Liberal Studies Beyond the Classroom

Internships: Liberal Studies majors are encouraged to undertake internships for credit, obtaining the full advantage of the many opportunities to work in the Seattle area. Students have recently interned at The Vera Project (all-ages music nonprofit), All the Flutter Wedding and Event Design Planning, Haven Boatworks, Queen Anne Montessori, Yole! Africa (Film Festival in Congo), Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Rotary Boys and Girls Club, The Civilians Theatre Co (NY), Seattle Fire Fighters Charity, Seattle International Film Festival, and more. The Liberal Studies office regularly communicates new internship and work opportunities, and provides the necessary guidelines and internship registration forms.

Building a Portfolio: All Liberal Studies majors establish an electronic portfolio in their first course, and develop it through graduation. This e-folio showcases academic and other achievements, and students can invite others to view it, such as potential employers. As seniors, the e-folio can transition from academic to a vocational, teaching, or professional portfolio.

Real-World Service: All Liberal Studies majors are required to volunteer for a quarter to work with organizations for social justice. This for-credit course, Leadership for Community Engagement, provides students with real-world work experience and first-hand familiarity with how community organizations work. Many students choose to continue volunteering beyond the scope of the course.

Professional Development Evening: At least once a year, the Liberal Studies Program and Career Service sponsor a career night exclusively for majors, with dinner provided. Employed Liberal Studies alumni give perspectives and advice, and majors learn how to effectively network and how to market themselves as integrative thinkers with specialized skills.

Undergraduate Publishing Program: Designed by Liberal Studies faculty, UPP is available to all Liberal Studies majors and recent alumni. The goal is to support majors in their pursuit of written scholarship, and ultimately, to publish. Journals, newspapers, magazines, and books are possible forums for publishing. Interested majors are assigned a faculty member to serve as mentor. With their help, majors identify a target publication, convert previous writing to submission standards or write new pieces, submit to the publication, and respond to editors’ requests.

Student and Faculty Advisory Groups: Liberal Studies majors advise the program director through a representative student group which meets with the director throughout the year. Also, the director meets regularly with an accomplished team of outside professors and administrators to discuss the program. Members have included: Professors of English, Philosophy, History, and Directors of Career Services, the Institute for Public Service, the Center for Service and Community Engagement, and the Seattle University Masters in Teaching Program.