College of Liberal Arts

The College of Liberal Arts is composed of the Department of English and Foreign Languages , Department of History , Department of Interdisciplinary Studies , Department of Mass Communication , W.A. and Dorothy Hanna Department of Performing Arts , Department of Social Sciences , and Department of Visual Arts . Curricula leading to the Associate of General Studies, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of General Studies, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, Master of Fine Arts, and Master of Science degrees as well as an Undergraduate Certificate are listed on the appropriate departmental pages, along with specific departmental requirements.

Purpose

The mission of the College of Liberal Arts is to lead students to pursue their interests, talents, and passions through teaching excellence, academic rigor, research, practice, and co-curricular activities; to prepare students for engagement with the world around them; and to seek relationships with stakeholders for the advancement of the college.

Recitals, Concerts, Exhibits, and Major Productions

Effective education in the arts involves frequent participation in performance as well as experiencing the performances of others. At McNeese, students are provided these opportunities through student and faculty recitals, concerts, exhibits, and major productions.

Student recitals occur weekly during the regular session. Concerts, exhibits, and plays by outstanding professional artists are provided throughout the year through activities scheduled by the Performing Arts and Visual Arts departments and, during the spring semester, through the Banners Cultural Series.

Scholarships

Several scholarships are available to students who take their major coursework in the College of Liberal Arts. These scholarships are published in the complete list of academic scholarships available on the McNeese Foundation website.

Preparation for Law School

Law school admission committees look with favor upon almost any undergraduate degree program that interests the student and challenges them to think critically, learn independently, research thoroughly and accurately, and understand basic aspects of the human experience. To ensure the broad liberal arts education preferred by most law school admissions committees, four departments in the College of Liberal Arts have planned degree programs to include specific courses recommended by the College of Liberal Arts as a core curriculum for law school preparation. The departments, followed by the curricula especially recommended for pre-law students, are as follows: 

Based upon general recommendations of the Law School Admissions Council, the following list of courses is recommended by the College of Liberal Arts as a core curriculum for pre-law preparation: 

Students preparing for law school are encouraged to work closely with their academic advisor in the major field, to take advantage of the expertise of the pre-law advisor in the Department of Social Sciences, and to take part in the Pre-Law and Politics Society.

Students should keep in mind that the decisions of law school admission committees are based on a number of factors, including undergraduate grade point average, quantity and quality of coursework undertaken, performance on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the recommendations of faculty members and others, and the applicant’s motives for seeking a career in law.