The proposal outlined below should be at least two pages in length. It should carefully delineate your vision of your career plans and how your unique abilities equip you to pursue these plans.

Some things to consider:

• What do you want to do?
• How did you come to be interested in this? (Includes background, values, talents, aptitude, etc)
• What will your program title be?
• What academic departments and/or outside colleges will be used? How is each relevant to the goal? How are these concentrations interrelated? Use examples. Include any life experience.
• The university encourages and supports research and internship opportunities. When you are writing your proposal, please include any research or internship opportunities you feel would enrich your undergraduate experience.
• Are you preparing for graduate or professional school? Do you know what is required for admission? If so, will the program you propose prepare you to be a competitive candidate?
• If you’re not preparing for grad/prof school, what's next after the B.A.? What are your long term goals, not only what you want to do but how you want to live your life?

The draft may be reviewed by either the Liberal Studies advisor or by the University Writing Center. Once you have preliminary approval from Dr. Hale and a competent draft of your proposal, you will plan your entire curriculum with the Liberal Studies advisor. This template will be attached to your final draft in preparation for your meeting with Dr. Hale.

Liberal Studies Major - Independent Focus 

1.  To design a program, choose three to five concentrations to combine in a unified and interrelated course of study.   Concentration are blocks of courses from undergraduate departments or programs. The first concentration must be a 
College of Arts and Sciences approved minor. 

2.  Create a title for your program that unifies your concentrations ( e.g., Art Education for the Hearing Impaired). 

3.  Define the general goals of your program: educational and/or professional. Specify how your chosen concentrations 
work together to support your goal. How does an independent major (vs. a single discipline) better serve your intent? 

4.  Provide a brief personal statement explaining your background, interests and influences. How are you uniquely 
qualified to pursue this field and to be successful within it? 

5.  A curriculum plan must be attached to the proposal. You and the Liberal Studies advisor work together to 
design your curriculum.

Liberal Studies Major - Middle Grades Education Focus

1.  Identify your Teaching Fields. An A&S minor and additional areas of concentration are not necessary; however, some of these students choose to add a third concentration to further specialize their program (e.g. Middle Grades Education and Deaf Education). Supervising the completion of prerequisites for entry to the university's MAT program is not within the domain of Liberal studies advising. All pre-MAT students are strongly encouraged to regularly meet with a School of Education advisor to ensure eligibility. 

2.  Unless your title includes a subspecialty, you may simply use Middle Grades Education.

3.  Define the general goals of your program: educational and/or professional. Specify how your chosen concentrations work together to support your goal. 

4.  Provide a brief personal statement explaining your background, interests, influences and goals. How are you uniquely to pursue this field and to be successful within it? 

5.  A  curriculum plan must be attached to the proposal. You and the Liberal Studies advisor work together to design your curriculum.