Applied Liberal Arts (ALA)

The Applied Liberal Arts (ALA) curriculum provides students with opportunities for big-picture learning, professional development, and community engagement that complement the specialization they get from departments.

Serving well over 1,000 students each semester, ALA provides a home for both experimental and established courses that give students the opportunity to discover intellectual and professional applications of a liberal arts education, reflect on big issues and questions that transcend specific academic disciplines, and better understand how experiences with the liberal arts have connected with their overall academic and personal development. Since these learning opportunities draw on many aspects of a liberal-arts education while going beyond the specifics of individual departments, different ALA courses differ considerably in approach and focus.

With its particular dedication to curricular innovation, flexibility, and breadth, ALA provides opportunities to hone academic and professional skill sets and think more deeply about the world in ways that are both rigorous and practical. ALA curriculum structures unique opportunities for intellectual exploration, expansive learning, personal growth, and reflective ownership of one’s education.

You can browse the complete list of current ALA offerings via the LSA Course Guide.