The 30-credit degree provides students with flexibility to customize their curriculum to meet personal interests, ambitions and workplace needs, selecting from a range of courses in the liberal arts. Completion can be paced to meet students’ individual needs.
A. Core Seminar (3 credits)
- LI 6000: Introduction to Interdisciplinary Study -- This course, taken during the first semester, is required for all MALS students.
B. Elective Courses: 21-24 credits (7-8 courses)
Students choose from a range of elective courses offered in the various disciplines, including an option for directed study. Students will select at least four courses from within a thematic or disciplinary area of study determined in consultation with their faculty Advisor and approved by the Graduate Program Director. To ensure a truly interdisciplinary liberal arts approach to knowledge, elective courses must be selected from at least three of the participating disciplines, with no more than five courses from any single discipline.
Two possible paths are available:
- Students select seven (7) elective courses, along with a two semester Thesis Option
- Students select eight (8) elective courses, along with a one-semester Internship, and write a paper connecting their experiential learning with elective coursework in lieu of writing the thesis
MALS students possessing the necessary pre-requisites (and/or instructor permission, where required) may select elective courses from the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) and Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling (MSMHC) programs, on a space-available basis.
C. Capping Experience
Students choose from one of the following:
1. Thesis Option: 6 credits (2 courses)
Students who opt for the thesis option will take a two-course sequence along with seven (7) elective courses:
- LI7510 Thesis Research: 3 credits
- LI7520 Thesis Workshop: 3 credits
2. Internship Option: 3 credits (1 course)
An Internship placement is required during the final semester along with eight (8) electives.
- LI6300 Internship/Field Placement: 3 credits