About BCLA
The Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts prepares students for successful lives of meaning and purpose with a transformative liberal arts education. BCLA is LMU’s oldest college and remains at the heart of an LMU with 22 major and 30 minor undergraduate programs in humanities, social science, and interdisciplinary fields, along with five graduate programs. A BCLA education instills the values of our Jesuit and Marymount founders: ethical citizenship, critical inquiry, and a lifelong love of learning.
BCLA is committed to welcoming and supporting a diverse community of scholars and learners. The diversity of people, perspectives, and programs in BCLA only amplifies the power of an LMU liberal arts education. We are continually working to energize and expand diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that increase awareness and knowledge, as well as cultivate empathy and cultural humility. In doing so, we aim to provide a whole-person education that empowers students to seek truth and fight for justice.
Dean's Office
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Welcome to the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts Office of the Dean. Our team is dedicated to cultivating a dynamic academic community rooted in the rich liberal arts tradition, where both students and faculty thrive. Guided by our Catholic, Jesuit, and Marymount traditions, we measure our success by the impact our students make in the world. At BCLA, we aspire for our students to become individuals of profound thought and creative vision, equipped to address the world’s challenges and prepared for meaningful lives of leadership, scholarship, and service.
We invite you to visit us in University Hall, Suite 4600, where the Office of the Dean is ready to support your journey.
BCLA Outcomes
Each year, LMU surveys students six months after graduation about their plans. The data consistently reveals that nearly all students who respond to the survey are employed, in graduate school, or engaged in post-graduate or military service. A strong placement rate is a testament to education in the Jesuit, Marymount, liberal arts tradition, which prepares students with critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills and the ability to know and articulate their value. It also demonstrates that these skills are valued and sought out in the workplace.
Awards
The University and Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts bestow annual awards recognizing faculty teaching and advising, research, scholarship, and creative work, as well as outstanding service by our faculty and staff. These awards emphasize the dedication and contributions of our community members, creating a positive, collaborative environment where everyone can flourish and encouraging a culture of excellence and commitment to academic and service-oriented goals. Nominations are required for these awards, reviewed by a committee, and announced at the end of each spring semester.
Education
The Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts (BCLA) offers a distinctive educational experience rooted in respect for diverse global communities and a passion for justice. Inspired by Jesuit, Marymount, and CSJ traditions, BCLA fosters an academic environment that integrates humanistic and social sciences with interdisciplinary majors, global immersion, study abroad, experiential internships, and service learning. Our students develop the intellectual, creative, communicational, informational, and intercultural skills essential in a globalized world. They are challenged to achieve excellence, engage in collaborative teamwork, commit to social responsibility, and value lifelong development. BCLA graduates emerge as individuals characterized by their intellectual preparation, compassionate teamwork with others, and on-going practices of engaged citizenship.
Mission
The Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts (BCLA) fully embodies the broader University’s goals of delivering a comprehensive liberal education, grounded in the rich traditions of Roman Catholicism and the Judeo-Christian values. Our diverse courses form the cornerstone of the University’s core curriculum, which is essential for all undergraduates. The BCLA curriculum is designed to liberate the mind, nourish the spirit, and cultivate creativity, preparing students to meet the challenges of both today and the future. We are deeply committed to upholding and reflecting the University’s core values of social justice, education of the whole person, faith, and intercultural understanding. These values are intricately woven into all BCLA department and program goals, student learning outcomes, coursework, and career pathways.
Bellarmine
Roberto Francesco Romolo Bellarmino (1542-1621) was a prominent Italian Jesuit and Cardinal of the Catholic Church, born in Montepulciano to noble but impoverished parents, Vincenzo Bellarmino and Cinzia Cervini, the sister of Pope Marcellus II. A key figure in the Counter-Reformation, Bellarmine was canonized in 1930 and declared a Doctor of the Universal Church in 1931. He spent much of his life as a controversialist writer for the Church, addressing a wide range of topics. His seminal work, Disputationes de Controversiis Christianae Fidei adversus hujus temporis Haereticos (1588-93), defended the Roman Catholic position. Bellarmine’s writings, including his influential Controversies, were widely disseminated, and he authored catechisms for children. In his later years, he wrote spiritual guides such as The Art of Dying Well (1620).
Giving to Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts
The liberal arts are at the heart of an LMU education and prepare students to enter a breadth of top industries, and to be compassionate colleagues and ethical leaders. Please consider a gift to BCLA, which will support our students on their academic and professional journeys while enhancing the intellectual, cultural, and spiritual life in BCLA and beyond.