Programs by Campus

Collaborative Programs

Liberal Studies

(Please note that when conferring University Graduate School degrees, minors, certificates, and sub-plans, the University Graduate School’s staff use those requirements contained only in the University Graduate School Bulletin.)

Degrees Offered

Master of Liberal Studies

Master of Liberal Studies

The Master of Liberal Studies (MLS) provides graduate instruction in three areas: arts and humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Students in the program obtain advanced skills and knowledge in these areas and an ability to approach problems with an interdisciplinary perspective.

Participating Campuses

IU East, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend, and IU Southeast

Admissions

To be accepted to this program, you must have a bachelor's degree and 3.0 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale.

Requirements

Requirements are broken down as follows:

  • Core courses (13 credit hours)
  • Electives/certificates (12-20 credit hours)
  • Capstone experience (3-9 credit hours)
Capstone Experience Options

Traditional Thesis. Original research or analysis encompassing literature from at least two different disciplinary perspectives. The thesis must be written in scholarly format, with the appropriate citation format and extensive references. The literature review developed for the thesis proposal should serve as the initial component of the thesis. Typical thesis length: 50 or more pages.

Creative Project. Students who focus their MLS program on a creative field may complete a creative project for their MLS capstone. Creative work may include writing, art, and performance. The creative work must be accompanied by an explanatory essay encompassing material from at least two different disciplinary perspectives. The essay must be written in scholarly format, with appropriate citation format and appropriate references. The literature review developed for the capstone proposal may serve as the basis of the explanatory essay. Typical length of the explanatory essay: 20 to 35 pages.

Peer-Reviewed Publication. Students may focus their capstone work on a peer-reviewed publication in a professional forum. Examples include articles in professional journals, investigative journalism published in a major newspaper, or a book published by a reputable press. The publication must be accompanied by an explanatory essay encompassing material from at least two different disciplinary perspectives. The essay must be written in scholarly format, with appropriate citation format and appropriate references. The literature review developed for the capstone proposal may serve as the basis of the explanatory essay. Typical length of the explanatory essay: 20 to 35 pages.

Applied Project. Students may focus their capstone project on their current place of employment, internship, or practicum. The applied project should be designed to benefit both the student and the employer and can be focused narrowly on a specific issue or problem relevant to the employer. A complete literature review and an effectively designed methodology will support the value of the project. Typical length: 50 or more pages.

Public Intellectual Capstone Course. The public intellectual option offers students the opportunity to work within a learning community made up of other students and led by a faculty facilitator to explore the variety of media through which public intellectuals communicate. Students create their own portfolio of public intellectual work to be submitted for completion of MLS degree requirements. This option is fulfilled during the course, LBST-D 600, Public Intellectual Practicum.

Courses

Core Courses

  • LBST-D 510 Introduction to Graduate Liberal Studies (3 cr.) + Information Literacy (1 cr.) OR LBST-D 510 Introduction to Graduate Liberal Studies (4 cr.)
  • LBST-D 501 Humanities Seminar (3 credits)
  • LBST-D 502 Social Sciences Seminar (3 credits)
  • LBST-D 503 Science Seminar (3 credits)

Academic Bulletins

PDF Version

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