Liberal Arts and Sciences Program - NMU Bulletin

Address:  220 Gries Hall

Phone:  906-227-2677

Fax:  906-227-1096

Web Address: 

Department Email:  libas@nmu.edu

The university offers a bachelor of arts/bachelor of science degree with a major in liberal arts and sciences. It is designed particularly for nontraditional students and students who are already employed, but who wish to complete an undergraduate degree to enhance their own education and/or professional development.

The university also offers an associate of arts degree with a liberal arts and sciences concentration for students seeking a two-year degree. Designed for both new freshmen and returning students, the program is appropriate for people uncertain about their final degree goals. Combining breadth with flexibility, the program introduces students to the major areas of college study and lets them accumulate credits toward a degree without first committing to a major field of study. This two-year program can serve as the basis for later work toward a four-year baccalaureate program.

The bachelor’s degree is intended to provide an opportunity for students who are willing to accept responsibility for designing their own degree program. The liberal arts and sciences major is for self-motivated students who seek to create sense and order out of a rich and varied liberal studies curriculum.

Potential students should recognize that this program is not appropriate for everyone since it may not be an adequate preparation for admission to certain graduate programs or for careers that require specified course sequences and specialization associated with traditional degree programs. However, when properly planned, this major can serve as an exceptional educational experience for many students.

This degree program parallels in content the core curriculum requirements at many colleges and universities. Its requirement of two courses in each of four content areas (foundations of communication, foundations of humanities, foundations of mathematics/sciences and foundations of social sciences) provides students with the basis for later, more specialized work. The program also enables students who are uncertain about career plans to sample various courses and determine which areas of study appeal to them most. These areas may then be explored further through electives carefully chosen in cooperation with the program director.

Applicants usually have completed 60 credits of college work, including 40 credit hours of the university’s liberal studies requirements, with a minimum grade point average of 2.25. At least 30 credit hours must be completed after the applicant is admitted into the program, regardless of the number of hours already completed.

Associate of Arts

Students may be admitted to the program if they submit records verifying that they have met the standards for admission to baccalaureate programs listed in this bulletin. After admission to the program, students must complete at least 16 more credit hours, regardless of the number of hours already completed. A “C” (2.00) average must be maintained for all program courses.