Liberal Studies

Native Dancer wearing traditional clothes by ancient rocks
Play

Build a Degree Around Your Passions

A degree in Liberal Studies is an ideal choice for self-directed learners who want to take ownership of their education by exploring their unique academic interests and career goals. Students work closely with faculty advisors to design a personalized, interdisciplinary curriculum that integrates their passions across writing, literature, history, fine arts, and other liberal arts and sciences disciplines. Through this flexible and multidisciplinary approach, students develop strong skills in synthesis and analysis, critical thinking, interdisciplinary problem solving, and communication, preparing them for a wide range of opportunities across high-demand sectors.

Pathways

Liberal Studies

BACHELOR OF ARTS

  • Work with faculty from across the University to deliver an innovative interdisciplinary degree that fosters critical thinking, provides internship opportunities, and culminates in a senior project designed to prepare students for successful entry into their careers
  • Provides strong program flexibility with options tailored to individual academic and career goals, allowing students to combine multiple disciplines and design a personalized course of study in collaboration with a faculty advisor
  • Offers asynchronous, hybrid, and fully online course options to accommodate diverse learning needs and schedules
  • This degree may be especially beneficial for students who have completed an associate degree, transferred from another university, or previously begun coursework at UAA or another institution

Whether you are seeking a broad-based, interdisciplinary program in the liberal arts and sciences or a program concentrated on Writing, Pre-Law, Religious Studies, Philosophy, or Pre-Med, Liberal Studies faculty will work closely with you to develop your unique interests into a self-designed program of study that supports your pursuit of a specific career path or prepares you for success in graduate study. Program flexibility and transfer-friendly university policies combine to make efficient degree completion for students looking to maximize academic credits earned at other institutions.

Career Opportunities
  • Advocacy
  • Commercial Fisheries
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Education
  • Federal and State Government
  • Graduate school
  • Law
  • Publishing
  • Tourism
  • Tribal Health
  • Tribal Law

Sample Undergraduate Courses:

Core Curriculum

  • Topics in Humanities
  • Topics in Social Sciences
  • Epistemology
  • Ethics
  • Indigenous Knowledges and the Sciences
  • History and Culture of Alaska Natives

Travel Courses

  • Natural History of Alaska
  • Travel: Advanced Literature and Culture

Choose from upper division courses across a variety of disciplines to create a Liberal Studies degree tailored to your interests and career goals. The possibilities are endless.

  • Alaska Native Governance
  • Environmental Studies
  • Fine Arts
  • History
  • Indigenous Studies
  • Media Studies
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Religion and Spirituality
  • Social Sciences
  • Writing and Literature

Degree Completion

128 credits minimum are required to complete the degree program. Core competencies, foundational, major, and self- determined studies are offered in a mixed format of:

  • On-campus
  • Online via synchronous learning
  • Literature
  • Philosophy
  • Religion Studies
  • Writing
  • Pre-Law
  • Pre-Med

Liberal Studies Minor

Enhance your degree with a Minor in Liberal Studies and explore a broad range of philosophical, cultural, creative, political, and Indigenous perspectives. Customize your coursework around your interests, including literature, anthropology, music, Indigenous knowledge, and more, while strengthening valuable skills in communication, critical thinking, and analysis. This flexible minor complements any major and helps prepare you for success in a wide variety of careers.

Indigenous Studies Minor

The Indigenous Studies minor complements any APU undergraduate degree by providing students with a deeper understanding of Alaska Native and Indigenous cultures, histories, and perspectives. Coursework explores topics such as the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, Indigenous Knowledges, education, and global Indigenous Studies. This minor prepares students to engage respectfully with Indigenous communities while enhancing career opportunities, particularly with Alaska Native corporations, Tribal organizations, and nonprofit employers across Alaska.

  • Application
  • Application Fee*
  • Official Final High School Transcript**
  • Official College Transcript(s)

*Fee waiver available for those who qualify
** If less than 24 college credits earned

Minimum GPA: 2.5 or higher
If you have a GPA lower than 2.5, there is an additional step in the admissions process, and we are happy to work with you to complete your application.

APPLY FLYER

Liberal Studies

MASTER OF ARTS

  • Highly flexible, low residency master’s program with an individualized, project-based approach to graduate study
  • Design a personalized interdisciplinary program with guidance from dedicated faculty mentors
  • Explore areas such as Indigenous studies, psychology, education, and other fields aligned with your goals
  • No set class times, with customized study plans developed each semester to fit your schedule
  • Ideal for working professionals balancing career, family, and community commitments

MAP is designed for professionals seeking a year-round, project-based program for personal development, career advancement, and preparation for advanced degrees. Classroom teachers and other educators choose MAP for supervised graduate work centered on problems of practice; other MAP students are creatives pursuing projects in interdisciplinary areas such as the arts, religious and spiritual studies, and Indigenous studies.

Career Opportunities

  • Higher Education & Administration (academic advisor, student affairs director, instructional coordinator, teacher)
  • Doctoral Studies
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Environmental Advocacy
  • Adventure Therapy
  • Communications & Corporate Strategy (public relations specialist, corporate communications manager, or technical writer)
  • Nonprofit & Public Sector Management (program manager, grant writer, or policy analyst)
  • Tribal Health or Tribal Government
MAP Program Structure

Research: Under the supervision of the program director and project mentor, students explore and engage with the most important ideas, theories, and practices in their chosen field of study.

Application: Under the guidance of the program director, project mentor, and faculty mentor, students apply their research findings in practical and meaningful ways.

Project Demonstrating Mastery: Students complete a capstone project that reflects their learning and makes an original contribution to their field of study under the supervision of their program and project mentors.

  • Application
  • Application Fee
  • Official Transcripts
  • Personal Statement and Study Plan
  • Samples of Work
  • Letters of Recommendation

*Fee waiver available for those who qualify.
**If less than 24 college credits earned.

Minimum GPA: 3.0 or higher – Applicants with a GPA lower than 3.0 may be considered upon review by the graduate Program Director and or Graduate Studies Committee.

APPLY PROGRAM FLYER

Alaska Native Governance

Future leaders of Alaska begin their study with seminars on Alaska Native cultures, histories, and various governance systems through which Alaska Native experiences are shaped.

LEARN MORE

Community and Place-Based Education

Gain knowledge and skills needed to run place-based educational programs in Alaska, including experiential education, Alaska Native and rural culture, outdoor skills and ethics.

LEARN MORE
APU’s Associate Professor Receives Honorable Mention at 16th Annual Conference of the Short Story in English

Creative & Professional Writing

Students are immersed in the writing experience and provided opportunities to refine their chosen genres and find their literary voice in a workshop environment.

LEARN MORE

Master of Science Outdoor & Environmental Education

Join a cohort of peers while pursuing your interest in outdoor, environmental, adventure and wilderness education in a place of unparalleled beauty.

LEARN MORE

“I was amazed at how active learning is brought immediately into the classroom. I love the focus on students.”
– Taylor Raftery, Liberal Studies

“At APU you’re with the same people – students, faculty – and you get to know each other well. Faculty could see if and when you needed help.”
– Claire Agni, Liberal Studies

Liberal Studies News

MORE
MORE NEWS

Meet Our Team

  • Shamanism students learn about the signifigance of drumming by visiting drummer in the arts room at the Atwood building.
  • woman working on snow science
  • notebook and pencil on the snow
  • two students talking in front of Atwood Center
  • Outdoor Studies hosts a 25th aniversary party at the Mlarkar House on the campus of APU in Anchorage AK.