BA in Liberal Studies, Arts and Literature

Develop the skills for meaningful creative expression.

Grasp a substantial understanding of an array of cross-disciplinary studies by harnessing your inner creativity and learning how to express yourself orally and physically. Whether it be through the performing arts, writing, film or another creative discipline, you will gain a critical understanding of creative expression in a historical, societal, cultural and contemporary context. We give our adult learners the tools and confidence to expand their creative capacity while also encouraging hands-on experience through internships, collaborations with local businesses, community art, and history or literary organizations

This degree is offered by AU Seattle.

Program Overview

The goal of the Arts and Literature concentration is to prepare students to work in fields such as writing, publishing, film, visual and performing arts, curating, and arts management. Arts and Literature is defined broadly to include art, theater, fiction and nonfiction writing and other forms of creative expression.

While they often choose to focus on either creative writing or the visual and performing arts, students are required to engage in cross-disciplinary studies, including a critical understanding of creative expression across and within cultures, and in historical and contemporary contexts. They are encouraged to gain hands-on experience through internships, and collaborations with local businesses or community art, history, and literary organizations.

The Arts and Literature concentration allows students the flexibility to tailor their plans of study classes to particular interests. It also prepares students for graduate studies in a variety of fields.

Customization is Key

In the BA in Liberal Studies program, each study plan is based on the student’s past experience, current needs and interests, and future goals. Students work in close collaboration with faculty advisors, instructors, and other students to shape their studies. Students build on earlier college work and on competencies learned at home, and at work, through independent reading and volunteer activities.

Degree Requirements

The Liberal Studies Bachelor’s degree requires 180 quarter credits, including a minimum of 60 upper-division credits, and a maximum of 120 lower-division credits.

Graduation requirements include:

• 7 liberal studies courses
• an internship, or other in-the-world learning experience of the student’s choosing
• at least 40 credits in the Arts and Literature Concentration
• a senior capstone project

For detailed curriculum, degree requirements, and course descriptions, please visit the AUS catalog.

Example Coursework for Concentration Requirements

• Mural Painting
• Poetry in an Age of Anxiety
• Collage & Transformation
• Crafting Short Fiction
• Socially Engaged Art
• Art of Memoir
• History of Color: Creative, Cultural & Scientific Perspectives
• Literature of Protest
• Of Hands & Earth, Soul & Fire: Creative Expressions in Clay
• Healing Narratives
• Graven Images: Art, Religion & Culture
• Writing the Anthropocene: Nature Writing in a Time of Climate Catastrophe
• Art & Rebellion
• Indigenous Voices
• Family Sagas: Intergenerational Trauma

Sample Community-Based Learning Experiences

• Designed original logos and set up a website for a start-up
• Work with nonprofits to create art, theatre and dance programs in local schools.

Sample Synthesis Projects

• Curated an art show
• Completed the first draft of a science fiction novel
• Staged reading of one act of an original play
• Painted a series of portraits