To address the breadth and value of various forms of knowledge in a changing world, the Bachelor of Liberal Studies major is structured to allow students to design individualized programs of study to include humanities, social sciences, and natural and mathematical sciences. By developing a diverse knowledge reflective of a true liberal arts education, the Bachelor of Liberal Studies is a degree completion option for students who have completed significant coursework but not the requirements of a specific major. The Liberal Studies program is an individualized, nontraditional program designed to provide broader freedom of course choices than is available in the traditional majors, but still the structured core programs of both the University of Kentucky and the College of Arts and Sciences. Admission to the program requires the completion of 45 credit hours prior to declaring this degree and approval of the coordinator of the program.
Individuals who are seeking the Liberal Studies degree may not already have any form of a Bachelor’s Degree, nor may students in the program double major in any program with this degree path, though minors and certificates are acceptable.
"The only education that prepares us for change is a liberal education. In periods of change, narrow specialization condemns us to inflexibility-precisely what we do not need. We need the flexible intellectual tools to be problem solvers, to be able to continue learning over time."
- David Kearns, President of Xerox.
A university education is about learning to ask and answer complex questions. The Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree allows a student to pursue integrated studies across more than one subject area, allowing students to explore various combinations in writing, sociology, and political science; or medieval English literature, medieval History, and anthropology. The pursuit of a BLS degree-like any degree in the liberal arts- will provide the student with the opportunity to explore questions, solve problems, and examine social issues from multiple perspectives.
"People trained in the Liberal Arts learn to tolerate ambiguity and to bring order out of apparent confusion. They have the kind of sideways thinking and cross-classifying habit of mind that comes from learning, among other things, the many different ways of looking at literary works, social systems, chemical processes, or languages."
- Roger Smith, former chief executive officer of General Motors.