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Courses

Curriculum Requirements


Required Coursework:

  • Seminar in Interdisciplinary Studies (3 credits)
  • Two concentration-specific core courses offered regularly (6 credits)
  • 18 credits from courses of the student's choice that are relevant to the student’s concentration or studies
  • Thesis/Capstone Project (3 credits)

Core courses offered in the MALS Program’s concentrations

Course Sequencing


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

See the Course Schedule page for current course listings.


The Seminar in Interdisciplinary Studies 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 are exempted and may take an additional elective course instead.  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.

Students may not enroll in the same MALS course multiple times for credit. Students may only take one section of the Introduction to Graduate Liberal Studies course for credit.
 

Course Catalog


Unless otherwise stated, all courses are 30 hours plus conferences, 3 credits. MALS students may also take courses in other programs.

MALS Course Catalog

The Master’s Thesis/Capstone Project


Students finish their MA in Liberal Studies by working with an advisor to research and write a thesis OR to complete a capstone project. Students should begin thinking about a thesis/capstone project topic and choosing an adviser, when they have successfully completed approximately eighteen credits. The adviser should be a Graduate Center faculty member 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.

 

Class Location and Frequency


All coursework must come from courses offered directly by Graduate Center programs. Most classes meet once a week at the Graduate School and University Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, at 34th Street, in Manhattan.