P R O G R A MO FL I B E R A L S T U D I E S

What is this program of Liberal Studies?
The Program of Liberal Studies is the flexible set of liberal arts requirements that forms the core of the Clark University degree. The Program of Liberal Studies consists of eight courses that can be found throughout Clark's curriculum, which are designed to ensure mastery of intellectual skills and to encourage breadth of knowledge. To meet both objectives, the program is divided into two categories:

	Critical thinking courses: Critical thinking courses are aimed at cultivating the basic competencies needed for academic success (the expression of ideas and the analysis of data).
	Perspectives courses: cover six important areas of knowledge within the liberal arts.

If I need eight courses to fulfill the program of Liberal Studies and should take four courses per semester, isn't my whole first year pretty much determined?
Not really. While we encourage you to explore the richness of the Program of Liberal Studies within your first two years, you actually have until graduation to complete the Program of Liberal Studies as well as your major.

Fulfilling many of the requirements in the first two years may help you explore a number of possible majors. In addition, many early major requirements are also part of the Program of Liberal Studies. Finally, by your junior and senior years, you will find it necessary to do intensive work in your major.

Can I be exempted from the requirements for the program of Liberal Studies?
Ordinarily, all students are required to meet these requirements at Clark. However, you may receive a waiver from the Academic Advising Center based upon college work done elsewhere or on advanced-standing credit. If you believe a course you have taken is eligible for a waiver, you may give the Academic Advising Center a copy of the course description (or syllabus) and identify the corresponding Program of Liberal Studies requirement. We will waive the requirement if your former course meets the Program of Liberal Studies criteria. A maximum of two PLS waivers may be given for advanced-standing credit.

What kind or courses am I required to take?
C R I T I C A L T H I N K I N G
You are required to take at least one course in each of the two categories: Verbal Expression (VE) and Formal Analysis (FA). These courses should be completed as soon as possible, preferably in your first year, to ensure that you will have the basic preparation for your future work.

Verbal Expression (VE): Verbal Expression courses help students develop the ability to organize and communicate ideas. Because this is a writing-across-the-curriculum program, you may find VE courses in academic departments outside of English. Based on writing placement, there are two other writing courses that may be required of students before entering the required verbal expression courses:

• English-as-a-Second-Language: Some students for whom English is not their first language may be required to take an ESL course prior to taking other writing courses.

• Expository Writing: Centered on student writing, this is a standard, first-year composition course taken by approximately half of all first-year students.

Your writing placement will be based on a writing sample, which is due June 5. If you have not done so already, complete your writing placement as soon as possible.

Formal Analysis (FA): These courses emphasize the development of the student's abilities in the areas of formal, logical or algebraic thinking. These courses can be found in mathematics and computer science, music, economics, psychology, philosophy and other departments. Students must be placed above the IDND 017 level before enrolling in an FA course.

P E R S P E C T I V E S
Perspectives courses introduce students to the ways that different disciplines or fields organize ideas. Students are required to complete one course from each of the six perspectives. Each course must be from a different department. Aesthetic Perspective (AP) courses give primary emphasis to artistic expressions of the imagination and to the perception, analysis and evaluation of aesthetic form. These courses are designed to enhance the appreciation and understanding of the arts.

Global Comparative Perspective courses introduce students to comparative analysis by exploring the cultural, political or economic aspects of human diversity around the world. They provide students with tools for analyzing human experience by examining similarities and differences in a global or international context.

Historical Perspective (HP) courses develop the capacity to understand the contemporary world in the larger framework of tradition and history. Courses focus on the problems of interpreting the past and can also deal with the relationship between past and present. All courses are broad in scope and introduce students to the ways scholars think critically about the past, present and future.

Language and Culture Perspective (LP)  courses study language as an expression of culture. A student may study a foreign language, which by its nature involves becoming oriented toward the relationship between language and culture, or an approved English-language course that deals with the same issues.

Natural Scientific Perspective (SP) courses teach the principal methods and results of the systematic study of the natural world. Courses focus on the knowledge and theoretical bases of science, as well as on the observational and experimental methods of scientific study. Courses involve a laboratory or similar component to introduce the student to the observation of natural phenomena and the nature of scientific study.

Values Perspective (VP) courses try to make sense of the moral dimension of human life, as this dimension is reflected in personal behavior, social policy and institutional structure. Courses with a Values Perspective focus on the systematic analysis of ethical issues and engage students in the formulation and reasoned evaluation of moral and ethical claims.

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