Liberal Studies Program

Note: All students must complete the Liberal Studies program. The History Department cannot waive these requirements or authorize substitutions. Students in special circumstances may request course substitutions or waivers within the Liberal Studies Program from the LAS Dean's Office, but substitutions and waivers are NOT automatic and should NOT be expected. Students requesting a substitution should do so using the form available at the Exception Policies for LSP page. Please submit all requests for waivers or substitutions as early as possible, as they often take time to process.

Note: Final decisions regarding Liberal Studies courses and how they fit in the students curriculum are made by the Liberal Arts and Social Sciences College Office. All students must complete the Liberal Studies program.

Do I have to take MAT 120?

Yes, unless you have fulfilled one of the following equivalents:

Taken calculus (MATH 147 or 150 or 160 or 170 or BMS 125)
Taken an equivalent course at another institution and earned a passing grade.
Passed the Mathematical and Technological Literacy I (MTL I) test (a proctored exam, which cannot be taken off-site)
Received Advanced Placement credit for calculus or statistics

The only students for whom MAT 120 or one of these equivalents is not required are those who are required to take a calculus sequence for their majors.

Do I have to take the Seminar on Race, Power, and Resistance (LSP 200)?

Yes. All students, including students transferring in after sophomore year, are required to take LSP 200.

How can I satisfy the “Experiential Learning” requirement?

All students must take some kind of Experiential Learning (EL) course as a degree requirement. Students can fulfill this requirement in a number of ways, including through the following:

A community-based service learning course
Another EL-eligible course offered through a university department
Approved off-campus foreign or domestic study programs
An internship combined with a linked DePaul course (see additional information about this option in the questions below)

Note: You can identify specific EL-eligible courses offered each quarter through the Campus Connect enrollment system. (Set the filter in the "Liberal Studies Requirement" field to "Experiential Learning.")

Students are encouraged to fulfill their EL requirement during their junior year, but some students may complete this requirement in the sophomore or senior year. Please speak with your advisor about the best options for you. Visit the Experiential Learning site for further information.

How do I get an internship that meets the “Experiential Learning” requirement?

For further guidance on internships, please go to the Career Center and access the relevant portion of their website.

What course should I take to get DePaul credit for an internship and to satisfy the "Experiential Learning" requirement?

Internship courses offer students, through the integration of academic coursework with workplace experiences, the opportunity to gain work-related skills and knowledge of career possibilities. Students who wish to participate in Career & Life Design (CLD) can enroll in one of the UIP courses listed on the program's website.

Please note that internships must be arranged in advance, at least one term before the internship and internship-related course are scheduled to begin.

I currently have a job/internship in a professional area that interests me. Can I use this to satisfy the “Experiential Learning” requirement?

To get internship credit that satisfies the "Experiential Learning" or EL requirement, students need to take an internship-linked DePaul course. Most of these are offered through the Career Center. For further information, students should consult the Career & Life Design (CLD) course listings, or speak to someone in the Career Center.

If a HST course is "Experiential Learning" eligible, can I apply it toward both my History major and also the Liberal Studies Experiential Learning requirement?

Yes.

What is the Capstone Seminar?

The following information is found on the Liberal Studies Website:

Students are required to take a Liberal Studies capstone course in their major field, typically during their senior year. Some Liberal Studies capstone courses may be offered jointly for students in related majors and fields of study. These courses provide students with an opportunity to integrate their major area of study with broader issues raised in their general education program. The Liberal Studies capstone experience allows students to see the relationship between the ideas, perspectives, and substantive areas of scholarship and creative work within their major field and those learned through significant aspects of their course work in the learning domain courses and other courses and experiences of the Liberal Studies Program.

A liberal studies capstone course can meet both major field and liberal studies requirements. Students who complete one course to fulfill both major field credit and liberal studies credit, will complete an additional domain elective (from outside the major). The third language course of the language for liberal studies option can fulfill this domain elective.

Because the course is offered through the major field department, students must receive a grade of C- or better in this course.

Thus, all History majors must complete a Capstone Seminar during their senior year. As of Autumn 2013, all history majors are required to take HST 390 as their capstone. Note: Students who are double majors may take their Liberal Studies Capstone in another department, but they must still take HST 390 to meet the departmental major requirements.

For more information, please see the History Major and Minor FAQ website.

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