Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies program is an innovative alternative degree program designed to provide subject matter preparation for prospective elementary school and special education teachers. The program offers a major in liberal studies. It accommodates experienced adult students, many of whom are working in classrooms as para-educators, and draws upon their rich experiences in school settings.
Many adult students have developed skills or expertise at the workplace, at home, or in other venues. Some of those experiences may translate into prior learning credit (PLA). A maximum of 30 credits may be earned through Prior Learning Assessment (PLA).
Organized to capture the essence of an integrated curriculum and capitalize on the students’ work/classroom experiences, the LIBS program aims to give students a secure background in the liberal arts and sciences that is firmly fixed in the concepts of human behavior and social issues. As part of the preparation of elementary school and special education teachers, the program utilizes the California State Curriculum Frameworks and Model Standards, providing integrated courses in language arts, math, science, art, music, and social science that focus on K–8 content while demonstrating exemplary teaching methods.
The program has the potential to meet the following explicit needs:
- The need for qualified, credentialed elementary school and special education teachers in California
- The need for minority teachers and minority role models in area schools
- The need for stability in the classrooms of the local community
- The need to encourage qualified interested members of other professions to consider the teaching profession a viable career change
Program Learning Outcomes (PLO) for the B.A. Degree in Liberal Studies
Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies program will be able to:
- PLO 1: Demonstrate subject matter competency in major subject areas (Language Arts, Math, Science, Art, Physical Education, Human Development, History) in educational contexts.
- PLO 2: Demonstrate a commitment to professional development, research, and life-long learning.
- PLO 3: Analyze problems representing a variety of perspectives through skillful written communication.
- PLO 4: Demonstrate effective oral communication skills.
- PLO 5: Demonstrate the ability to integrate biblical concepts and principles in the role of teacher, including the ethical implications of working with children in a classroom setting.
- PLO 6: Create unit and lesson plans aligned to content standards and objectives, and scaffolded to reflect student learning needs and background characteristics.
The Los Angeles Pacific University Core comprises the General Education requirements and the LAPU Distinctives. Students are encouraged to complete the Core before beginning their major requirements. General Education requirements may be met by transfer work. The LAPU Distinctives are required for all undergraduate degrees at LAPU.
| Requirement | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 25 | |
| LAPU Distinctives | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 34 | |
General Education
| Requirement | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| English Communication | ||
| COMM 105 | Public Communication | 3 |
| ENGL 105 | Introduction to Academic Research and Writing | 3 |
| Arts and Humanities | ||
| ARTS 110 | Introduction to Art | 3 |
| Humanities | ||
| ENGL 115 | Introduction to Literature | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| MATH 125 | College Algebra 1 | 3 |
| Behavioral Sciences | ||
| ECON 203 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| or PSYC 105 | Introduction to Psychology | |
| Social Sciences | ||
| HIST 202 | World Civilizations | 3 |
| Physical and Biological Sciences | ||
| BIOL 105 | General Biology/Lab | 4 |
| or BIOL 230 | Anatomy and Physiology I/Lab | |
| or CHEM 115 | Chemistry for Health Sciences/Lab | |
| or NSCI 150 | Introduction to Astronomy/Lab | |
| Total Credits | 25 | |
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MATH 105 or STAT 280 will also fulfill Quantitative Reasoning, but B.A. Liberal Arts students are strongly encouraged to complete MATH 125.
LAPU Distinctives
| Requirement | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIBL 100 | Introduction to Biblical Literature: Exodus/Deuteronomy | 3 |
| BIBL 230 | Introduction to Biblical Literature: Luke/Acts | 3 |
| ISTU 101 | Success in the University 1 | 3 |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
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Must be taken at LAPU.
To earn the Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies, students must complete the following degree components:
| Requirement | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core 1 | 31 | |
| LIBS Major requirements | 42 | |
| Electives | 47 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
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34 credits total; Three credits are counted below in Liberal Studies Major Requirements.
In order to earn the Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies, students must complete the following required courses while achieving a minimum cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 2.0 in their major courses. Any students that are planning to use the LIBS degree to fulfill the Subject Matter Requirements for a CA Teaching Credential, must earn a C or better in all the courses listed below. This is a California Teaching Commission (CTC) requirement.
| Requirement | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| Core Requirement 1 | 31 | |
| Major Requirements | ||
| ARTS 400 | Visual Arts for the Elementary Teacher | 3 |
| ARTS 410 | Performing Arts for the Elementary Teacher | 3 |
| EDUC 300 | Introduction to Elementary Education | 3 |
| EDUC 310 | Human Growth and Development for Educators | 3 |
| EDUC 410 | P.E., Health, and Safety for Elementary Teachers | 3 |
| ENGL 420 | Principles of Language | 3 |
| ENGL 450 | Children's Literature | 3 |
| HIST 202 | World Civilizations | 3 |
| HIST 420 | United States History and the Constitution | 3 |
| HIST 440 | California History | 3 |
| MATH 301 | Math for the Elementary Teacher I | 3 |
| MATH 302 | Math for the Elementary Teacher II | 3 |
| NSCI 301 | Life Science | 3 |
| NSCI 325 | Physical, Earth, and Space Sciences | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Electives Requirement 2 | 47 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
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Three credits of the 34-credit Core are fulfilled within the Liberal Studies Major Requirements.
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Students may choose from any course in the catalog. If students wish to complete a concentration, they may complete a maximum of two concentrations.
Students may also earn up to 30 credits of electives via Prior Learning Assessment (PLA).
The Multiple Subject Teaching Credential course sequence can be taken as an embedded component of the Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies or as a 36-credit standalone post-baccalaureate credential. This credential program is only open to California residents as the Clinical Practice must take place in a California public school.
When embedded into the Bachelor of Arts degree program in Liberal Studies, completing the Multiple Subject Teaching Credential courses reduces the elective credits needed for the degree from 47 to 11 credits. Students in the embedded program must earn a C or better grade in all subject-matter coursework (major courses). Students must also maintain a 3.0 GPA in the credential program coursework, and have no grades below C- and no more than three grades below a B- in the credential program coursework (500-level courses). Students must have a 3.0 GPA to begin the Clinical Practice semester.
500-level courses carry graduate credit.
Subject Matter Competence requirements must be met 90 days prior to the start of the Clinical Practice semester.
Completion of coursework requirements does not guarantee completion of the Preliminary Multiple Subject Credential.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLO) for the Multiple Subject Teaching Credential
Candidates who successfully complete the Multiple Subject Teaching Credential program will be able to:
- Integrate perspectives of diversity and learning needs into a teaching philosophy and classroom practices, in order to demonstrate cultural responsiveness.
- Articulate a philosophy of education, based on current research in cognitive, physical, socio-emotional, behavioral, and spiritual development.
- Design assessment plans that reflect evaluative best practices and contain a variety of assessments (formative, summative, informal, and formal).
- Demonstrate competency in differentiating instruction, including accommodations and modifications, based on the learning needs of individual and groups of students.
- Design a classroom management strategy, including routines and procedures, expectations for behavior and achievement, and a plan for progressive discipline.
Requirements for Multiple Subject Teaching Credential
The same requirements apply if taken as an embedded component of the Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies.
The following must be completed before registration for Program Requirement courses:
- Proof of Certificate of Clearance (COC). Students are encouraged to begin this step as soon as possible to allow for processing by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
- Proof of the Basic Skills Requirement (refer to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing for options).
- Proof of subject matter preparation or proof of paid registration for the next appropriate California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) Multiple Subjects administration. Students enrolled in the embedded Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies/Credential program (BALBC) must complete all Liberal Studies major coursework before enrolling in any 500-level EDUC courses.
The following must be completed before the Clinical Practice semester:
- For Fall student-teaching placements, non-LAPU courses and official transcripts must be completed and submitted no later than July 10. Final coursework requirements taken at LAPU must be completed by the end of the Summer 2 session.
- For Spring student-teaching placements, all non-LAPU courses and official transcripts must be completed and submitted no later than November 1. Final coursework requirements taken at LAPU must be completed by the end of the Fall 2 session.
- For intern-teaching placements, all requirements per CTC regulations must be completed and all documentation/transcripts on file no later than July 10 for Fall positions and November 1 for Spring positions. Intern-teaching placements can only take place if the student has been offered a contract as the teacher of record in a TK-6 public school where they are teaching all of the core subjects.
- Students must have a 3.0 GPA to begin the Clinical Practice semester.
CA TPA Cycles 1 and 2 should be passed by the end of the Clinical Practice semester. Candidates who do not pass both cycles of the TPA's may be required to enroll in a TPA support course (EDUC 595). A candidate cannot be recommended for the Preliminary Multiple Subject Credential until both cycles are passed.
Candidates must finish all requirements for the Preliminary Multiple Subject Credential no later than seven years from the start of their first 500-level EDUC course.
Program Requisite
| Requirement | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 420 | United States History and the Constitution 1 | 3 |
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Also fulfills a requirement for the Liberal Studies major. Must be passed with a C or better grade. Must be completed prior to enrollment in EDUC 580, EDUC 581 or EDUC 582, and EDUC 590, EDUC 591 or EDUC 592.
Program Requirements
| Requirement | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 501 | Introduction to Teaching and Learning | 3 |
| EDUC 505 | Diversity and Inclusive Schooling | 3 |
| EDUC 515 | Learning Theory and Instructional Strategies | 3 |
| EDUC 530 | Methods in Teaching Language and Literacy (TK-6) I | 3 |
| EDUC 535 | Methods in Teaching Language and Literacy (TK-6) II | 3 |
| EDUC 550 | Methods in Teaching Arts and Social Sciences (TK-6) | 3 |
| EDUC 560 | Methods in Teaching Mathematics (TK-6) | 3 |
| EDUC 570 | Methods in Teaching the Sciences (TK-6) | 3 |
| EDUC 580 | Teaching Practicum I - Elementary 2 | 3 |
| EDUC 581 | Student Teaching I - Multiple Subjects 2 | 3 |
| or EDUC 582 | Intern Teaching I - Multiple Subjects | |
| EDUC 590 | Teaching Practicum Seminar II - Elementary 2 | 3 |
| EDUC 591 | Student Teaching II - Multiple Subjects 2 | 3 |
| or EDUC 592 | Intern Teaching II - Multiple Subjects | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |