotal | 15 | |
| Integrated Inquiry | ||
| Creative and Aesthetic Inquiry | ||
| Select 3 Credits | 3 | |
| Humanities Inquiry | ||
| Select 3 Credits | 3 | |
| Social Science Inquiry | ||
| Select 3 Credits | 3 | |
| Natural Science Inquiry | ||
| SCI 101 | Science of Life | 3 |
| Physical Science Inquiry | ||
| SCI 102 | Understanding the Physical World | 3 |
| Subtotal | 15 | |
| Thematic Thread | ||
| Select 12 Credits 2 | 12 | |
| Subtotal | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 42 | |
- 1
Course offered in multiple subjects; cannot take course in first major subject.
- 2
One course from each category; six credits must be 300-level or above; no more than 4 credits from one subject area; specific courses required in first major, regardless of prefix of course, cannot be used to satisfy thread requirements; any course with same prefix as first major cannot be used to satisfy thread requirements, even if it is not a course in the first major.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION REQUIREMENT
Students must take and pass a course with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) designation prior to graduation. Students can meet this requirement by taking any DEI - designated course in any program at any time during their undergraduate career.
Major Requirements
- 21 major credits must be taken at SRU or PASSHE
- 21 major credits must be taken at the 300 level or above (Adviser approved courses)
- Courses used in this major may not be used to satisfy ROCK Studies 2, a minor, or another major’s requirements.
- AP, Credit by Exam, CLEP, and institutional credit by exam may count towards the degree to a maximum of 45 credits. Pass/Fail and non-credit courses will not be counted in the major.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| Oral and Written Communication | ||
| Select at least six credits | 6 | |
| Interpersonal Skills and Civic Responsibility | ||
| Select at least six credits | 6 | |
| Analytical, Quantitative & Critical Thinking Skills | ||
| Select at least six credits | 6 | |
| Subtotal | 18 | |
| Emphasis Area | ||
| Select 24 credits related to or that support the outcomes of the Emphasis Area developed with the Academic Adviser | 24 | |
| Subtotal | 24 | |
| Total Hours | 42 | |
- *
Some courses may require pre-requisites. Please see course descriptions to determine if there are any pre-requisites for that specific course.
Co-curricular and Experiential Learning
Students are encouraged to explore additional curricular and co-curricular opportunities. There is a strong correlation between long-term student success and participation in the following types of programs and activities:
- International study programs (short-term, semester)
- High-Impact Practice (HIP) designated classes
- Student-faculty creative projects
- Internships
- Experiential Learning (Practice experience outside the classroom)
Important Curriculum Guide Notes
This Curriculum Guide is provided to help SRU students and prospective students better understand their intended major curriculum. Enrolled SRU students should note that the My Rock Audit may place already-earned and/or in progress courses in different, yet valid, curriculum categories. Enrolled SRU students should use the My Rock Audit Report and materials and information provided by their faculty advisers to ensure accurate progress towards degree completion. The information on this guide is current as of the date listed. Students are responsible for curriculum requirements at the time of enrollment at the University.
PASSHE - Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Institutions
INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS - BS (5198)
Concentration in Liberal Arts (LART)
This program is effective as of Summer 2026
Revised 05.13.2026
UCC 03.31.2026