Liberal Studies
Department Affiliation: Education
The Liberal Studies major is an integrative program of study designed specifically for students seeking a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential authorizing them to teach in California elementary schools. Students are concurrently enrolled in the Liberal Studies major and the Elementary Teacher Preparation program. (See Education.) This rigorous and intellectually stimulating major is designed to:
• Prepare teachers who know subject matter in the liberal arts and sciences and who demonstrate understanding and appreciation of the diverse fields of human endeavor.
• Enable future teachers to see relationships between subject matter content and the ways subject matter is developed, learned, and taught.
• Assist future teachers in learning specified content in the major areas of study (see Major Requirements).
• Help future teachers acquire the skills needed to transfer their knowledge to real-life applications in elementary classrooms.
Students in the major explore areas of learning as active participants; they acquire a variety of skills and techniques, reflect on the learning process, and take responsibility for their role in it. Key themes treated within the major are diverse perspectives and equity, and leadership. Students are guided to see their preparation through the lens of social justice.
The General Education program at the Mount is known as LACE (Liberal Arts Core Education). Some required courses double-count for both LACE and the Liberal Studies major. Advisor guidance is essential for appropriate course selection and sequencing,
To be eligible for acceptance into the Liberal Studies major as part of a concurrent program of teacher preparation, applicants must have achieved a minimum grade point average of 2.5 (C+) in high school and in any previous college coursework. At the discretion of the program director, students pursuing the Liberal Studies major may be assigned course credit for Advanced Placement Scores of 3, as well as of 4 or 5, in subject areas that fulfill requirements for the major.
Students who change their professional goals and do not pursue a teaching credential concurrently with the B.A. degree may continue in the Liberal Studies. In these instances course requirements may vary with the approval of the program director. Depending on career goals, students are encouraged to double major or minor in an area of interest. Ordinarily, in these instances, a change of major from Liberal Studies to another area of the liberal arts is recommended.
EDU 101 and EDU 102 serve as the capstone experience for the liberal studies major and, therefore, are required for all majors, including those who withdraw from the concurrent program of teacher preparation.
MSMU does not do equivalency evaluations of academic preparation programs or courses completed by candidates from other colleges or universities.
To become a teacher in California requires professional and academic preparation. Professional Preparation occurs through the Elementary Teacher Preparation Program. (See Education.) The Liberal Studies major (LST) is designed to meet requirements for the academic preparation program, known as the Elementary Subject Matter (ESM) Program. Students interested in this option follow a strictly prescribed program of study in order to meet the Mount’s state-approved course requirements and to have a notation to that effect posted on their transcripts concurrent with the completion of the B.A. Degree. The academic preparation requirement, also known as the subject matter competency may be met by passing scores on three sub-tests included in the California Subject Matter Examinations for Teachers (CSET): Multiple Subjects. A transcript-posted B.A. degree in Liberal Studies suffices to verify the subject matter competence requirement for eligibility for supervised teaching and application for the Multiple Subject Credential (as per A.B. 130, effective July 9, 2021).
Contact the advisor of the Liberal Studies major with questions about meeting requirements for the Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. California legislation and regulations regarding credential requirements are subject to change and supersede MSMU catalog policies and department procedures regarding them.