Liberal Arts, M.A.

Leah Lyons, Program Director
(615) 898-5778
mala@mtsu.edu

The College of Liberal Arts offers the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts, an interdisciplinary, 30-hour program offering a thesis and non-thesis option.

The Master of Arts in Liberal Arts (MALA), a broadly interdisciplinary program, allows students to construct a personal plan of study from within the Liberal Arts disciplines, which include art, communication studies and organizational communication, English, foreign languages and literatures, global studies and cultural geography, history, music, philosophy, political science and international relations, sociology and anthropology, and theatre and dance. With the guidance of the program director, students build a program of study that will enhance career opportunities, provide preparation for further graduate study, or create opportunities for lifelong learning.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts, applicant must have an earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college.

Admission decisions are made after a holistic review of all admission materials and are based on the program’s judgment of the applicant’s capacity, suitability, and preparation for graduate study. The admissions committee reserves the right to request references and/or an interview.

Application Procedures

All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.

Applicant must

submit an application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php);
submit a current resume or vitae;
submit a 500-word statement of purpose outlining academic interests and goals;
submit two letters of recommendation from professors, supervisors, or others familiar with qualifications to address applicant’s potential to successfully complete the M.A. in Liberal Arts program;
submit official transcripts of all previous college work.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Arts in Liberal Arts requires completion of 30 hours.

Candidate must

complete a minimum of 30 semester hours; no more than 30 percent of the total degree hours dual-listed as undergraduate/graduate hours can be counted toward the degree;
successfully complete and defend a thesis or capstone project.

Curriculum: Liberal Arts

Candidate must complete 30 hours in the following course of study:

Core (9 hours)

MALA 6000 - Foundations of Liberal Arts I 3 credit hours
MALA 6010 - Foundations of Liberal Arts II 3 credit hours
MALA 6020 - Capstone Project 3 credit hours OR
MALA 6640 - Thesis Research 1 to 6 credit hours (3 credit hours)

Areas (9 hours)

MALA 6030 - Topics in Culture and Ideas 3 credit hours
MALA 6040 - Topics in Society and People 3 credit hours
MALA 6050 - Topics in Science and Reason 3 credit hours

Guided Electives (12 hours)

Choose from additional MALA topics courses and electives or courses in other College of Liberal Arts graduate programs as approved by the director. (Student may take up to 9 credit hours of guided electives at the 5000 level.)

Program Notes

Candidate must

file a degree plan in the College of Graduate Studies prior to the entry into the program;
file a Notice of Intent to Graduate form in the College of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the term in which candidate intends to graduate.