UAS Academic CatalogLiberal Arts, B.L.A.
Juneau, e-Learning
The Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree is designed for UAS students seeking a broad-based, multidisciplinary education. It is designed particularly for those students who have already completed a two-year Associates degree, transfer students from other universities, and non-traditional students who have previously completed university credits.
Students consult with faculty in their areas of interest to pursue interdisciplinary or individualized courses of study. This Liberal Arts degree can lead to graduate school or jobs in which critical thinking and communication skills are valued. BLA graduates who are interested in teaching may also apply to the one-year Master of Arts in Teaching programs at UAS.
Liberal Arts Emphasis Options
In each BLA degree program, students pursue one of the following Emphasis options: Designated Emphasis, Interdisciplinary Studies, or Independent Design. Courses used for GER credit cannot be used to fulfill Liberal Arts Emphasis courses or must be replaced by substitute disciplinary courses of equal credits.
BLA degrees must include:
- 120 credits minimum.
- 3 credits minimum Alaska Native Knowledge Graduation Requirement
- 48 credits minimum in the Liberal Arts Major (9 credits Liberal Arts Core, 39 credits Liberal Arts Emphasis).
- 42 credits minimum upper-division.
- 2 credits minimum upper-division capstone course completed through UAS.
Admission Requirements
Students need to complete a formal application process at Admissions on the local campus (Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka) or online at uaonline.alaska.edu.
Students are admitted to the program after admission to UAS and declaring that they intend to pursue a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree.
| Minimum Credit Hours | 120 |
| General Education Requirements | 34 |
| Alaska Native Knowledge Graduation Requirement | 3 |
| Liberal Arts Core | 9 |
| Alaska Native or Other Language (not English) | 6-8 |
| Liberal Arts Emphasis | 39-57 |
| Electives/Minor | 20-38 |
The Liberal Arts Major combines Core and Emphasis courses. Courses used for GER credit cannot be used to fulfill Liberal Arts Major courses or must be replaced by substitute courses of equal credits.
Liberal Arts Core
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Liberal Arts Core | 9 | |
| HUM S210 | BLA Portfolio Review | 1 |
| Communications, Literature, HUM, or Indigenous Studies (upper-division elective) 1 | 3 | |
| Philosophy (any Philosophy course), or ANS S320 2 | 3 | |
| Capstone 3 | 2 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Language Requirement | ||
| Alaska Native or Other Language (not English) 4 | 6-8 | |
|
Upon admission into the BLA program, students are required to enroll in the Student Portfolio course. This course is designed to assist students in planning their program of study with the approval of their BLA faculty advisor. The portfolio is used for purposes of continuing self-assessment during the student’s BLA program. Students must complete the Portfolio course within the first three semesters after matriculation; those who do not will be dropped from the BLA program and must officially reapply for admission.
Liberal Arts Emphasis
General Requirements for all emphasis options:
- During the semester the student is admitted to the BLA, an Emphasis option (listed below) must be formally declared by the student and approved by the BLA coordinator or the student’s faculty advisor.
- 3 credits minimum Alaska Native Knowledge Graduation Requirement.
- Six to eight credits in a one year sequence of a single Alaska Native or other language, or documented proficiency in a language (not English).
- 24 minimum upper-division in credits required in the Emphasis program.
- Includes a 2-credit minimum upper-division capstone course (such as ODS S445, BA S462, HUM S499, or an advisor-approved Internship S491, Practicum S494, Individual Research S498, Independent Study S497, or Thesis S499).
- A passing BLA Student Portfolio is required for degree completion.
Designated Emphasis
A designated emphasis provides a focused course of study in the Liberal Arts not available through other baccalaureate degree programs offered through UAS.
Alaska Native Languages and Studies
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Designated Emphasis Requirements | ||
| ANS S101 | *Introduction to Alaska Native Studies | 3 |
| ANS S460 | ANCSA and Tribal Governance | 3 |
| or ANTH S475 | Alaska Native Social Change | |
| or ART S263 | *Northwest Coast Native Art History & Culture | |
| Select one of the following language sequences: | 8 | |
| *Beginning Tlingit I and *Beginning Tlingit II | ||
| *Beginning Haida I and *Beginning Haida II | ||
| *Beginning Tsimshian I and *Beginning Tsimshian II | ||
| Any Alaska Native Languages or Northwest Coast Art course, or any Alaska Native topic in Humanities, Social Science, or cross-disciplinary courses approved by the BLA Alaska Native Studies faculty advisor (these courses may be from different disciplines, but all must have Alaska Native themes or issues as an important component in their curriculum). | ||
| Alaska Native Languages and Studies Electives | 25 | |
| Select 25 credits of electives, 15 of which must be upper-division. | ||
AKL S___ (any Alaska Language course) | ||
ANS S___ (any Alaska Native Studies course) | ||
| Artistic Expressions and Oral Narratives of Alaska Natives | ||
| Native North Americans | ||
| Arctic Anthropology | ||
| Tlingit Culture and History | ||
| Northwest Coast Cultures | ||
| Alaska Native Economic and Political Development | ||
| Northwest Coast Art: Selected Topics | ||
| *Beginning Northwest Coast Indigenous Design I | ||
| Harvest and Preparation of Basket Materials | ||
| Northwest Coast Tool Making | ||
| Northwest Coast Art: Selected Topics | ||
| Intermediate Northwest Coast Indigenous Design | ||
| Beginning Northwest Coast Basketry | ||
| Northwest Coast Basket Design | ||
| Beginning Northwest Coast Carving | ||
| Beginning Northwest Coast Woolen Weaving | ||
| Northwest Coast Art: Selected Topics | ||
| Advanced Northwest Coast Indigenous Design | ||
| Intermediate Northwest Coast Basketry | ||
| Intermediate Northwest Coast Carving | ||
| Intermediate Northwest Coast Woolen Weaving | ||
| Northwest Coast Art: Selected Topics | ||
| Advanced Northwest Coast Basketry | ||
| Advanced Northwest Coast Carving | ||
| Advanced Northwest Coast Woolen Weaving | ||
| Indigenous Literatures | ||
| History of Alaska | ||
| Alaska Government and Politics | ||
| Total Credits | 39 | |
Outdoor and Adventure Studies
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Designated Emphasis Requirements | ||
| ENGL S303 | Literature and the Environment | 3 |
| HUM S370 | Sport, Leisure, and Culture | 3 |
| ODS S120 | Wilderness First Responder 1 | 4 |
| ODS S243 | Outdoor Studies and Leadership | 3 |
| ODS S245 | Outdoor Studies Expedition I | 3-4 |
| ODS S372 | Mountain Studies: Philosophy, Literature, and Practice | 4 |
| ODS S373 | Ocean Studies: Images of the Environment | 4 |
| ODS S444 | Expedition Planning and Leadership | 2 |
| ODS S445 | Outdoor Studies Expedition II: Major Expedition | 2-4 |
| PHIL S371 | Perspectives on the Natural World | 3 |
| ODS Electives | ||
| Select 15 credits of the following: | 15 | |
| Backpacking in Southeast Alaska | ||
| Winter Backpacking in Southeast Alaska | ||
| Introduction to Rock Climbing | ||
| Introduction to Ice Climbing | ||
| Avalanche Evaluation and Theory I | ||
| Introduction to Fly Fishing, Tying, and Casting | ||
| Introduction to Sea Kayaking | ||
| Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding | ||
| Backcountry Navigation | ||
| Rock Climbing Level II | ||
| Ice Climbing Level II | ||
| Avalanche Evaluation and Theory Level II | ||
| Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue Fundamentals | ||
| Mountaineering I | ||
Other approved ODS skills courses | ||
| Upper-Division Electives 2 | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6-8 | |
| Archaeology of Southeast Alaska | ||
| Arctic Anthropology | ||
| Ethnobiology | ||
| Tlingit Culture and History | ||
| Alaska Native Economic and Political Development | ||
| Literatures of Alaska | ||
| Indigenous Literatures | ||
| Glaciology | ||
| Snow Hydrology | ||
| Earth's Climate System | ||
| Culture and Ecology | ||
| Geomorphology | ||
| Hydrology | ||
| Alaska Government and Politics | ||
| Environmental Sociology | ||
| Total Credits | 52-57 | |
- 1
Or proof of certification.
- 2
Advisor-approved courses
| Minimum Credit Hours | 120 |
| General Education Requirements | 34 |
| Alaska Native Knowledge Graduation Requirement | 3 |
| Liberal Arts Core | 9 |
| Alaska Native or Other Language (not English) | 6-8 |
| Liberal Arts Emphasis | 39 |
| Electives/Minor | 38 |
The Liberal Arts Major combines Core and Emphasis courses. Courses used for GER credit cannot be used to fulfill Liberal Arts Major courses or must be replaced by substitute courses of equal credits.
Liberal Arts Core
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Liberal Arts Core | 9 | |
| HUM S210 | BLA Portfolio Review | 1 |
| Communications, Literature, HUM, or Indigenous Studies (upper-division elective) 1 | 3 | |
| Philosophy (any Philosophy course), or ANS S320 2 | 3 | |
| Capstone 3 | 2 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Language Requirement | ||
| Alaska Native or Other Language (not English) 4 | 6-8 | |
- 1
AKL S3XX, AKL S4XX, ANS S3XX, ANS S4XX, COMM S3XX, COMM S4XX, ENGL S3XX, ENGL S4XX, HUM S3XX, HUM S4XX
- 2
This requirement may be waived if the Liberal Arts major includes a PHIL course. Note that, in this case, an additional 3 credits in the core electives will be needed.
- 3
Includes a 2-credit minimum upper-division capstone course (such as ODS S445, BA S462, HUM S499, or an advisor-approved Internship S491, Practicum S494, Individual Research S498, Independent Study S497, or Thesis S499).
- 4
Six to eight credits in a one-year sequence of a single Alaska Native or other language. With departmental approval, students who study abroad in a language other than English, or who have documented proficiency in a language (other than English), will be considered to have met their language requirement.
Upon admission into the BLA program, students are required to enroll in the Student Portfolio course. This course is designed to assist students in planning their program of study with the approval of their BLA faculty advisor. The portfolio is used for purposes of continuing self-assessment during the student’s BLA program. Students must complete the Portfolio course within the first three semesters after matriculation; those who do not will be dropped from the BLA program and must officially reapply for admission.
Liberal Arts Emphasis
General Requirements for all emphasis options:
- During the semester the student is admitted to the BLA, an Emphasis option (listed below) must be formally declared by the student and approved by the BLA coordinator or the student’s faculty advisor.
- 3 credits minimum Alaska Native Knowledge Graduation Requirement.
- Six to eight credits in a one year sequence of a single Alaska Native or other language, or documented proficiency in a language (not English).
- 24 minimum upper-division in credits required in the Emphasis program.
- Includes a 2-credit minimum upper-division capstone course (such as ODS S445, BA S462, HUM S499, ANS S499, or an advisor-approved Internship S491, Practicum S494, Individual Research S498, Independent Study S497, or Thesis S499).
- A passing BLA Student Portfolio is required for degree completion.
Interdisciplinary Studies
Interdisciplinary Studies provides academic depth to a general course of Liberal Arts study by combining cross-disciplinary primary and secondary fields. Primary and secondary fields must be different. Primary and secondary fields may not both be Social Sciences, however History may be considered either a Humanities or Social Science discipline. A course that is applied to the primary field cannot also be applied to the secondary field (except in situations where course topic varies and may be repeated for credit). The Interdisciplinary Studies program must be approved by the student’s BLA faculty advisor.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Field | ||
| Minimum 15 credits upper-division | 24 | |
| Secondary Field | ||
| Minimum 6 credits upper-division | 15 | |
Primary Field
The primary field consists of BLA faculty advisor approved course electives (24 credits, minimum of 15 credits upper division) under one of the following categories. In some instances, minimal course requirements are designated.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska Native Languages and Studies 1 | ||
| Select one of the following language sequences: | 8 | |
| *Beginning Tlingit I and *Beginning Tlingit II | ||
| *Beginning Haida I and *Beginning Haida II | ||
| *Beginning Tsimshian I and *Beginning Tsimshian II | ||
| Anthropology | ||
| ANTH S202 | *Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH S205 | *Biological Anthropology | 3 |
| Art | ||
| ART S261 | *History of World Art I | 3 |
| ART S262 | *History of World Art II | 3 |
| English | ||
| Government/Political Science | ||
| SSCI S300 | Research Methods in Social Science | 3 |
| History | ||
| HIST S131 | *History of the U.S. I | 3 |
| HIST S132 | *History of the U.S. II | 3 |
| Humanities | ||
| Any two of the following Humanities disciplines: Art, Communications, English, History, Alaska Native Languages (including Tlingit, Haida, or Tsimshian), other languages (including Spanish), Philosophy, or BLA faculty advisor approved Humanities discipline. | 12 | |
| Discipline 1 | ||
Minimum 9 credits upper-division | ||
| Discipline 2 | ||
Minimum 6 credits upper-division | ||
| Psychology | ||
| PSY S111 | *Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Statistics | ||
| *Elementary Statistics (or higher) | ||
| Research Methods | ||
| Research Methods in Social Science (or other BLA faculty advisor approved methods course) | ||
| Social Sciences | ||
| Any two of the following Social Science disciplines: Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, or BLA faculty advisor approved Social Science discipline. | ||
| Sociology | ||
| SOC S101 | *Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Statistics | ||
| *Elementary Statistics (or higher) | ||
| Research Methods | ||
| Research Methods in Social Science (or other BLA faculty advisor approved methods course) | ||
- 1
The remaining courses may be selected from any Alaska Native Languages or Northwest Coast Art course, or any Alaska Native-specific Humanities, Social Science, or Cross-Disciplinary courses approved by the BLA Alaska Native Studies Faculty Advisor (these courses may be from different disciplines, but all must have Alaska Native themes or issues as an important component in their curriculum). A student completing a primary field in Alaska Native Languages and Studies may not choose a secondary field in Tlingit Language.
Secondary Field
The secondary field, which must be different than the primary field, consists of 15 credits (minimum 6 credits upper-division).
Liberal Arts secondary fields available at UAS include: Alaska Native Languages and Studies (see primary field description for minimal requirements), Anthropology, Art, Biology, Business Studies1, Communication, Creative Writing, Economics, English, Environmental Science, Government, History, Mathematics, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Spanish, Tlingit Language.
Liberal Arts Electives/Minor
Courses from AA degrees, transfer credits from accredited universities or colleges, or other University of Alaska credits at the 100 level or higher may be counted for elective credit. A Minor field must differ from disciplinary coursework completed for the Liberal Arts Emphasis. Any overlap in specific courses between GER, the Liberal Arts Major, and a Minor requires course substitutions.
- 1
Business Studies include ACCT, BA, LAWS, and CIS designated courses.
| Minimum Credit Hours | 120 |
| General Education Requirements | 34 |
| Alaska Native Knowledge Graduation Requirement | 3 |
| Liberal Arts Core | 9 |
| Alaska Native or Other Language (not English) | 6-8 |
| Liberal Arts Emphasis | 39 |
| Electives/Minor | 38 |
The Liberal Arts Major combines Core and Emphasis courses. Courses used for GER credit cannot be used to fulfill Liberal Arts Major courses or must be replaced by substitute courses of equal credits.
Liberal Arts Core
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Liberal Arts Core | 9 | |
| HUM S210 | BLA Portfolio Review | 1 |
| Communications, Literature, HUM, or Indigenous Studies (upper-division elective) 1 | 3 | |
| Philosophy, (Any Philosophy Course), or ANS S320 2 | 3 | |
| Capstone 3 | 2 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Language Requirement | ||
| Alaska Native or Other Language (not English) 4 | 6-8 | |
- 1
AKL S3XX, AKL S4XX, ANS S3XX, ANS S4XX, COMM S3XX, COMM S4XX, ENGL S3XX, ENGL S4XX, HUM S3XX, HUM S4XX
- 2
This requirement may be waived if the Liberal Arts major includes a PHIL course. Note that, in this case, an additional 3 credits in the core electives will be needed.
- 3
Includes a 2-credit minimum upper-division capstone course (such as ODS S445, BA S462, HUM S499, or an advisor-approved Internship S491, Practicum S494, Individual Research S498, Independent Study S497, or Thesis S499).
- 4
Six to eight credits in a one-year sequence of a single Alaska Native or other language. With departmental approval, students who study abroad in a language other than English, or who have documented proficiency in a language (other than English), will be considered to have met their language requirement.
Upon admission into the BLA program, students are required to enroll in the Student Portfolio course. This course is designed to assist students in planning their program of study with the approval of their BLA faculty advisor. The portfolio is used for purposes of continuing self-assessment during the student’s BLA program. Students must complete the Portfolio course within the first three semesters after matriculation; those who do not will be dropped from the BLA program and must officially reapply for admission.
Liberal Arts Emphasis
General Requirements for all emphasis options:
- During the semester the student is admitted to the BLA, an Emphasis option (listed below) must be formally declared by the student and approved by the BLA coordinator or the student’s faculty advisor.
- 3 credits minimum Alaska Native Knowledge Graduation Requirement.
- Six to eight credits in a one year sequence of a single Alaska Native or other language, or documented proficiency in a language (not English).
- 24 minimum upper-division in credits required in the Emphasis program.
- Includes a 2-credit minimum upper-division capstone course (such as ODS S445, BA S462, HUM S499, or an advisor-approved Internship S491, Practicum S494, Individual Research S498, Independent Study S497, or Thesis S499).
- A passing BLA Student Portfolio is required for degree completion.
Independent Design
This option is designed for highly motivated students who are interested in completing a BLA program that does not fall under any Designated Emphasis or Interdisciplinary Studies option.
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 supervisor will 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 department chair, and the Dean of Arts and Sciences.
The Independent Design must meet the following requirements:
- 24 emphasis credits minimum must be upper division.
- 24 emphasis credits minimum must be completed after the Independent Design program is approved by the Dean of Arts and Sciences.
Any changes to a program in progress must be approved by the supervising faculty member, the supervising faculty member’s department chair, and the Dean of Arts and Sciences.
Upon completion, students will be able to:
- Articulate ideas, content, and personal goals through purposeful written or artistic expression.
- Demonstrate interdisciplinary competency in their chosen field(s).
- Create original work or research in their chosen field(s).
- Critically engage assumptions, presuppositions and gaps in thought, social discourse, and creative expression within their chosen field(s).
- Engage with the cultures and environment of Southeast Alaska.