LS - Liberal Studies

LS 101US Interdisciplinary Ways of Knowing: 3 Credits (3 Other)

Introduction to the processes of academic inquiry through examination of topics in disciplines encompassed by the Fine Arts, Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences.

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Analyze main ideas and supporting evidence presented in written texts and oral presentations
Evaluate diverse points of view when forming and supporting their own ideas
Prepare and present an oral presentation (or evaluate an online presentation)
Demonstrate critical and creative thinking in written communication

LS 102 Intro Liberal Studies: 1 Credits (1 Other)

PREREQUISITE: University Seminar (US Course) or consent of instructor. An introduction to the history and philosophy of liberal education and a review of the Fine Arts, Humanities, Social and Natural Science disciplines. The LS degree components and options will be explained, as will career opportunities

LS 103 Gateway to Sustainability: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

This course introduces students to the historical and philosophical background of sustainability, while acquainting them with the economic, scientific, and regulatory environments within which conversations about sustainability occur. It arms students with the theoretical, methodological, and political tools to begin envisioning a sustainable future for Earth’s inhabitants.

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Skill sets: Develop the skills to think historically by viewing present economic systems, ecological sciences, human health assumptions, and environmental philosophies as a product of past decisions and events. Think critically by evaluating economic systems, legal and regulatory regimes, ecological sciences, and environmentalist thinking in light of their successes and failures to achieve the goal of sustainability. Read strategically and write logically and coherently through paper assignments that stress the mechanics of effective analytical writing. Learn to present complex ideas orally, specifically ones born from interdisciplinary thinking. Content: Become familiarized with sustainability as a concept and as a field of study. Learn about specific case studies of threatened resources, such as water and energy. Learn to articulate the key features of a sustainable place for humans on Earth through final presentations.   Become skilled at working in group settings through final sustainability project.

LS 104CS Introduction to Global Health: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

(F) This course will introduce the core concepts, principles and functions of global health. It will provide an overview of health determinants, methods for measuring population health and trends in global health and disease. The course will examine how sociocultural, educational, nutritional, environmental, economic and political factors influence the global patterns of disease and health inequities – including both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Finally, the course will discuss key actors working together to improve global health, and career areas in this field. All majors welcome, no pre-requisites.

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Identify and apply the core principles and priorities in global health to global and local communities.
Examine how sources of our own identities and backgrounds can impact our views on global health, how we interact with global health topics as a global citizen, and how we can utilize this knowledge for solution-forward action.
Identify and explain a hot topic within the global health field that includes its impact, current events, and possible solutions, considering political, financial, and logistical challenges.
Utilize real world examples of global health realities and issues. Evaluate various approaches to improvement.
Research a global health issue of interest and develop informed and convincing arguments to support your proposed actions.

LS 191 Special Topics: 1-4 Credits (1-4 Lec, 1-4 Lab)

Repeatable up to 12 credits.

LS 194D Introduction to Africana Studies: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

(F, Sp) An introduction to the study of Africa and the African diaspora. Students will learn the basic concepts and literatures of Africana studies from forced migration to resettlement in new homelands.

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Identify the significance of racial identities in modernizing processes – housing, land ownership, transportation, democratic governance, communications technologies, and others.
Evaluate the role that ideas of blackness play into exclusionary practices related to peoples of African descent.
Analyze the strategies used by members of black communities to struggle against oppression and inequality in four separate modern-nation contexts.
Understand sources of identities, their own and others, and how identities, particularly black identities, influence civic values, assumptions, responsibilities and community engagement.
Use written, spoken, and visual communication to create meaning, build relationships, foster understanding, and persuade others. This will be exemplified in final project presentations as well as in class discussions.
Apply knowledge of diverse cultures, histories, values, or conflicts that have shaped the US and other world societies to better understand current events, US democratic and other global political institutions, or social life.

LS 290R Undergraduate Research: 1-6 Credits (1-6 Other)

Directed undergraduate research/creative activity which may culminate in a written work or other creative project. Course will address responsible conduct of research. May be repeated.
Repeatable up to 99 credits.

LS 291 Special Topics: 1-4 Credits (1-4 Lec)

Course prerequisites are determined depending on content of each offering.
Repeatable up to 12 credits.

LS 301 Integrative Seminar: 1-3 Credits (1-3 Other)

PREREQUISITE: University Seminar and sophomore standing. The integration of knowledge, theories, and concepts across different disciplines in the Fine Arts, Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences
Repeatable up to 9 credits.

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As a result of reading, discussion, writing a daily reading response, and writing of one longer paper, students will improve 1) their understanding of the breadth and complexity of views on religion that are held by a wide range of well-known scientists, 2) their ability to engage in an open-minded and in-depth discussion of complex and sensitive issues, and 3) their ability to compare, synthesize, and articulate the ideas of different scientists.

LS 305 Ways of Seeing: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

This course will provide students with the knowledge and the perspectives of different disciplines involved in experiencing, contextualizing, and contemplating works of art. Students will analyze and discuss the theories of aesthetics and ways of seeing in order to grasp the important role the visual arts have in the global society.

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Gain an understanding of how to look at and understand art. Use appropriate vocabulary to describe the experience of looking at and understanding art.
Apply the lenses of art and art history to daily life. Discuss the intersections between course content and the way you see and understand the world. ;
Analyze and compare different approaches to understanding art. Use different theoretical concepts to deconstruct visual media.
Synthesize new ideas about seeing. Effectively communicate those ideas in a variety of formats (written, visual, oral)

LS 335IH Food, War, and Migration: Eating Across Cultures in an Age of Turmoil: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: WRIT 101W or HSTA 101IH or AMST 101D. (Sp) Food, War, and Migration: Eating Across Cultures in an Age of Turmoil explores the ways that humans use food to bring stability and connection in the midst of cultural trauma. A fully online course, LS 335 examines human movement around the globe and across time and documents the compelling culinary drama of evolving food cultures. Interdisciplinary in nature, the class covers a panoply of topics from national identity to ecoscapes, from flavor profiles to ancient methods of food preservation

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Analyze elements of world history, American history, and popular culture from multiple viewpoints to understand how different perspectives shape the understanding of historical events and cultural phenomena.
Apply inter- and cross-disciplinary research methods to investigate complex social issues, ideas and methodologies across different fields and time periods.
Identify and analyze various stakeholders involved in multi-faceted challenges within human communities and how different groups contribute to and are affected by social issues.
Formulate questions about elements of human culture in relationship to foodways, migration, and human thriving by applying varied theoretical frameworks to develop deeper analytical skills.
Evaluate varied sources and narratives of human experience, comparing different types of evidence and assessing their reliability and relevance to research questions.
Integrate multiple conflicting perspectives while investigating resources and narratives of human experience.
Interpret varied sources in order to develop the ability to ask questions of relevant sources and of the self.

LS 350 Literature Reviews: Theory & Practice: 3 Credits (3 Other)

PREREQUISITE: WRIT 101 This interdisciplinary course examines scholarly information resources, literature review processes, and effective techniques for tracking citations. Covers advanced literature research methodologies and prepares students for reading and creating literature reviews for their capstones, senior projects, and other in-depth research endeavors

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Demonstrate knowledge and use of scholarly literature sources in their discipline
Successfully develop and apply search strategies in appropriate scholarly databases
Differentiate among resource types and choose the most appropriate for the research topic
Effectively manage citations using a bibliographic management program
Demonstrate knowledge of the disciplinary information structure (flow of information, type of publications, dissemination methods)
Distinguish narrative and systematic literature reviews and a meta analysis, and be able to write a narrative literature review
Apply legal and ethical standards in their use of information. (Ex: plagiarism; falsifying results; protecting their copyright, open access)

LS 391 Special Topics: 1-4 Credits (1-4 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: Course prerequisites are determined depending on content of each offering. Courses not required in any curriculum for which there is a particular one-time need or given on a trial basis to determine acceptability and demand before requesting a regular course number
Repeatable up to 12 credits.

LS 398 Internship: Supervised Professional Experience with Faculty Mentor: 3 Credits (3 Other)

(F, Sp, Su) A structured work-based learning opportunity that connects academic coursework with hands-on professional practice in disciplines including environmental studies, sustainability, global health, or another option in the Liberal Studies program. These experiences feature specific project assignments, measurable learning objectives, ongoing guidance from workplace mentor and faculty member, and regular assessment checkpoints and outcomes.

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Apply specific content skills, concepts, and methods from field in internship.
Analyze connections between field and internship experiences, synthesizing discipline-specific challenges with practical applications.
Create clear, compelling oral and written final project that focuses on professional strengths and interests within discipline.
Formulate meaningful research questions to analyze personal and professional interests, with evidence-based solutions.

LS 402 From the Closet to the Courts: Contraception Through the Ages: 3 Credits ()

PREREQUISITE: WRIT 101 or AMST 101 or LS 101 are recommended and/or consent of instructor. Attempts to control fertility date back to the dawn of human civilization. This class looks at the history of contraception, examines the social and cultural factors underlying changes in reproductive technologies, and charts the visual expression of fertility through art

LS 411 Sustainable Cities: 3 Credits (3 Other)

This course will investigate the theory, politics, ethics, and practice of sustainable urban design. As environmental degradation and urban sprawl continue to affect our cities, our communities, and our health, it is ever more important that responsible citizens be knowledgeable about the intersections of urban development and nature.

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Define sustainable cities.
Describe and summarize how sustainable urban infrastructure is designed and implemented.
Compare different approaches to sustainable urban design.
Identify policies that make cities greener.
Apply methodological approaches to case studies and argue for or against policies.
Synthesize course materials to develop a policy proposal for Bozeman and/or MSU.

LS 450 Evolution and Public Opinion: 3 Credits (1 Lec, 2 Other)

This course will explore what evolution is and how it works. We will examine the creationist and Intelligent Design arguments against evolution, as well as the implications of this debate on public education and the public perception of science.

LS 451 Film, Photos, and Culture: A Global Perspective: 3 Credits (3 Other)

This course is designed to improve student’s intercultural competence – the ability to work effectively with cultural difference. Films, television, TEDs and photos are used to identify and analyze the differing dimensions of global culture, and to learn various methods of adaptation.

LS 452 This is Your Brain on Art and Music: 3 Credits (3 Other)

This course will also discuss the neurological effects as well as the emotional effects that art and music have on human beings. In addition to this, it will also discuss the alleged healing properties of art and music (i.e. music therapy, art therapy).

LS 460 Teaching Internship: 2 Credits (2 Other)

PREREQUISITE: US core and consent of instructor. As co-facilitators of a section of LS 101US, students will acquire and have the opportunity to practice classroom teaching strategies and mentoring skills
Repeatable up to 4 credits.

LS 491 Special Topics:: 1-4 Credits (1-4 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: Course prerequisites are dependent on the offering. Courses not required in any curriculum for which there is a particular one-time need or given on a trial basis to determine acceptability and demand before requesting a regular course number
Repeatable up to 12 credits.

LS 492 Independent Study: 1-3 Credits (1-3 Other)

Directed research and study on an individual basis.
Repeatable up to 6 credits.

LS 499R Senior Capstone: 4 Credits (4 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: LS 101US
COREQUISITE: LS 350. (F, Sp) Liberal Studies majors will engage in interdisciplinary research and writing methods, using appropriate bibliographical tools and in light of contemporary fields such as environmental studies, global multicultural studies or traditional liberal arts
.

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reflect on your achievements as a Liberal Studies major and the intellectual skills you have acquired and developed.
plan for how to build on those achievements and use those skills in graduate studies, future employment, and/or lifelong learning.
gain experience in making effective written presentations of the important issues in your area of study.
demonstrate critical and analytical thinking and mastery of analytical writing.
conduct scholarly research