Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with a Concentration in Montessori Education

Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies

The Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies is a 42-course, 126-credit degree. It is not designed to overlap with existing degrees but rather to provide qualified students with an academic program that meets their unique needs. Offering students flexibility, independence, and academic rigor, this option provides undergraduate adult learners with the opportunity to draw on the resources of the entire curriculum, across disciplines while building an academic focus in areas they find most important.

Concentration in Montessori Education

The Montessori Education Concentration is a 6 course, 18 credit specialization that focuses on issues relevant to educators who specialize in the Montessori Method. This is an interdisciplinary specialization that focuses on providing students with an expanded knowledge of the cultural context in which Montessori Education is situated.

The Concentration in Montessori Education will be open to all students enrolled in our BA program in Liberal Studies and our BS Program in Psychology. These concentration courses will replace corresponding open elective credit requirements.

Curriculum Requirements - Total Credits Required: 126

Required Curriculum

World Cultures Course (3 Cr.)
Aesthetic Awareness & Creative Expression Course (3 Cr.)
Literary Perspectives Course (3 Cr.)
Individual and Society Course (3 Cr.)
Values & Ethical Reasoning Course (3 Cr.)
Science & Technology Course (3 Cr.)
Global Issues Course (3 Cr.)
Liberal Studies Elective* (3 Cr.)
General Education Electives (at least two 300 level or higher) (18 Cr.)
Open Electives (32 Cr.)

BUS 120 - Business Fundamentals I (Cr: 3)
CMM 306 - Social Impact of the Media (Cr: 3)
EC 201 - Experience, Competency and Belonging (Cr: 3
EC 355 - Career Transitions (Cr: 4)
EDM 400 - Action Research (Cr: 3)
ENG 111 - Critical Reading and Writing I (Cr: 3)
ENG 112 - Critical Reading and Writing II (Cr: 3)
LST 489 - Senior Research (Cr: 3)
LST 490 - Senior Thesis (Cr: 3)
MTH 126 - Applied Statistics (Cr: 3)
Satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning General Education Requirement
POL 113 - American Government and Politics (Cr: 3)
PSY 100 - General Psychology (Cr: 3)
Or
SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology (Cr: 3)

*Liberal Studies Electives

Foreign Language Course - 3 cr.

LST 121 - Introduction to Gender Studies (Cr: 3)
LST 210 - Gender and Science (Cr: 3)

Total Number of Credits Required for Concentration: 18

ED 101 - Introduction to Education (Cr: 3)
EDM 200 - Culture and Identity (Cr: 3)
EDM 300 - Education and Democracy (Cr: 3)
EDM 400 - Action Research (Cr: 3)
PSY 200 - Child and Adolescent Psychology (Cr: 3)

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will:

Effectively communicate in writing and through oral communication.
Demonstrate the critical inquiry and analysis skills needed to engage constructively in intellectual discourse in various disciplines.
Recall and apply the basic foundational knowledge of educational studies as delivered through the Baccalaureate Core.
Articulate the connections and distinctions between and among liberal arts disciplines, and their contemporary relevance.
Design, execute and present a personal project, which synthesizes and applies, selected knowledge, skills and experiences appropriate to the student’s personal and professional goals and/or their chosen area of specialization.

In addition to fulfilling the outcomes of the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies program, students completing the concentration in Montessori Education will:

Enhance student writing and critical thinking regarding the Montessori Method.
Develop skills in action research.
Identify and describe intrinsic motivation as it applies to themselves as teachers and students.
Understanding the role of democracy in establishing the current public and private education system.
Assess the influence of culture on educational objectives.