Bachelor of Liberal Studies | Undergraduate Admissions

The University of Iowa’s Bachelor of Liberal Studies (BLS) allows you to earn a University of Iowa bachelor’s degree from a distance. The BLS emphasizes workplace and leadership skills, and is designed for adults balancing professional growth and busy lives. If you have accumulated 24 or more credit hours from an accredited institution but haven’t earned your bachelor’s degree, an online Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree may be just be the right fit to help you meet your personal and career goals. Complete a BLS track choosing from:

Expression in Writing and Arts
Family, Community, and Social Support
Global Studies
Health and Human Studies
Justice and Ethics
Organizational Studies

BLS Students may also incorporate one of three certificate programs into their BLS studies.

In addition, the University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University also offer the BLS, so you may take course work at those campuses and apply the credit toward your degree.

Contact the Distance and Online Education for more information.

Course Work

In order to graduate from the University of Iowa with your BLS, you must have a total of at least 120 semester hours from all sources with a maximum of 60 semester hours credit from two-year institutions.

Your 120 semester hours must include:

Completion of BLS Core Requirements
Completion of Track Requirements (select one)
- Expression in Writing and Arts
- Family, Community, and Social Support
- Global Studies
- Health and Human Studies
- Justice and Ethics
- Organizational Studies
30 semester hours of Upper-Level Coursework
30 semester hours of credit earned from the University of Iowa after admission to the BLS program
A minimum 2.0 cumulative grade-point average (GPA):
Overall (transfer and UI)
University of Iowa

OPTIONAL: Completion of Certificate(s)

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements Tabs

First-Year Requirements

First-year students are not eligible for this degree program; it is for community college graduates.

Transfer Requirements

To be admitted to the BLS program, you must have:

24 sh of transferable college credit with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or above. Maximum of 16 sh career/technical credits
Must have earned a high school degree at least three years before admission to the BLS program,
OR
An Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Associate of Science (AS), or Associate of Arts (AA) with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or above

Students who have received an Associate of Arts' degree from an Iowa two-year institution participating in articulation agreements with the University of Iowa are considered to have satisfied all requirements of the General Education Program, except Leadership and Career Development.

If a student is not earning an AA degree from an Iowa Community College, students are encouraged to begin completing the following Core Requirement or UI course equivalency before enrolling in the BLS program:

Rhetoric
Interpretation of Literature
Natural Science
Global Perspective*
Domestic Diversity*
Statistics*
Information Literacy*
- MSCI 1500 Business Computing Essentials
- CS:1020 Principles of Computing
- CS:1110 Introduction to Computer Science

The Core Requirement and UI equivalencies can be found by using the Online Transfer Equivalency Guide

*Hint:
Global Perspective=International Global Issues
Domestic Diversity=Values, Society and Diversity
Statistics (UI Department=STAT)

These resources can help facilitate your transfer to Iowa:

Transfer Tips:

Students must have completed at least 24 semester hours of transferable credit to begin the BLS program.
Students who have received an Associate of Arts degree from an Iowa two-year institution participating in articulation agreements with the University of Iowa are considered to have satisfied all requirements of the Common Core Requirements Program, except for “Leadership & Career Development.”
The Common Core requirements can be found by using the Distance and Online Education website.
The BLS is designed to be completed entirely online. Students are encouraged to take at least one online course prior to attending Iowa. At Iowa, students likely will enroll in courses of multiple delivery formats, including instructor-paced online courses, instructor-paced online courses which require specific online videoconferencing times, and Guided Independent Study (GIS) courses.

Application Deadlines

May 1—for Summer Session or Fall Semester
November 15—for Spring Semester

Contact Information

Contact Distance and Online Education to speak with a BLS Adviser:

800-272-6430 or 319-335-2575

http://distance.uiowa.edu/

dce-advising@uiowa.edu

Request information

View more information about Bachelor of Liberal Studies

These resources can help facilitate your transfer to Iowa:

International Requirements

See the Distance and Online Education Website for admission requirements.

Scholarships

Scholarships for BLS students are available through Distance and Online Education.

Application Process

Application Process Tabs

Apply to University College indicating the BLS program as your area of study.

First-Year Application

First-year students are not eligible for this degree program. Applicants must already have earned at least 24 semester hours of college course work and must have earned a high school degree at least three years before admission to the BLS program.

Transfer Application

BAS, BLS Student Application Process

International Application Process

Contact the Division of Continuing Education for information about applying as an international student.

Information

Online/Off-campus Program(s)

Bachelor of Liberal Studies (BLS)

Tracks

Expression in Writing and Arts

Global Studies

Family, Community, and Social Support

Health and Human Studies

Justice and Ethics

Organizational Studies

Honors Courses

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