MLA-LART - Master of Liberal Arts in Liberal Arts

The Master of Liberal Arts degree offers all students the opportunity to pursue interdisciplinary studies at a graduate university level. The theme of the program is "The Search for Order." Through a set of complementary core courses and elective courses chosen in consultation with the program director, students engage in both deep and wide-ranging explorations of the arts and sciences. The program introduces all students to the challenges of critical thinking, deep reading, and effective communication. By engaging in careful writing, close editing, and responding to critical feedback, students build their skills and confidence in written and oral expression. The program culminates in a capstone project in which each student draws on previous coursework and then conducts independent research on a question of the student's choice within the field of political science or other interrelated areas of inquiry. The interplay of reading, writing, and discussion throughout the program prepares the student to formulate and defend a position in order to address the central question of the research project. By addressing specific topics in political theory and practice, students finish the program better prepared to assume leadership roles in their communities and careers or to pursue further graduate study.

Winthrop University students may complete the M.L.A. degree on an accelerated basis, taking up to 9 hours of 500-level graduate-level courses while still undergraduates. In this way, the student may complete the M.A. degree within one year of finishing their undergraduate degree.

The Master of Liberal Arts program has been a full member of the Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs (AGLSP) since 1995.