Liberal Studies
The Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) program is an interdisciplinary graduate program administered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. This is a broad, interdisciplinary program of part-time or full-time graduate study that integrates and expands the student's knowledge and awareness and that is geared to the student's personal interests. Each student, in consultation with an academic advisor, designs an individual program of study around an interdisciplinary theme or topic that is of intrinsic interest to the student or that relates to the student's professional or vocational interests. Students take graduate courses across a range of NC State departments as well as MALS seminars designed specifically for the program.
Admissions Requirements
Students entering the Master's program in liberal studies must have an undergraduate degree. In addition to the material required by the Graduate School, students applying are asked to submit a four to five page statement describing their objectives in doing a degree in liberal studies and a resume. GRE scores are not required. All applicants are interviewed.
Master's Degree Requirements
Thirty hours of course work made up of:
- three MALS seminars or two MALS seminars and a research methods course,
- 18 hours representing the student's interdisciplinary theme or concentration, and
- a three-hour culminating project.
Examples of concentrations that are well supported by graduate courses in the NC State curriculum are: science, technology and society, the American experience and leadership.
Faculty
Full Professors
- Kimberly I. Allen
- Carolyn Bird
- Jason Bocarro
- Jonathan D. Bohlmann
- Jeffrey P. Braden
- Marina F. Bykova
- Richard M. Clerkin
- Gary L. Comstock
- Victoria Gallagher
- Michael D. Garval
- Douglas John Gilla
- Nora Haenn
- Mary E. Haskett
- Jessica K. Jameson
- Akram F. Khater
- Sarah D. Kirby
- Lada Kochtcheeva
- Yu-Fai Leung
- Dudley Michael Marchi
- Jorge Mari
- Duarte Morais
- Sylvia Christine Maria Nassar
- Jose Pasten
- Robert P. Patterson
- Jorge Mari
- Adriana de Souza e Silva
- Erik R Thomas
- Kenneth Vincent
- Rodney Waschka
- Yingjiao Xu
- Kenneth S. Zagacki
Associate Professors
- Craig C. Brookins
- Kyle Stephen Bunds
- Jonathan M. Casper
- Katherine Mellen Charron
- Cameron Denson
- Michael B. Edwards
- Stephen Clifford Ferguson
- Shelley E. Garrigan
- Anne Hardison-Moody
- Karey A. Harwood
- Kimberly Ange-Van Heugten
- James Kiwanuka-Tondo
- Whitney Knollenberg
- Mark Nance
- David M. Rieder
- Amanda J. Stewart
- Michael Struett
- Jocelyn DeVance Warren
Assistant Professors
- Kalyca Becktel
- Veljko Dubljevic
- Ayse Ercumen
- Judy Kertesz
- Thath Men Alejandro Gutierrez Li
- Alicia McGill
- Xavier Deonte Pickett
- Kevin A. Richardson
Practice/Research/Teaching Professors
- Alison E. Arnold
- Gary Beckman
- David Michael Berube
- Kimberly Ann Bush
- Dennis M. Daley
- Sarah L. Desmarais
- Amanda Ross Edwards
- Charles Albert Flink
- Jonathan Kramer
- Seth Murray
- Elizabeth Nelson
Lecturer
- Victoria Ralston
Emeritus Faculty
- Sarah Stein
Courses
Intensive study of an interdisciplinary issue or area. Seminars, varying each semester, address such topics as arts studies, history and literature, sociobiology and social sciences, world trade and world conflict, and technology and social change.
Prerequisite: Admission to M.A. in liberal studies
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
Advanced independent study of an interdisciplinary topic under supervision of a faculty member.
Prerequisite: Admission to M.A. in liberal studies
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
Advanced independent research on an interdisciplinary project under supervision of a faculty member.
Prerequisite: Admission to M.A. in liberal studies
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
Teaching experience under the mentorship of faculty who assist the student in planning for the teaching assignment, observe and provide feedback to the student during the teaching assignment, and evaluate the student upon completion of the assignment.
Prerequisite: Master's student
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
For students in non thesis master's programs who have completed all other requirements of the degree except preparing for and taking the final master's exam.
Prerequisite: Master's student
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer