Master of Arts in Liberal Studies

At Empire State University, our M.A. in Liberal Studies is a 30-credit online program that is interdisciplinary and individualized to meet the student’s needs and interests. The MALS program is designed for educators, artists, writers, activists, lifelong learners, and others who, in collaboration with their faculty mentor, want to create a unique degree plan that is cross-disciplinary to meet their personal and professional goals. Whether you are looking to earn a content-specific credential or to pursue a creative or thematic project, the MALS has much to offer. Our students have gone on to work in schools, museums, non-profit organizations, performing arts centers, libraries, health and wellness centers, journalism and media outlets, doctoral programs, and beyond. 

If you can imagine it, we can help you learn it! 

Some possible areas of concentration include but are not limited to the following: 

* Earn an additional Advanced Graduate Certificate with your Master’s 

This program combines online courses with virtual Graduate Residencies.  Students typically attend 2 - 3 of these throughout the course of their program. 

For teachers: The MALS may satisfy the requirement that P-12 teachers (who already hold a NYS initial teaching certificate) complete a master's degree in a related area to obtain professional certification. Students with initial certification may be able to independently pursue professional certification after completion of the MALS degree.  

Program Design

The 30-credit Liberal Studies master's degree incorporates online courses with several (usually 2-3) virtual residencies. Your program begins with two courses that provide the tools you need to understand and adopt the perspectives of multiple disciplines. These are followed by a series of electives that you can design or select, culminating in a unique final project.

Required Courses

• LACS 6005 - Foundations of Liberal Studies
• LACS 6020/25/27/30/35 - Models of Critical Inquiry (choice of focus: Historical Studies or Arts/Aesthetics) 
• LACS 6010 – Interdisciplinary Learning Design
• LACS 6015 - Exploring Your Field: The Academic Literature Review
• LACS 7025 – Capstone Project 

Elective Courses and Capstone

You design or choose five elective courses to reflect your interests and to reinforce the individual focus of your degree. Check out our areas of concentration. You are encouraged to use your electives to build a concentration around your final capstone topic. Many students choose to incorporate one of the advanced certificates into their master’s degree as their focus area to earn an additional credential. 

The concluding study is a professional-focused final project that draws upon your prior coursework and allows for a meaningful contribution to your field of study and/or practice. 

For more information about this program and its course sequencing and descriptions, visit the Empire State University's Academic Catalog.