MALS Learner Designed Area of Study

Areas of Study Overview

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The learner-designed area of study (LDAS) gives students the opportunity to choose areas in the liberal arts and to plan and implement their own academically robust learning activities. Students develop a coherent plan of study that can link directly to their final Capstone project.

Students may propose to complete their learner-designed area of study in several ways:

  • take additional online graduate courses from Thomas Edison State University;
  • apply up to 12 credits of American Council on Education courses that have been evaluated at the graduate level;
  • develop a graduate-level prior learning assessment (PLA) portfolio; and/or
  • transfer up to 12 credits of graduate-level credit earned at other regionally accredited institutions.

Credit Distribution

I. Core Course Sequence (18 Credits)

LAP-500Liberal Arts and Professional Life

3

SAM-501Sense of Community I: Art and Morality

3

SAM-502Sense of Community II: Faith and Reason

3

CCR-610Change, Conflict, and Resolution

3

SIC-520The Species, the Individual, and Community

3

THC-625Technology and the Human Community: Challenges and Responses

3

II. Learner Designed Area of Study (12 Credits)

For TESU course options, please contact an Advisor

III. Capstone (6 Credits)

MLS-700Capstone I

3

MLS-710Capstone II

3

Total Credit Hours: 36