Liberal Arts

Peter Stambler

In addition to the major requirements for earning a bachelor’s degree at The University of the Arts, all undergraduate students must complete approximately one-third of their studies in the liberal arts. This requirement reflects the University’s conviction that the liberal arts are essential for the education of artists, designers, performers, and writers. The aims of the division are to develop students’ powers of critical thinking and their understanding of the history and criticism of the creative arts, to introduce them to philosophic and scientific modes of thought and to the study of human cultures and societies. In sum, we aim to refine students’ perceptions of both their inner world and the outer world and to help make them both intellectually responsible and creative. The Liberal Arts Division represents a common ground in the curriculum where students from all the colleges meet. It thus offers a unique forum for artistic and academic exchanges.

Students are expected to meet with their advisors regularly and are responsible for knowing and fulfilling their liberal arts requirements.

Transfer Credit Policy and Requirements

New Students:

The University of the Arts will accept, after review, transfer credit for liberal arts courses completed elsewhere provided that the coursework completed is deemed to be equivalent to University of the Arts offerings, is from an accredited college or university, and a grade of “C” or better was earned. Students are required to present official transcripts of courses taken at other institutions, as well as course bulletins in order for evaluation of transfer credits to take place. Contact the Office of the Registrar for further information.

Enrolled Students

While students may receive a maximum of 42 transfer credits toward the required Liberal Arts course work upon entry, they may only transfer 15 credits towards their Liberal Arts requirements once they have matriculated.  Please note that students who receive 15 transfer credits or more during the entrance process are ineligible to receive additional transfer credits once they have matriculated unless granted permission to do so by the Dean of Liberal Arts. Students who wish to take liberal arts credits at other colleges must secure prior written approval from the Dean of Liberal Arts. Such courses may not duplicate courses already taken for credit at The University of the Arts.

Credit-Hour Ratio

Liberal arts credit is earned at the ratio of 1 credit per class contact hour.

University Writing Standards

The faculty of the University have established a standard of professionalism for all formal papers written for liberal arts and studio courses.

1. Citations of any text used must be appropriately documented. The MLA and APA styles, as detailed in Diane Hacker’s A Writer’s Reference, are taught in First-Year Writing LACR 101, 102. Lack of knowledge of citation procedures will not be an acceptable explanation for plagiarism.
2. Papers must be free of consistent patterns of error in punctuation and grammar and must be spell-checked and proofread. 

3. Papers must be word-processed and printed with appropriate margins. In addition, papers must be conceptually and visually divided into paragraphs as appropriate.

Courses offered by the Division of Liberal Arts