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Bachelor of Liberal Studies

Undergraduate Program of Study

• Bachelor of Liberal Studies

The Bachelor of Liberal Studies (B.L.S.) is designed for students who wish to complete a bachelor's degree by distance education. The B.L.S. is a general undergraduate degree without a traditional academic major. Students work with their academic advisors to structure programs that meet their individual objectives.

B.L.S. students may plan programs designed to advance their careers, begin new careers, or prepare for graduate or professional study. Students who have specific career goals or advanced degree programs in mind should learn what educational background they will need in order to achieve their goals, and they should include appropriate course work in their B.L.S. programs.

Students may earn credit toward the degree through several types of courses, including Saturday & Evening Classes, web-based Guided Independent Study courses, semester-based web courses, extension courses at sites throughout Iowa, and regular session courses. Courses from any of the three Board of Regents, State of Iowa, universities may be applied toward the degree, as may appropriate courses from other accredited institutions.

B.L.S. students may not earn minors, but they may include certificates in their degree programs.

For application information, see "Admission" below.

The B.L.S. is awarded by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and is administered by the Division of Continuing Education.

Bachelor of Liberal Studies

The Bachelor of Liberal Studies requires a minimum of 120 s.h. and is intended to be completed entirely by distance education. Students must earn at least 30 s.h. of credit toward the degree in University of Iowa courses after admission to the B.L.S. program. They must earn at least 60 s.h. of the minimum 120 s.h. at four-year colleges, including 45 s.h. in course work defined as upper level.

The University is in the process of revising its course numbering system. Under the current system, University of Iowa courses are considered upper level if they are numbered 100 and above. Some courses numbered below 100 may be considered upper level for the B.L.S.; for a list of these courses, contact the Division of Continuing Education. Under the new system, University of Iowa courses numbered 3000-4999 will be considered upper-level for the B.L.S.

B.L.S. students are required to complete the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences General Education Program.

Students complete at least 12 s.h. of credit in three of the following five distribution areas (total of at least 36 s.h.). In each distribution area, 6 of the required 12 s.h. must be earned in upper-level courses.

Humanities (e.g., literature, history, philosophy, religion)

Communication and arts (e.g., journalism, speech, drama, art, music, writing)

Natural sciences and mathematics (e.g., geology, biology, statistics, computer science)

Social sciences (e.g., geography, psychology, economics, political science, anthropology)

Professional fields (e.g., business, education, nursing, social work, library science)

Students must maintain a cumulative g.p.a. of 2.00 or higher in all course work applied toward the degree, all course work completed after admission to the program, and all upper-level course work.

All College of Liberal Arts and Sciences policies regarding pass/nonpass and satisfactory/fail grading, academic standards, and so forth apply to B.L.S. students. See the CLAS undergraduate Academic Policies Handbook.

Admission

Individuals who wish to earn a B.L.S. must apply formally for admission to the program. Prospective students should contact the Division of Continuing Education before they apply.

The B.L.S. is designed for students who need to earn a bachelor's degree by distance education. Individuals who have access to the full range of the University's on-campus daytime classes should seek admission to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in order to earn a degree with a major.

B.L.S. application requirements vary depending on educational background.

New applicants to The University of Iowa must have 60 s.h. of approved transfer credit and a cumulative g.p.a. of at least 2.50. They also must have satisfied the following high school course requirements: four years of English/language arts, two years of a single foreign language, three years of science, three years of social studies, two years of algebra, and one year of geometry.

Former University of Iowa students applying for reentry must have a total of 60 s.h. of University of Iowa and approved transfer credit and a g.p.a. of at least 2.00 on all University of Iowa course work or all college course work completed.

Applicants who hold an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree from an Iowa community college or from Waldorf College must have a g.p.a. of at least 2.00 and are considered to have satisfied all General Education Program requirements except foreign language.

Applicants who hold an A.A. from Black Hawk College (Illinois) must have a g.p.a. of at least 2.25 and are considered to have satisfied all General Education Program requirements except foreign language.

Applicants who hold an A.A. from another institution must have 60 s.h. of approved transfer credit and a cumulative g.p.a. of at least 2.50. They also must have satisfied the following high school course requirements: four years of English/language arts, two years of a single foreign language, three years of science, three years of social studies, two years of algebra, and one year of geometry. Transfer credit is evaluated course by course.

Applicants who have a total of 24-60 s.h. of University of Iowa and approved transfer credit and a cumulative g.p.a. of at least 2.50 are admitted to the University on liberal-studies-interest status. When they complete 60 s.h. and have a g.p.a. of at least 2.00 on all college course work completed, they become eligible for admission to the B.L.S. program.

Contact the Division of Continuing Education for more information about the Bachelor of Liberal Studies.