Frequently asked questions
The Liberal Education List Requirement (Lib Ed List or Lib Ed Requirement for short) ensures that students can gain knowledge, experience and new perspectives from a wide variety of areas throughout their degrees. It gives students a chance to investigate new disciplines and develop valuable skills to complement their degrees.
Over the course of your program, you must complete four courses from each of the following three lists (12 courses in total):
List 1- Science
List 2- Social Science
List 3- Fine Arts and Humanities
*Please note that some programs have a modified Lib Ed Requirement!
For more information, please see an Academic Advisor or the Academic Calendar.
Your major will give you a number of required courses which you must include in the 40 courses of your degree. The remaining courses are considered electives, meaning that you get to choose them, and they can come from within your major or outside. For instance, if you are a Science major, your major might require 25 specific courses, leaving you with 15 electives. You will already have more than 4 Science courses from your major, so will have completed the Science part of the List Requirements; you will need to ensure that you also have 4 Social Science and 4 Fine Arts and Humanities courses. After your 25 required courses and those 8 additional List courses, you are left with 7 courses that are totally free for you to choose, depending on your interests and goals. The same idea applies to majors from other lists.
The Liberal Education List Requirement is a university-wide requirement that each student take at least four courses from each of three designated lists of courses. The lists cover Science, Social Science, Fine Arts and Humanities, and include courses from the faculties of Arts & Science, Fine Arts, Management and Health Sciences, as well as the School of Liberal Education.
The School of Liberal Education also offers courses specifically designated at Lib Ed courses (LBED in the calendar). Some of these courses are included in one of the three Lists. For more information on Lib Ed Lists, please see an Academic Advisor and your Program Planning Guide. For information on Liberal Education courses, please see the Liberal Education Course Descriptions in the Academic Calendar.
No. Liberal Education 1000 alone does not fulfill any List requirement. But if you also successfully complete either Liberal Education 2000 or Library Science 2000, you are able to reduce the Lib Ed List Requirement by one course from each of the three Lists.
No. Liberal Education 2000 alone does not fulfill any List requirement. But if you also successfully complete Liberal Education 1000, you are able to reduce the Lib Ed List Requirement by one course from each of the three lists.
Liberal Education is an underlying philosophy that applies across all majors and programs at the University of Lethbridge, but there is no major specifically in Liberal Education. However, there is a minor in Liberal Education.
A Liberal Education develops skills and compentencies that can be categorized under the four pillars. Problem solving, understanding complex social issues from multiple viewpoints, and communication skills are just a few of many skills that can be gained from engaging in a liberal education. For the full list of skills and compentencies, please click the button below.
No, not directly. Liberal comes from the Greek word “Liber” meaning “free.” Liberal Education is about liberating your mind! Learn to look at the world in new ways, to question assumptions and habits, and think carefully about the world around you.