Major in Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts

Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts
Clark Building, Room C 124
(970) 491-5421
cla_ilamajor@Mail.colostate.edu
libartsmajor.colostate.edu

Kevin Foskin, Director

The Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts major is a flexible, customizable bachelor of arts degree that helps you become a sharp thinker, a creative problem‑solver, and someone who understands people and cultures. Think of it as a major for curious minds who don’t want to be boxed in to one discipline. Here, you’ll design your own path. You get to choose the courses that spark your interest across the humanities, social sciences, and visual or performing arts. Along the way, you’ll build standout skills in communication, critical thinking, and problem‑solving—the kind of skills employers want in nearly every career out there. This major is intentionally flexible, adaptive, and open‑ended, so it grows and changes right along with you. The world is always evolving, and this degree is built to help you thrive in today’s fast‑moving job landscape—whether that’s a career that already exists or one that hasn’t been invented yet. 

To take your experience even further, every Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts student also picks a second area of study. That could be a minor, a second major, or 21 credits of a language (with at least 6 upper‑division). It’s all about adding depth, focus, and even more career options to your toolkit. In short: this major gives you room to build the future you want.

Graduates of the Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts program use their education to thrive in an impressive range of fields such as public policy, politics, healthcare, artistic production, mass media, engineering, law, city planning, business, information systems, international business, journalism, publishing, education, sales and marketing, management and administration, government, communications, museum work, entertainment, foreign service, and many more. Many also choose to continue their studies in graduate or professional programs to deepen their expertise.

To further expand their career, academic, and professional possibilities, Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts majors have access to a broad selection of internships, practicums, and study abroad opportunities. These experiences help students apply their interdisciplinary training in real‑world settings and build the kind of adaptable, future‑focused skill set that employers and graduate schools value.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

1. Think analytically and follow lines of thinking in both fact-based argumentation and problem-solving.
2. Know and utilize multiple ways of seeing for the purpose of productively living and affecting positive change in the world.
3. Write and speak clearly and persuasively in both traditional and emerging (digital) platforms.
4. Summarize and communicate information in a variety of traditional and emerging information sharing formats.
5. Practice humility, tolerance, and self-criticism and use each to further the fostering of free and flourishing communities and environments, both locally and globally.
6. Understand how to work successfully and collaboratively with a variety of disciplinary perspectives and expertise, and to use this integrative ability to get things done.
7. Empathize with others and act responsibly and collaboratively in ongoing efforts to ensure a better social, political, cultural, and environmental world.
8. Master cultural understanding and sensitivity in the context of informed citizenry, premised on responsible social, democratic, and environmental stewardship locally, nationally, and internationally.

Career Skills

Students will acquire the following career skills:

• critical thinking and problem-solving
• research, fact-based persuasion
• communication proficiency
• media | digital Information competency
• quantitative reasoning
• integrative thinking
• humanistic & cultural understanding
• interdisciplinary awareness
• creative design
• cooperative agency

Accelerated Program

The major in Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts includes an accelerated program option for students to graduate on a faster schedule. Accelerated Programs typically include 15-16 credits each fall and spring semester for three years, plus 6-9 credits over two to three summer sessions. Students who enter CSU with prior credit (AP, IB, transfer, etc.) may use applicable courses to further accelerate their graduation. Visit the Office of the Provost website for additional information about Accelerated Programs.

Potential Occupations

Graduates in Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts apply their education in a wide variety of careers--existing and forthcoming--and/or academic professions, including public policy, politics, healthcare, artistic production, mass media, engineering, law, city planning, business, information systems, international business, journalism, publishing, education, sales and marketing, management and administration, government, communications, museum work, entertainment, foreign service, and many others. Many also continue on to graduate or professional schools for more specialized study. To enhance their career, academic or professional opportunities, the Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts majors can take advantage of the widest variety of internships, professional practicums, and/or study abroad opportunities of any undergraduate degree on campus. 

Change of Major

To change your major, you can either call the College of Liberal Arts Academic Advising Center at 970-491-3117, or email cla_advising@colostate.edu. More information is available on the College of Liberal Arts Academic Advising Center website.

 Distinctive Requirements for Degree Program:

Second Field Requirement

Students in the Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts major must complete one of the following choices:

• A minor
• An interdisciplinary minor
• A second major
• 21 credits in a single language to include at least 6 upper-division (300- to 400-level) credits. At least 6 upper-division credits in this choice must be completed at CSU. (Completion of this choice is not transcripted.)