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An advising session will be most beneficial to you if you come prepared. Before you come to your appointment, you should:

1. Look at your Academic Advising Report and see how your current and past coursework fulfills your BLS requirements. (You’ll find directions about how to find your Academic Advising Report below.)
2. Make a list of your remaining requirements. Explore the Schedule of Classes and jot down the names of courses that interest you. As you research departments and courses, keep in mind possible minors and/or certificates that you may want to pursue.
3. Write down any questions you have about BLS requirements, your remaining requirements, academic resources, and internships, for example, and bring this list with you to your advising appointment.

If you are scheduled to register before your advising appointment, you may access your Academic Advisement Report (AAR), and schedule classes based on the remaining requirements listed on your AAR. After checking your AAR, create a list of what you need to fulfill your remaining BLS requirements. Check the Schedule of Classes, and register for what you think are the appropriate classes. Schedule an advising appointment for the next available open time slot. At the time of your advising appointment, you will be able to discuss your enrollment with the BLS advisor and readjust your schedule accordingly.

The Recorder’s Office provides detailed instructions about how to read the Academic Advisement Report (AAR).To access your AAR:

1. Log on to one.iu.edu
2. Click on the “Student Self Service” tab
3. Click on the “Go to Student Center” link
4. Click on “My Academics & Grades” on the left-hand side
5. Select “View My Advisement Report”
6. Select “Bloomington” for “Institution” and “AAR & Transcript” for “Report Type” using the drop-down menus
7. Click the “Process Request” button
8. Once in the report, select “Expand All” to better see all the classes you have taken

As of summer 2014, the BLS replaced the BGS on the Bloomington campus. The change was made because the College of Arts and Sciences believes that the new name better represents the current curriculum and more clearly associates the degree with the College, which is the home of liberal arts education at Indiana University.

Yes. As a degree-seeking student, you may be eligible to receive financial aid. The Office of Student Financial Assistance can help you determine your eligibility and with the application process. You might also be eligible for scholarships through the BLS program.

The BLS degree does not have a major. Your degree will be a Bachelor of Liberal Studies (BLS). To provide focus to your studies, you will select an area of concentration in one of three areas: the Arts and Humanities; Social and Historical Studies; or Natural and Mathematical Sciences.

Students may list up to three completed minors on their transcripts. You can choose from any minor offered by the College of Arts and Sciences. The College also allows students to list some minors from other IU schools, such as the School of Education, on their College transcript. To find out more about these minors and schools, please consult the College Bulletin. Also, see “How do I declare a minor?” on the College Recorder’s Office FAQ page.

No. You will be taking classes with students pursuing a variety of different degrees. There is no difference between the classes BLS students take and the classes other IU students take.

Most definitely. As a BLS student, you may use the The Walter Center for Career Achievement office. The Walter Center will continue to assist you for the first two semesters following your graduation. Thereafter, the IU Alumni Association offers career assistance to alumni.

Admission to the Associate of Arts in General Studies (AAGS) program ended in December 2011. Students who were previously admitted to pursue the AAGS degree had until December 2015 to complete it. Today the associate’s degree is no longer being awarded, and students interested in completing a degree at IU Bloomington will need to consider pursuing a baccalaureate degree. Students may also consider transferring to another campus that offers an associate’s degree.

Yes, it is the only undergraduate program in the College of Arts and Sciences to do so.  The Extended –X policy allows students to remove certain repeated courses from their GPA. The full text of the policy is available on the Enrollment and Student Academic Information Bulletin. You are strongly encouraged to discuss the use of the policy with your academic advisor before repeating a course.

Yes, you may. See How to become a BLS Student.

You must complete a degree within eight years of enrollment. Students who fail to complete a degree within eight years forfeit their automatic right to follow the requirements in effect at the time they enrolled (which could mean they will have to take additional courses). All students in this situation undergo review with the College Recorder’s Office.

Only elective courses not used to fulfill specific requirements may be taken as Pass/Fail, and there are limits to how many you may take each year and over your entire undergraduate career. You must apply to take advantage of this option, and there are forms to file and deadlines to meet. For details, see “How do I sign up to take a course pass/fail?”

You apply to graduate through the College Recorder’s Office about one year prior to your intended graduation month. See the Graduation Application Information page for details and specific dates.

For detailed information, please see the degree requirements page. An academic advisor can go over your degree requirements with you.

No. The BLS degree program does not have a foreign language requirement, but you are certainly welcome to enroll in foreign language courses. Your academic advisor can help you determine how they will fit into your degree program.

Yes. Depending on when you enrolled in the BLS program, students will need to successfully complete a Quantitative Reasoning and/or a Mathematical Modeling requirement. Please refer to the Course Lists page to view course options. Your academic advisor can help you choose the correct course.

Students will need to set up an appointment with their advisor to discuss transferring course credits. Please use the Credit Transfer Service website. It will show you how courses taken at other colleges and universities would transfer to IU Bloomington. Upon completion of the course(s) at the other college or university, students must request that an official transcript be sent to the IU Office of Admissions, 300 North Jordan Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405. Official transcripts must be received by the Office of Admissions in a sealed college/university envelope. Previously opened transcripts will not be accepted for transfer credit.

No. The BLS degree at IUB is a campus-based degree. Please see the Online and Distance Education page for additional information.

Please see the Online and Distance Education page for additional information.