Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts at The University of New Mexico

Honors College Bachelor of Arts Degree:

Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts

Introduction

The faculty of the University of New Mexico offers one Bachelor of Arts degree to high achieving students in the Honors College, Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts. This baccalaureate degree program provides the opportunity for students in the Honors College to develop a broad-based and flexible interdisciplinary liberal arts education similar to what many small liberal arts colleges offer. The Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts degree will provide students with a foundation in social and behavioral studies, physical and natural sciences, humanities, communications, mathematics, and fine arts and allow students to focus on a specific area of interdisciplinary study.

Students majoring in Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts will have the opportunity to discover connections among disciplines and analyze and evaluate primary and complex texts across diverse genres and styles and from different historical periods. They will do research and produce original work that integrates ideas and methods from different disciplines and learn to adapt to new environments and developing technologies. Students will be expected to have intercultural knowledge and competence and develop personal and social responsibility, including civic knowledge and engagement–local and global.

Requirements

All candidates for the Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts degree must be admitted to the Honors College and maintain a 3.5 cumulative GPA. The students will develop a program of study approved by the Honors College Degree Committee. The following are required:

1. A minimum of 120 hours is required in all curricula. Of these, at least 36 hours must be completed in courses with a UHON designation.
2. The ability to communicate in a language other than English is becoming imperative to participate and lead in today's global marketplace. Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts majors must complete 12 CH of a single non-English language or provide an equivalent proficiency document. Information about non-English language programs can be found at www.unm.edu/~fll or www.unm.edu/~spanport
3. Completion of UNM core requirements, some of which can be completed through Honors.
4. A student must choose a minor or a second major from a field of study that complements or enhances a student's area of research interest. This must be approved by the Honors College Degree Committee.
5. Students must complete the following in the Honors College: 

• 3 credit hours of UHON 121 or 122;
• A minimum of 3 credit hours of 200 level UHON courses;
• A minimum of 6 credit hours of 300 level UHON courses; and
• A minimum of 3 credit hours of 400 level UHON courses in addition to UHON 498, UHON 490 or UHON 491 needed to satisfy the honors thesis/project requirement.
• A minimum of 6 credit hours of experiential seminars as approved by the Honors College Degree Committee. International experiential programs and courses are preferred but not required.
• 6-9 credit hours of an interdisciplinary honors thesis/project (UHON 498, 490 & 491).
• 9-12 credit hour integrative honors block to be taken concurrently in one semester. The honors block must be approved by the Honors College Degree Committee and may be structured as one of the following:
• Designated Honors College International Programs 
• Theme-based courses or modules
• Research and experiential tracks 

The integrative honors block must include an integrative synthesis seminar.

1. 18 credit hours of upper division courses (300-400 levels), approved by the Associate Dean of Honors, in courses that will enrich a student's knowledge in the following:

• New environments and developing technologies; 
• Intercultural knowledge and competence; 
• Personal and social responsibility, including civic knowledge and engagement;
• Research fundamentals and methodology.