Program Director: Richard Epstein, Department of English
Website: http://ugradlib.camden.rutgers.edu
The major in liberal studies is available only to eligible University College students at Camden and at designated off-campus centers.
The interdisciplinary major in liberal studies is specifically designed for students who transfer to University College–Camden with an associate in applied science degree (A.A.S.). Students enrolling in any of the off-campus centers may transfer with the associate in arts (A.A.) or associate in science (A.S.) degree in addition to the A.A.S. Adult students who already have attained significant technical and applied skills and who now wish to pursue their education in the liberal arts can obtain the bachelor's degree through this program.
The program recognizes the previous achievements of these students by allowing them to transfer up to 60 credits of their community college work toward the Rutgers degree--including credits for technical courses that do not ordinarily transfer as degree credits. Subject to program review, the technical courses are accepted as a block of up to 36 credits; these courses are only applicable toward a liberal studies major. Other courses taken as part of the associate in applied science degree will be accepted on a course-by-course basis in accordance with the agreements made between Rutgers University–Camden and the community colleges. These individual courses are applicable toward the general education degree requirements of University College–Camden.
The major consists of 36 credits. Students in the major concentrate in one area of liberal studies--humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences--and take one-half of their requirements for the major from upper-division (junior and senior) courses in that area. The other half of the required curriculum can be chosen from upper-division courses in the other two areas in which the student has chosen not to concentrate. In addition, students are required to fulfill credits of the general requirements for the Rutgers–Camden bachelor of arts degree. Some of this requirement may be fulfilled by courses among the general credits transferred from the community college.
Students will find the level of upper-division coursework in liberal studies at Rutgers to be a challenge. We require that all students in the major enroll as soon as possible in the required courses, 50:606:301,302 Mastering the Liberal Arts I,II. These interdisciplinary courses use a range of topics and methods to challenge students to further develop the array of advanced skills needed to master the material taught in upper-division courses. The first semester emphasizes reading and writing skills needed in advanced humanities courses. The second semester emphasizes developing reading, research, and quantitative skills appropriate for the social sciences and the natural sciences, with particular attention to psychology, sociology, urban studies, ecology, and biology. Regular writing and research assignments are an integral part of these courses.
