Brockport / Catalogs / 2013-14 / Programs / Liberal Studies (MA)

Master of Arts in Liberal Studies

Master of Arts in Liberal Studies

Description

The Master of Arts in Liberal Studies is a multidisciplinary degree for students seeking an alternative to traditional graduate courses of study that focus on professional training in a single area. Instead, the 30-credit Liberal Studies program is designed for the life-long learner seeking intellectual development, personal enrichment and the benefits of an advanced education in the liberal arts and sciences. The program allows each degree candidate the opportunity to develop an individualized Plan of Study tailored to his or her own personal and/or professional goals. Through this Plan of Study, the student examines significant ideas and contemporary issues from the perspectives of the fine arts, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. It provides an integrative educational experience that promotes a deeper understanding of self, nature and society, and offers opportunities to sharpen critical thinking and communication skills.

Requirements

Admission requirements include a bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university, and completion of the application for graduate admission. Documents required as part of this application include:

  1. At least three letters of recommendation.
  2. A written essay on reasons for pursuing the Liberal Studies program.
  3. A statement indicating a particular central theme or focus for a proposed Plan of Study
  4. Official transcripts for all prior undergraduate and graduate work documenting an undergraduate and/or graduate GPA of at least 3.0.

To receive a Liberal Studies degree, students must earn a total of 30 graduate credits. Since The College at Brockport graduate courses are generally three credits each, a normal Plan of Study consists of 10 graduate courses. These courses include four required Liberal Studies courses and six elective courses. The required block includes (a) one course from each of three disciplinary perspectives: the arts and humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences; and (b) the Project Portfolio, a synthesizing experience entailing both a reflective component and a knowledge application component based on the student's individual Plan of Study.

Electives

Electives are selected through advisement and they must reflect a programmatic theme or focus that satisfies the degree candidate's goals. The following restrictions apply to the selection of these courses:

  1. At least one elective courses (three credits) must be at the 600-level or higher (i.e., courses designed exclusively for graduate students).
  2. No more than two courses (six credits) may reflect content intended for application in a specific professional setting (these courses are usually designated as "B" courses at The College at Brockport).
  3. No more than six credits may be taken as Independent Study
  4. No elective course may be taken on a "Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory" grade basis.
  5. No internships allowed
  6. Written approval of the program director is required for any change to a matriculated student's Plan of Study.

Elective Courses

  • LST 700-719 Topics in the Arts and Humanities
  • LST 720-739 Topics in the Natural Sciences
  • LST 740-759 Topics in the Social Sciences
  • LST 797 Project Portfolio**

Required Courses

Project Portfolio: Prerequisite Instructor's permission. Students may not register for this course until they have completed all of the Liberal Studies degrees requirements or, in exceptional cases, are concurrently registered for their final course requirements (for a maximum of three credits subject to approval by the director) as specified in their Plan of Study.

The Project Portfolio is a pre-graduation "culmination project" that entails both a reflective component and a knowledge application component. It includes:

  1. a statement of the specific programmatic goals around which the Plan of Study has been developed
  2. a reflective statement describing how the interrelationship between the areas of knowledge and skills acquired through the student's Plan of Study have provided an integrative experience that has contributed holistically to one's educational objectives
  3. a paper applying insights and/or methodologies from the three Liberal Studies disciplinary approaches (arts and humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences) to an understanding of some issues or problem with contemporary society
  4. sample work from the student's required and elective courses

Grading is Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Department of Liberal Studies

Department Chair: Kulathur Rajasethupathy
Location: Brown 249
Visit Website
Email: kraja@brockport.edu
Phone: (585) 395-2262
Fax: (585) 395-2172

    
Faculty & Staff

    


Charles  Kuski MA
 (Rutgers University-New Brunswick)  
Resident Director