Bachelor of Liberal Studies

The Bachelor of Liberal Studies (BLS) degree is designed for mature students seeking a broad-based education. Students are able to shape their degree plan around their interests, career goals and previous work/academic background. There are many reasons why students choose the BLS degree. The most common reasons include:

• They have earned college credits in a range of disciplines
• They seek to develop a program of study to complement their career goals
• They are interested in a true liberal arts learning experience

The Bachelor of Liberal Studies offers three concentrations: Humanities, Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies. Students must choose one of the concentrations. In addition to a concentration, students must satisfy the general curriculum core and any necessary general electives.

BLS General Curriculum Core

BLS general core consists of 35 credit hours that develop academic, critical thinking and public speaking skills. Students are asked to go beyond the scope of their concentrations and complete course work in disciplines that reflect a true liberal arts experience. Transfer courses can satisfy the BLS general curriculum core, concentrations and general electives.

BLS Concentrations

The BLS concentrations allow students to focus on disciplines of study that coincide with one of the four colleges at The University of Tampa. The humanities concentration embodies several of the disciplines under the auspices of the College of Arts and Letters and is an ideal choice for students who enjoy exploring the world of ideas and literature. The social science concentration embodies several of the disciplines under the auspices of the College of Social Sciences, Mathematics and Education. Students seeking the social science concentration are often interested in both the theoretical and practical issues pertaining to the human endeavor. For students who want to create their own learning experience, the interdisciplinary studies concentration allows students to focus on two interdisciplinary tracks. Four tracks are part of this concentration and include: fine arts, humanities, business administration and social sciences.

Prior Learning Credit

A special component of the Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree is the provision for earning prior learning credit. Students can earn a maximum of 10 semester hours of credit for verifiable expertise gained from current or previous work-related experiences. In addition, students are able to earn credits through testing programs such as CLEP and DANTES. College credits can also be applied to some military training or course work.

Contact Information

School of Continuing Studies
The University of Tampa
401 West Kennedy Blvd.
Tampa, Florida 33606

phone: 813-253-6249
toll free: 888-MINARET (646-2738)
fax: 813-258-7451
e-mail: scs@ut.edu