BA in Liberal Studies, Leadership for Service and Change

Lead positive change in your community.

Change does not happen organically. It happens when ambitious leaders like yourself take charge and influence service for the common good. Our Leadership for Service and Change degree prepares adult learners to lead societal advancements in their community that positively impact all cultures, ethnic groups and citizens. By observing our communities with a culturally encompassing lens, we can inspire change that takes into account the context of circumstances faced by people from all walks of life.

This degree is offered by AU Online.

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, Leadership for Service & Change prepares committed individuals for lives of engagement in social justice work within local or global contexts. The goal of this interdisciplinary program is to prepare organizers, advocates, and changemakers who understand self, their communities and the forces that disadvantage certain groups and individuals within those communities, in order to provide leadership for the common good.

Course work includes theory, applied, and experiential learning designed to broaden understanding of the issues having an impact on individuals, their communities and the environments in which they exist, and to develop skills and strategies for action leading to positive change within them.

This degree will be especially relevant to those who have an interest in advocacy and community organizing related to racial, economic, and environmental justice issues in their own communities, or who wish to serve as change agents with more global perspectives. Individuals with associate degrees or with at least two years of undergraduate study in majors such as Human Services, International/Global Relations or Liberal Studies, are ideally positioned to enter the program. Students with a history of service, for example, with AmeriCorps or other volunteer organization, may wish to document this prior learning experience and submit it for evaluation as college-level elective credit or as fulfilling the required service learning course within the focus area.

Degree Requirements

Program Length:

Students who enter this program with an associate’s degree or equivalent can complete this online liberal arts degree program in as few as 20 months.

Requirements:

Requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree through Antioch University Connected include a total of 120 semester credit hours, including 54 credits of coursework for the Leadership for Service and Change degree.

Coursework:

Interdisciplinary Core Courses:

• Experience and Expression
• Modes and Methods of Learning
• Literary Analysis and Argumentation
• Culture, Conflict, and Social Research
• Foundations of Civilization
• Ecology, Technology, and Society

Leadership for Service and Change Concentration (36 credits):

• Professional Core Curriculum
  • Leadership
  • Senior Project
  • Intercultural Competence
  • Social Media & Social Change
  • Understanding Conflict in a Changing World
  • Systems Thinking
• Seminars
  • Reflective Practice
  • Community Engagement
  • Personal & Professional Development
• Focus Areas (Students will select one focus area and complete 5 courses). Focus Areas include:
  • Domestic Service
  • International Service
  • Agriculture
  • Community Economic Development
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Youth in Development

Career Outlook

Graduates of the program may go on to graduate study in their focus area disciplines, or may seek varied career pathways in local or grassroots community organizations in roles that include executive director, communications director, or youth mentor, (from the National People’s Action website). Those with a global interest may prepare for work internationally as Peace Corps volunteers, USAID or United Nations Development Programme staff, or NGO employees.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program students will be able to:

• Identify, analyze, and address ways in which oppression, privilege, discrimination, and social and economic inequalities and injustices have impacts on self, individuals, communities, and the environment
• Engage in critical thinking and ethical decision-making and action while considering individual, organizational, and societal implications of policies and programs
• Develop innovative approaches and leadership strategies for addressing a range of critical social change issues, locally and globally

Additional Information

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