The Master of Liberal Studies will provide graduate-level instruction in the arts and humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences in an interdisciplinary manner to students interested in obtaining advanced skills and knowledge in these areas. These students may include those interested in a multi-disciplinary approach to a thesis topic; or, they may include instructors at community colleges, and high school dual-credit and international baccalaureate teachers, among others. For those students who are teaching or plan to teach introductory post-secondary mathematics, English, or speech communication, certificate courses will help them integrate new concentration-specific concepts and approaches into their teaching, thereby improving the quality of instruction and learning outcomes for their students.

These graduate certificates that can be “stacked” with this Master’s degree allow instructors of introductory college-level mathematics, English, and/or speech communications to partially meet the requirements of many post-secondary institutions for their faculty. These requirements usually include a master’s degree in the discipline, or a master’s degree in another field (e.g., education) plus 18 hours in the discipline. With the increased attention that the Higher Learning Commission and other accrediting bodies are giving to the issue of faculty qualifications, current faculty are seeking ways to meet the requirement.

Learning Outcomes

Upon graduation, all MLS graduates from IU Northwest should be able to:

• Write at an advanced level, both professionally and academically in the discipline of their focused studies, as well as in general (which is a skill that they can use in their career)

• Have the capacity and ability to engage with their professional and scholarly peers and to present new ideas. This includes having the advanced ability to contribute new ideas and to connect with their peers and others in their classes and community.

• Deconstruct various theories and practices in order to create and answer critical questions based on a variety of different subjects in the Humanities or Sciences.

• Demonstrate ethical and effective oral and written communication, appropriate to chosen audience and context.

• Demonstrate all aspects of critical inquiries (both written and visual) that are concentrated on the historical, theoretical, and critical issues/subjects that pertain to the student’s chosen disciplines of study in the liberal arts.

• Become advanced critical thinkers. This means, graduates will be able to Identify, analyze, and evaluate important subjects and topics of their community and our world because of the various experiences and perspectives they obtained through the foundational disciplinary knowledge as discussed and presented in their courses.

• Become better citizens and leaders in their local community (and their career).

Admission Requirements

For regular admission, students must:

· Provide a transcript from an accredited institution that shows a completed undergraduate degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above. Students who do not meet this GPA standard may contact the Director of the M.L.S. program at the intended campus enrollment to discuss options for special consideration.

· GRE scores (taken within the past five years).

· Two letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with your academic work and/or potential to succeed in graduate level coursework.

· In-person or video Interview with the Director of the M.L.S. program at the IU campus of intended enrollment.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, but to assure timely enrollment, students should apply by August 10th for the fall semester and January 2nd for the spring semester.

Applications may be obtained through the master’s in liberal studies office at Crestview Hall 018B or by calling (812) 941-2604 or (812) 941-2668 or on the Web site.

Degree Requirements

*(Q510 waived for certificate students by petition)  

2. M.L.S. Electives (12-20 cr)

Option A: Four to Five M.L.S. Elective courses selected from (12-15 cr)

Option B: Completion of an approved IU Graduate Certificate (18-20 cr)

The M.L.S. is designed to be “stackable” with IU Graduate Certificates. In practice this means students are eligible to apply the 18-20 credit hours of certificate credits towards satisfaction of the M.L.S. elective requirement. Students interested in “stacking” the M.L.S. with an IU Graduate Certificate may enter the M.L.S. after completing an IU Graduate Certificate or they can apply for admission to the M.L.S. while continuing to work towards completion of the certificate. The certificate is a stand-alone credential with separate admission procedures and will be awarded when requirements are completed independent of a student’s progress in the M.L.S. An M.L.S. stacked with an IU Graduate Certificate will require a minimum of 34 graduate credits hours, including the 13 credit M.L.S. core and at least 3 credit hours earned for the M.L.S. capstone project.

**Graduate Certificates approved to stack with the collaborative M.L.S. include:

Capstone Experience Options

4) Applied Project. Students may focus their research 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. Complete literature review and effectively designed method will support the value of the project. Typical length: 50 or more pages.