Program Description

Students who wish to pursue an individualized, interdisciplinary program of study that cannot be accommodated within another major at Purchase College may apply for admission to the Bachelor of Arts in liberal arts (B.A.L.A.) degree program. Each B.A.L.A. student works closely with two or more faculty sponsors from different disciplines to design a course of study that meets both the specialized interests of the student and the academic standards of the College.

This degree program appeals especially to students interested in constructing highly individualized and innovative major areas of study. Some examples include bioethics, Mediterranean studies, philosophy of science, and choreography of literature. Students may also work with the faculty in established interdisciplinary programs — such as Asian studies, global black studies, Latin American studies, and lesbian and gay studies — which currently offer minors that could provide core coursework that serves as a basis for a major.

Requirements for the Major

Students design a proposed curriculum in collaboration with two faculty sponsors. This proposal is reviewed by the B.A.L.A. committee, which may include faculty representatives from the Schools of Humanities, Natural and Social Sciences, and the Arts. Although individualized in nature, all proposals must:

• include relevant theoretical and methodological courses in the proposed area(s) of study
• incorporate the teaching specialties of the Purchase College faculty
• demonstrate why established majors or programs of study at Purchase College cannot accommodate the student’s needs.

A senior project is required of all B.A.L.A. students. Approval of the proposal may be contingent upon inclusion of additional courses recommended by the B.A.L.A. committee.

Program Faculty Advisor

Lee Schlesinger, Ph.D., Yale University (Literature)

Representative Courses

Courses span the entire curriculum at Purchase College, according to the student’s specific area of interdisciplinary study.

Representative Alumni

• Lindsay Burdick ’05, photographer, Pinsky Studios
• Terri E. Christmas-Garrant ’90, manager of information technology, IBM
• Mary Fleischer ’79, Ph.D., City University of New York; professor of theatre arts and chair, Division of Fine and Performing Arts, Marymount Manhattan College
• Martha Heatley ’90, field coordinator, Hebrew Home for the Aged at Riverdale
• Jennifer Lewis ’01, director of development, School of the Holy Child, Rye, NY
• Laureen Peterson-Colasacco ’95, J.D., Pace University School of Law; attorney
• Marah Rosenberg ’95, project/program manager, Avaya Labs, Inc.
• Jim Ruderman ’85, vice president of communications, AmCham–China (American Chamber of Commerce in the People’s Republic of China)
• John Mark Viniello ’92, special effects artist; credits include The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Spider-Man 2, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

Updated May 27, 2008