Liberal Studies, B.A.

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A minimum total number of 128 credit hours are required for every student in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. All degree seeking, CLASS students must complete a specific number of General Education (GenEd) requirements which are comprised of University and College requirements. This is in addition to the credits for their major field of study. Students are responsible for ensuring the appropriate selection of courses to satisfy GenEd requirements. Students are highly encouraged to consult with both their general education advisor and faculty advisor regarding the applicability of selected courses each semester. A comprehensive description of Cleveland State University’s General Education Requirements for undergraduate students is available online at http://www.csuohio.edu/academic/gened/summarytable.html.

Major-Field Requirements

Liberal Studies majors must complete all university residence and distribution requirements as well as all general requirements of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.
In addition to university and college requirements, a B.A. in Liberal Studies includes 66 semester credits of C or better:
- 16 in Social and Behavioral Sciences
- 16 in Natural Sciences and Mathematics
- 16 in Humanities and Fine Arts
- 18 in Electives
  
  These 66 credits may be broadly distributed across the four areas. They may be concentrated in various areas of interest (including certificates or formal minors in other departments), or they may be organized in a formal program of study of one or more major themes (such as critical thinking, cultural heritage, science and technology). No more than 18 credits in any one department will normally be counted toward the 66 credits of the major.
At least 16 upper level credits that are applied to the major must be taken at CSU after the semester in which the student is accepted into the program. Unless special permission is given, the Liberal Studies Capstone Course must be among the 16.
The Liberal Studies Capstone Requirement may be fulfilled by taking a Capstone course offered by any department in CLASS or COSHP. Those based on that of departments in other colleges or substitutions consistent with personal academic goals require approval of the Director.
Upon petition to the director and advisory committee, a student may include in the Liberal Studies major up to 42 transfer credits from other colleges within Cleveland State — typically for courses that have specific counterparts in Liberal Arts and Social Sciences courses. A maximum of 31 credits in business courses may be counted toward the 66 credits of the major.