Degree: BLS, Bachelor of Liberal Studies
Bachelor of Liberal Studies Program
Leadership and Management is a multidisciplinary major open only to students in the Bachelor of Liberal Studies Program. Students pursuing a B.A. or B.S. degree may not declare this major.
The major in Leadership and Management, leading to a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree, provides students with basic management skills. The course of study is organized to produce effective and intellectually agile leaders. Students gain advanced critical thinking skills, firm ethical reasoning abilities, and a readiness to participate productively in the workplace and the community. The major coursework is offered in an online format.
Business administration courses within the Leadership and Management major introduce students to central theoretical issues regarding management organization and processes within business, industrial, and governmental environments. Additional courses are grounded in liberal arts disciplines recognized by employers as crucial to career growth.
The category of Ethics and Diversity courses helps guide students in decision making and requires them to evaluate the consequences of managerial choices. Organization and Government allows the student to gain knowledge about the structures of private and public systems. Leadership and Communication guides the student’s skills in the communication and understanding of those systems.
A capstone course encourages students to conduct research through an individual study experience guided by a faculty mentor and/or to complete an internship in a subject appropriate to the major and under the guidance and direction of a faculty advisor and an agency supervisor.
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Students will learn to think entrepreneurially by identifying a problem for a particular market.
2. Students will demonstrate a working knowledge of business financials.
3. Students will learn managerial strategies.
4. Students will conduct a strategic analysis and make recommendations for a course of action.
Major Requirements
Thirty-three to thirty-four (33-34) credits to include the following (consult the relevant sections of this Catalog for course titles and descriptions). See list of approved electives in the major on this page. Additional courses may be possible with the approval of the BLS Director.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 102 | Principles of Accounting II | 3 |
| BLAW 201 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| CIST 301 | Business Information Systems | 3 |
| or MIST 201 | Management Information Systems and Applications | |
| LRSP 311 | The Management Process | 3 |
| or MGMT 301 | Principles of Management | |
| LRSP 316 | Quantitative Methods and Statistics Modules | 3 |
| or STAT 180 | Introduction to Statistics | |
| LRSP 344 | Financial Management | 3 |
| LRSP 412 | Marketing for Managers | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Leadership Strategy and Policy | ||
| Individual Study | ||
| Internship (Capstone) | ||
| Select one course from each of the following categories: | 9-10 | |
Ethics and Diversity | ||
Organization and Government | ||
Leadership and Communication | ||
| Total Credits | 33-34 | |
Ethics and Diversity Category
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Cultural and Social Anthropology | ||
| Computer Ethics | ||
| Poverty, Affluence, and Equality | ||
| Labor Economics | ||
| Urban and Regional Economics | ||
| Global Issues in Literature | ||
| Introduction to Human Geography | ||
| Race and Place in America | ||
| African American History through 1865 | ||
| African American History since Slavery | ||
| U.S. Immigration History | ||
| Introduction to Ethics | ||
| Practical Ethics | ||
| Adult Development | ||
| Psychology of Human Sexuality | ||
| Psychology of Women and Gender | ||
| Introduction to World Religions | ||
| Religion in America Before the Civil War | ||
| Religion in America After the Civil War | ||
| Religion and Politics in the United States | ||
| Social Stratification | ||
| Gender and Society | ||
| Racial and Ethnic Relations | ||
| Introduction to Women's Studies | ||
| Perspectives in Sexuality |
Organization and Government Category
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Industrial Economics | ||
| Government and Business | ||
| Environmental Regulations | ||
| Business French | ||
| Geopolitics | ||
| German for Professional Use I | ||
| Social and Political Philosophy | ||
| American Government | ||
| American Public Policy | ||
| Congress and the Political Process | ||
| The American Presidency | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| Organizational Psychology | ||
| Human Resources Management | ||
| Organizational Development and Change | ||
| Business Spanish |
Leadership and Communication Category
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Communication | ||
| Public Speaking | ||
| Small Group Communication | ||
| Argumentation | ||
| Introduction to Rhetoric and Communication | ||
| Digital Storytelling | ||
| Applications of Databases | ||
| Writing in the Workplace | ||
| Professional Writing | ||
| Introduction to GIS | ||
or GISC 250 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Cartography | |
or EESC 205 | GIS Applications in Environmental Science and Geology with Lab | |
| News Journalism | ||
| Investigative Journalism | ||
| Introduction to Linguistics | ||
| Introductory Logic | ||
| Voice and Body Movement | ||
Note: A maximum of 27 credits can be in business-related courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Any ACCT, BLAW, BUAD, DSCI, FINC, MKTG, MGMT, MIST | ||
| Accounting for Managers | ||
| The Management Process | ||
| Quantitative Methods and Statistics Modules | ||
| Financial Management | ||
| Marketing for Managers | ||
| Leadership Strategy and Policy | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Internship | ||
General Education Requirements
The general education requirements for Bachelor of Liberal Studies apply to all students who are seeking to earn an undergraduate BLS degree.
Electives
Elective courses are those that are not needed to fulfill a general education requirement or major program requirement but are chosen by the student to complete the 120 credits required for graduation with a B.A./B.S. degree or the BLS degree. Up to 20% of these courses for the BLS degree may be taken graded or pass/fail (or S/U in the case of physical education and 100-level dance). No more than six credits of physical education may count toward the BLS degree.
Total Credits Required for the Degree: 120 credits