The Liberal Arts and Management Program (LAMP) is an honors-level interdisciplinary certificate program offered by the College of Arts and Sciences in cooperation with the Kelley School of Business. It allows students to integrate any major in the College of Arts and Sciences with specialized training in management and business concepts.
LAMP students are, as a group, students with diverse interests. They are students who are interested in pursuing a major in the College of Arts and Sciences, but they are also interested in studying principles of management, business, and problem solving. They are students who seek an interdisciplinary educational experience. LAMP students are leaders who apply their passion for learning within the classroom and within the campus community. LAMP students are drawn from the full range of majors within the College—from Biochemistry to Theater & Drama. Students can complete either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science, and many LAMP students pursue a double major.
Students are admitted to LAMP through an application process. Application periods are held twice a year—from September 1 to October 1 and from February 1 to April 1. The soonest a freshman can apply to LAMP is during the spring semester of the freshman year (February 1 to April 1). However, once a student has obtained at least sophomore status, s/he can apply during either application period.
The application process is administered from the program’s website. In addition to responding to the required essay topics, students must submit two letters of recommendation in support of their application.
LAMP offers students a unique interdisciplinary educational experience that provides avenues for students to consider multiple perspectives. Students take courses in business fundamentals like computing, accounting, and business law. They also study essential principles of management. LAMP students enroll in a series of three unique interdisciplinary seminars that encourage them to examine the interaction of business and management with other liberal arts and science disciplines.
LAMP students benefit from a close-knit network of talented peers, faculty and staff. The program provides countless opportunities in and out of the classroom to help students build networks and to explore leadership and careers through informational meetings with alumni, established professionals, and corporate and community leaders. From the Sophomore Leadership Retreat, the program’s unique and stimulating courses, to overseas study scholarship and co-curricular activities and events, LAMP offers students a variety of contexts through which to explore their interests and their potential for success.
In order to earn the LAMP certificate, a student must complete all degree requirements for a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Arts and Sciences. Students are free to choose any major or minor (or combination of majors and minors) within the College of Arts and Sciences.
In addition to completing all degree requirements, LAMP students must also complete all courses required for LAMP with a C- or better, and students must maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.3 or higher.
There are no prerequisites for admission to LAMP, although a student who is interested in the program must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to apply. Students who have taken courses that fulfill requirements of the LAMP certificate are not given admission preference over those who have not yet taken these courses.
Because LAMP is designed to be completed within three year, there is no need for a student to start taking LAMP courses in the first year at Indiana University—Bloomington. Many students who suspect that LAMP is right for them like to get a head start on the requirements and are encourage to prepare for the program’s curriculum by taking the following courses in the freshman year:
Students in LAMP must earn either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science Degree from the College of Arts and Sciences. In order to earn either of these degrees, students must fulfill basic degree requirements and they must select a major course of study (for example, Political Science, Biology, or French). In order to major in a subject, a student must complete approximately 27-36 credit hours in that subject matter. Additionally, many students choose to select a minor course of study, which typically requires between 15-26 credit hours of coursework. Students earning a degree from the College of Arts and Sciences must select a major, but they are not required to complete a minor.
The LAMP certificate, which requires approximately 36 credit hours of course work, is a supplement to the course of study that a student has chosen. The certificate is not a major or a minor, and a student cannot earn the LAMP certificate unless s/he also completes all College of Arts and Sciences degree requirements and major requirements. In short, the LAMP certificate cannot stand alone—it is intended to enhance a student’s chosen course of study in the College.
Although the Minor in Business and LAMP share some common requirements, the two options are not equivalent. LAMP is an honors-level program that requires completion of a unique interdisciplinary course of study. Unlike students pursuing a Minor in Business, LAMP students are required to complete both ECON E201 and ECON E202. Students who participate in LAMP complete core business courses like BUS A100/A201, BUS K201, and BUS L201, but the special emphasis of LAMP is on management skills and interdisciplinary problem solving. LAMP students enroll in BUS Z302, Managing and Behavior in Organizations, and the LAMP-specific course, BUS X333, Managing Business Functions. Most importantly, LAMP students complete three LAMP seminars that are designed to integrate business skills with traditional liberal arts methodologies and approaches.
LAMP particularly encourages students to take advantage of opportunities for overseas study. Traditionally, more than half the students in the program have spent all or part of the junior year studying abroad. Through the generous support of the Walt Robbins/Edward Hutton Overseas Study Scholarship, LAMP is able to offer significant financial aid to support our students’ overseas study. The LAMP curriculum will be adjusted to accommodate the student’s overseas study plans.
Absolutely! A significant number of LAMP students major in the sciences. Students pursuing a B.S. should consult with their major advisor as well as the LAMP advisor to ensure timely and thorough completion of degree and certificate requirements.
Due to the progression-based nature of many science courses, B.S. students and students who are preparing for the MCAT follow a slightly different course through LAMP. Typically, these students take fewer LAMP courses in the sophomore and junior year (to allow them to progress through the B.S. requirements). During the senior year, they will typically enroll in LAMP-L316, LAMP-L416, BUS-Z302 and BUS-X333.
Please do not hesitate to contact Stephanie Gray, LAMP’s Academic Advisor, if you have any questions about the program. You can reach LAMP at 856.4966 or by e-mail at lamp@indiana.edu.
Last updated:
August 31, 2007