The Master in Liberal Arts with Concentration allows students to expand their liberal arts education, while focusing on a specific academic concentration within the humanities and social sciences.
Concentrations include: Applied Music, Communication, Drama, Education, English, History, International Studies, Irish Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Theology
Interdisciplinary MLA Seminar (3 credit hours)
MLMLA 5338 “Pursuit of Happiness”
The Pursuit of Happiness is a seminar course for all MLA students. It is a Great Books course for Masters level analytical and syntopical reading skills, and for habits of reasoned discourse and discussion. “Syntopical” because we are reading a range of authors on a particular topic: man’s search for meaning and fulfillment. Understanding the range of thoughts across the ages on this topic has been, and no doubt still is, a hallmark of the liberally educated person. The course has a double objective, thus, aimed at cultivating both intellectual and practical virtues required for advanced and life-long learning.
Seminar: 1 course (3 credit hours)
Seminars are interdisciplinary graduate courses specifically designed for the MLA Program. Each MLA student must complete 1 seminar (3 credit hours) of his or her choosing. MLA seminars are courses structured to provide a graduate community centered on interdisciplinary discussion.
Concentration: 6 courses (18 credit hours)
Each student selects a discipline or area of study in which to concentrate his or her studies. A concentration equals 6 courses (18 credit hours, maximum of 21) in the declared discipline or area of study.
Electives: 2 courses (6 credit hours)
A student selects 2 electives (6 credit hours), which may be:
- Any MLA course outside of his or her concentration course.
- A seventh concentration course and one non-concentration course.
- Optional thesis or project (6 credit hours) under the direction of a faculty member in the student’s concentration area. Completion of thesis or project is not a degree requirement.
*Specific concentrations may have particular required courses. Consult with your MLA advisor for details.