Learning Objectives

The Master of Arts in Liberal Studies is an interdisciplinary program with several tracks: Humanities, Social Sciences, and Culture Studies; and with a concentration in Women’s and Gender Studies under the aegis of the Culture Studies track. Designed for working professionals from a variety of backgrounds, this program underlines the intersections among a variety of academic disciplines as these converge to consider crucial dimensions of foundational and current issues. The program encourages the development of critical and creative thinking.

The program prepares graduates to:

Identify and think critically about key foundational and current issues in their area of concentration (humanities, social science, or culture studies [including women’s and gender studies]) with an emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches

  • Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of  foundational questions, issues and concerns in the discipline(s) of their concentration
  • Identify and analyze current questions and concerns in their disciplines
  • Think creatively and critically about the ways in which their discipline(s) are in dialogue with other perspectives and approaches

Employ the theory, tools, methods and scholarly literature of the discipline(s) in their area of concentration, with an understanding of how these relate to other disciplines

  • Demonstrate understanding of the scholarly literature relevant to the discipline(s) in their area of concentration (humanities, social science, or culture studies)
  • Engage in critical thinking informed by the relevant theory of their discipline(s)
  • Select and employ the appropriate and relevant tools and methods of their disciplines

Conduct original research, drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives and using a wide variety of scholarly resources.

  • Gather, organize, and present information using appropriate academic style (e.g, APA, MLA)
  • Formulate research hypotheses and design appropriate strategies to test these hypotheses and investigate relevant evidence
  • Identify and critically evaluate relevant resources in a variety of formats
  • Write essays, reviews, and research papers that focus on key foundational and/or current issues from an interdisciplinary perspective