Individualized studies in liberal arts

The Bachelor of Arts in individualized studies in liberal arts is a self-directed major that allows study in a specific field of interest. This program gives students flexibility to design a thematically aligned, interdisciplinary degree that brings together a unique combination of fields of inquiry not currently offered in the SMU curriculum. Students are invited to explore degree possibilities with the program’s director and, if the student’s plan of study has merit, the director will suggest three faculty members to serve as the student’s faculty supervisory committee. This committee will provide additional guidance in designing the program.

You should consider an individualized liberal arts degree if you are looking for an academically rigorous yet flexible path to graduation. You may be intellectually curious, socially engaged and passionate about gender equity, culture, identity and social change. This degree may be particularly attractive if you are interested in careers in advocacy, education, policy, nonprofit work or graduate study and value the ability to customize an interdisciplinary curriculum with close faculty mentorship.

Of course! You definitely can focus your degree on themes like gender, culture, identity or social change through a women’s and gender studies specialization. The individualized studies in liberal arts B.A. is self-directed, allowing you to create a personalized degree plan that taps into your interests. Through its interdisciplinary nature, the degree has flexibility built in so you can combine courses in humanities, social sciences and arts to focus on all of these themes.

Also, in addition to the rigorous curriculum, students in the women’s and gender studies curriculum benefit from on-campus support through a number of student resources, and are encouraged to earn credit and build experience through internship opportunities. Students may also apply to women’s and gender studies-specific scholarships.

The individualized studies degree is self-directed, specialized and thematically aligned around a specific field of study. Think of it as an individualized deep dive into a particular area of scholarly pursuit.

The content is very similar, but the key difference is that the individualized study aspect requires students to tailor a specialized curriculum (under faculty supervision, of course). It boasts the same academic rigor but provides an added layer of flexibility to motivated students.

Faculty mentorship is central to an individualized studies degree, most notably by the three-member faculty supervisory committee that guides the student’s individual program. This committee offers advice and oversight to ensure the degree plan meets the academic standards of the University as well as the goals of the student. These faculty members serve as mentors in the specialized fields of discipline they represent.

The beauty of an individualized studies liberal arts degree from Dedman College is that it will prepare you with the critical skills that allow you to easily adapt and thrive in many careers. Through coursework from our 16 academic departments, you can customize a degree that supports your passions. The problem-solving and critical thinking skills you develop – while pursuing concentrations in subjects important to you—make you a unique candidate for careers in advocacy, education, community development, business, public policy, nonprofit work, graduate study and more. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a great source on the wide variety of careers in liberal arts.

Some of the top roles for liberal arts graduates are listed here. Among them:

• Technical writer
• Human resources specialist
• Graphic designer
• Mediator
• Translator
• Market researcher
• Public relations specialist
• Event planner
• Social media manager
• Substance abuse counselor
• Fundraiser