Required Coursework:

• Introduction to Graduate Liberal Studies
• Two track-specific core courses offered regularly (if these courses are cross-listed, you must register for the MALS course number)
• Six electives, selected from all courses offered by the Graduate Center (including core courses for other Liberal Studies tracks of study)
• Thesis

Students are admitted in both fall and spring terms.
Students are expected to follow this general course sequence:

• Introduction to Graduate Liberal Studies
• Core Courses
• Elective Courses
• Thesis

See left navigation menu for complete course listings.

The introductory course should be taken during a student’s first semester in the program. All new entering students are required to take the course by the end of their second semester in the program, though students who enter with a Master’s degree may request an exemption from the requirement by meeting with the Executive Officer.  Students are expected to take their core courses in their first year of study.  If a student's core course is cross-listed, Liberal Studies students are expected to enroll in the Liberal Studies section of the course.

The Master’s Thesis is a 50-60 page scholarly paper, based on original research into a topic of the master’s candidate’s choosing. Students should begin thinking about a thesis topic, and choosing a thesis adviser, when they have successfully completed approximately eighteen credits. The adviser should be an instructor who is interested in the proposed thesis project. Regardless of when a student begins work on his or her thesis, the thesis course is registered for only once, in the student’s final term.

All classes meet at the Graduate School and University Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, at 34th Street, in Manhattan. Most classes meet once a week.