Bachelor of Arts
BA in Liberal Studies, Spiritual Studies
Awaken your spirituality. Serve the world’s spiritual needs.
The Spiritual Studies concentration is designed for those students whose main concern is the study of religious traditions and how to live a spiritual life. Special emphasis is given to the study of the psyche and how to connect the interior life of the soul to the needs of the world through “engaged” or “incarnational” spirituality. Classes approach the sacred with an attitude of “deep ecumenism” in which all religious and spiritual traditions are welcome as long as they acknowledge the element of mystery that resides in the heart of the divine. This degree is offered by AU Seattle.
Program Overview
This Spiritual Studies concentration is designed for those students whose main concern is the study of the human psyche, the study of religious traditions, and how to live a spiritual life. It is well suited for students who wish to continue a path into the helping professions, who wish to ground their politics in a spiritual context, as well as those who seek to deepen their own spiritual life. Special emphasis is given in both class work and in field-based learning to connect the interior life of the soul to the needs of the world through ‘engaged’ or ‘incarnational’ spirituality. All classes approach the sacred with an attitude of ‘deep ecumenism’ in which all religious and spiritual traditions are welcome, as long as they acknowledge the element of mystery that resides in the heart of the divine.
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 Spiritual Studies concentration
- a senior capstone project
For detailed curriculum, degree requirements, and course descriptions, please visit the AUS catalog.
Example Coursework for Concentration Requirements
- Modernity & the Search for Meaning
- Wisdom of the Psyche: Depth Psychology Perspectives
- Zen & Taoism
- Hinduism: Embracing Multiplicity and Paradox
- Buddhism’s Myths, Magic & Mystics
- Eco-Spirituality
- Psychology & Spirituality
- Cultivating Gratitude
- Shadow & the World Soul
- Ceremonial Design and Sacred Time
- Practicing Self-Compassion
- Graven Images: Art, Religion & Culture
- Pilgrimage: Walking with Intention
- When a Community Weeps
Sample Community-Based Learning Experiences
- Internship with a youth rites-of-passage program
- Create and implement a workshop on Right Livelihood
- Lead a meditation group in a prison
- Apprentice in a hospice care program or nursing home
Sample Synthesis Projects
- Write an essay on the spiritual foundations of addiction
- Present a workshop on spirituality and social change
- Go on a vision quest or pilgrimage and write about the experience
- Analyze world events from an Archetypal perspective
- Exhibit a series of paintings based on dreams
Admissions / Cost / Aid
Admissions
How to Apply:
Antioch University Seattle offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies through a degree completion program. All applicants to the BA program must have completed at least 36 quarter or 24 semester units to be eligible for admission. A combined minimum of one full-time year of college credit is required; however, AUS will transfer up to the equivalent of three full-time years (80 semester units/135 quarter units if at least 15 credits are upper division).
- Complete the online admissions application.
- Submit official transcripts from ALL colleges/universities you have attended to the Admissions Office. Transcript evaluations are required for all coursework completed outside of the U.S. or Canada (except Quebec). See Transcript Evaluation section on International Students webpage for details.
- Submit a short essay (two-three pages; approximately 500 words) that addresses why you would like to finish your bachelor’s degree at Antioch University Seattle.
- International Students have additional admission requirements. See International Students page for details.
Application Deadlines:
| Quarter | Application Deadline* | Start Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | March 15 | April 1 |
| Summer | June 15 | July 1 |
| Fall | September 15 | October 2 |
| Winter | December 15 | January 2 |
| *Complete applications received after the Deadline date may be considered if space is still available in that quarter or will be reviewed for the next available term. | ||
- College courses taken at a U.S. college or university (with a final grade of ‘C’ or better, or pass if taken as pass/no pass)
- College Board Advanced Placement exams (a score of 3 or higher)
- CLEP credit (a score of 50)
- International coursework (university, college, upper-secondary/gymnasium) that is assessed to be equivalent to college credit earned at a regionally accredited U.S. college/university (with a final grade of ‘C’ or better, or pass if taken as pass/no pass) by an external transcript evaluation agency.
Antioch University Seattle Admissions Office 2400 Third Avenue, Suite 200 Seattle, WA 98121 [email protected] LEARN MORE ABOUT ADMISSION
Cost
| Per quarter unit | $535 |
| View the Cost of Attendance Components | |
Financial Aid
A majority of AUS students finance their education through some form of financial aid. You may not be sure which federal, state, public and private aid packages – such as loans, scholarships, and grants—are right for you. Our staff is here to help you, so you can focus on what’s most important: beginning your academic program at AUS. LEARN MORE ABOUT AID