Master of Arts in Liberal Studies

Program Overview

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The Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) is a degree program for adults eager to deepen their appreciation of human history and ideals as well as broaden their own perspectives through an intensive study of the great ideas in literature, history, philosophy, and the other liberal arts. The program is ideal for those wanting both to seek out more meaningful career paths and find inspiration for moving beyond existing paradigms for understanding and contributing to local and global issues. It is designed to stimulate imagination and critical-thinking skills in service to family, career, or community, both local and global. The program develops the focused, critical thought processes necessary to succeed in any endeavor and encourages creative problem solving, and the development of analytical, academic, and leadership skills appropriate in all walks of life. Students who complete this rigorous program are well prepared to excel and lead in professional, community, religious, and family environments.

Students may tailor their programs to their professional or personal interests by selecting an existing area of study that complements their personal or career goals. MALS requires the completion of a distribution of 36 graduate credits in the liberal arts field and includes a 6-credit Capstone project.

MALS Areas of Study include:

• Digital Humanities
• Geropsychology
• Industrial-Organizational Psychology
• Professional Communications
• Online Learning and Teaching
• Learner-Designed Area of Study

Download our Degree Program Profile Sheet for an overview of our MA in Liberal Studies program.

Credit Distribution

I. Core Course Sequence (18 Credits)

LAP-500	Liberal Arts and Professional Life	3
SAM-501	Sense of Community I: Art and Morality	3
SAM-502	Sense of Community II: Faith and Reason	3
CCR-610	Change, Conflict, and Resolution	3
SIC-520	The Species, the Individual, and Community	3
THC-625	Technology and the Human Community: Challenges and Responses	3

II. Areas of Study (12 Credits)

III. Capstone (6 Credits)

MLS-700	Capstone I	3
MLS-710	Capstone II	3

Total Credit Hours: 36

Program Timeline

This is a hypothetical timeline that shows how a student can complete the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies degree program at Thomas Edison State University in about 18 months.

To demonstrate how you could progress through the program over an 18-month period, we are using the January term as your first term and move through the program during the four graduate terms offered each year. Each term is 12 weeks.

The timeline is informational in nature and does not represent an actual program plan. Enrolled graduate students work with our deans and academic advisors to develop a program plan that maps out how a student will complete their degree and whether they can transfer previously earned graduate credits or earn graduate credit for what they know through prior learning assessment.

Term (runs for 12 weeks)	Courses To Take	Credits
First Graduate Term: Starts beginning of January	LAP-500: The Liberal Arts and Professional Life SAM-501: Sense of Community I: Art and Morality	3 3
Second Graduate Term: Starts beginning of April	SAM-502: Sense of Community II: Faith and Reason CCR-610: Change, Conflict and Resolution	3 3
Third Graduate Term: Starts beginning of July	SIC-520: The Species, The Individual and Community THC-625: Technology and the Human Community	3 3
Fourth Graduate Term: Starts beginning of October	MALS Elective  MALS Elective	3 3
Fifth Graduate Term: Starts beginning of January	MLS-700: Capstone I MALS Elective	3 3
Sixth Graduate Term: Starts beginning of April	MLS-710: Capstone II MALS Elective	3 3

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program will be able to:

• evaluate systems of values, their historical contexts, and their effect on personal, community, and professional well-being;
• differentiate the social, political, and cultural factors that influence decision making and conflict resolution in society;
• integrate the historical expansion of cultural, philosophical, and scientific knowledge with the changing concepts of the self and community;
• apply concepts of justice, compassion, and respect for human rights from the major philosophical and religious traditions to current local and global events;
• create a cogent, cohesive, and articulate argument informed by the liberal arts; and
• assess the impact of technological developments on humanity and the natural world.