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Liberal Studies
Overview
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The M.A. in Liberal Studies Program is an interdisciplinary 33 to 36-credit degree program that allows students to design and pursue an individual course of study among several different departments at Lehman College. Students take a 12-credit core of Liberal Studies courses and 18 credits of graduate electives from various departments. The final requirement is to write a 6-credit master's thesis under the supervision of a faculty member, with the option of substituting a 3-credit capstone project.
Requirements
A bachelor's degree with at least a 3.0 grade point average or its foreign equivalent from an accredited college or university. In exceptional cases student with a cumulative undergraduate grade-point average below 3.0 may apply by special petition.
Submission of an autobiographical letter.
Two letters of recommendation.
Submission of a tentative course list related to the area intended to be pursued as a concentration.
With appropriate permission, matriculated graduate students may apply to transfer up to 12 credits of graduate courses that have been earned within the last five years. A maximum of six credits can be transferred from courses applied toward a previously awarded master's degree.
With appropriate permission, matriculated graduate students who have not earned any other life-experience credits within the last five years may earn up to 6 credits (to be treated as transfer credits) for Prior Learning Assessment. PLA is based on the student's ability to demonstrate learning that has taken place through volunteer activities or employment services. PLA rewards students for the time and advancement they have achieved in alternative learning settings. PLA must be related to their coursework in the MALS program, must exhibit evidence of graduate-level research, and must be approved by the Program director.
Upon admission, each student is assigned a faculty adviser with special knowledge of the student's anticipated area of concentration. In consultation with his or her faculty adviser, a student develops a coherent course of study that must provide a balanced, interdisciplinary selection of courses in the spirit of the Liberal Studies Program. Students who lack sufficient prerequisites for the particular area of study in which they choose to concentrate (e.g., the foreign languages required for focused historical or geopolitical study) are advised to add appropriate undergraduate courses to their graduate course-load.
Degree candidates must complete all requirements for the degree within a period of five years following matriculation.
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Students may select any graduate courses in the Liberal Arts offered by Lehman College, or enroll in an internship (MLS 794) or an independent study (MLS 795) with a supervisor approved by the Program adviser.
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By the time the student has completed 30 credits, they are expected to present a written two-page thesis proposal and bibliography to their first and second readers. After approval by the readers, the proposal must be approved by the Faculty Advisory Committee
Upon completion of all course work and submission of the thesis project, all students must participate in an online presentation of their work attended by all graduating students.
- 1033471
- 1033481
- 1033491
- 1033501
Students may select any graduate courses in the Liberal Arts offered by Lehman College or enroll in an internship (MLS 794) or independent study (MLS 795) with a supervisor approved by the Program adviser.
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Students who plan to do a capstone project first must successfully complete 30 credits of course work with a 3.0 average. They then must meet with two approved readers to frame an interdisciplinary capstone project (MLS 796), to be completed under the direction of an adviser from the program.
Upon completion of all course work and submission of the capstone project, all students must participate in an online presentation of their work attended by all graduating students.