Do you have a passion to create your own course of study? The Independent Design emphasis is intended for highly motivated students who are interested in completing a BLA program that does not fall under the Interdisciplinary Study or Designated Emphasis options.
Independently designed BLA programs are available only to students who have a tenure-track faculty member who agrees to supervise their degree program. The student and faculty supervisor work together to design a degree proposal that provides a coherent body of knowledge at the baccalaureate level. The Independent design must be approved by the supervising faculty member, the supervising faculty member's departmental chair, and the Dean of Arts and Sciences.
As the program is independently designed, there are no formal limitations on the structure of each student's program beyond the general requirements of the Liberal Arts Major: Core (18 credits) and Emphasis (42 Credits). However, the Independent Design has rigorous requirements beyond the other emphasis options:
• 45 Credits for the BLA Liberal Arts Major must be completed while enrolled at UAS.
• A minimum of 24 Emphasis Credits must be completed at the upper-division level.
• A minimum of 30 Emphasis Credits must be completed in the Independent Design program after approval by the Dean of Arts & Sciences.
Any changes to an Independent Design program must be approved by the student's supervising faculty member, that faculty member's departmental chair, and the Dean of Arts and Sciences.