Overview
Self-Directed Graduate-Level Study Is the Key to the Success of Dartmouth's Master of Arts in Liberal Studies Program
The Dartmouth Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (M.A.L.S.) program is offered by Graduate Arts and Sciences, which offers fifteen graduate programs in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
The M.A.L.S. program was designed for individuals who want to engage in self-directed study in the liberal arts at the graduate level. A fundamental principle of liberal studies is the examination of accepted premises in traditional disciplines, and the M.A.L.S. program affords students the opportunity to combine disparate disciplines in order to forge new areas of scholarly inquiry. Courses offered through the program have combined such disciplines as psychology and philosophy, history and sociology, and many others. In addition, the program features courses that demonstrate breadth within a single discipline.
Candidates for the M.A.L.S. degree complete eight courses (three of which must be interdisciplinary), two summer symposia, and a thesis. At least one of the eight courses must be an independent study. A research methods course is offered in the summer as an alternative to the symposium. M.A.L.S. students pursue a self-designed liberal studies curriculum with guidance from the M.A.L.S. Director and Chair.
The program also offers concentrations in cultural studies, creative writing, and globalization studies. Each concentration consists of: three courses in the area of concentration; three interdisciplinary M.A.L.S. courses; an independent study, also in the area of concentration; and one elective.
Cultural studies courses encompass the subjects of race, class, gender, post-Colonial studies, and performance/media studies. Creative writing majors may pursue workshops in the genres of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, journalism, screenwriting, oral history, or playwriting. The globalization studies track combines history, politics, economics, sociology, and anthropology, and students may elect a regional focus.
Candidates intending to concentrate in one of these areas should indicate their interest on their application, but that indication is not considered binding.
Candidates for the M.A.L.S. program may attend the program year-round on a full-time basis, part-time, summers only (for teachers and other professionals) or in a combination of these patterns. Students have six years from the time of entry to complete degree requirements. The program generally takes six to eight terms (1 1/2 to 2 years) with full-time attendance, including thesis research and writing. After coursework and the symposium requirements are fulfilled, students may remain on campus and formally enroll in thesis research (up to a maximum of four terms), or they may work independently on their thesis off campus.
The M.A.L.S. Program Accommodates Full-Time Graduate Students and Working Professionals, Filling a Wide Range of Needs
The M.A.L.S. program offers enrollment on a full-time, part-time, or summers-only basis to accommodate both full-time graduate students and working professionals. Originally designed as a program for teachers to expand their cross-disciplinary knowledge, M.A.L.S. now satisfies a broad spectrum of academic and professional needs.
M.A.L.S. has a typical term enrollment of 75 to 90 students during the traditional academic year, with approximately 100 to 120 in the summer session.
Application Process
The M.A.L.S. Admissions Committee requires the completion of an application form, three letters of professional/academic reference, a statement of purpose, and academic transcripts. The application is available online through a link on the M.A.L.S. Web site. Writing samples and the submission of GRE scores are not required.
Applicants are urged to schedule an admissions interview prior to the application deadline. Telephone interviews are also acceptable for people outside of the immediate area. Application deadlines are February 15 (for summer or fall enrollment) and July 15 (for winter or spring entry).
Dartmouth's Rich and Varied Resources and Information Systems Provide Factual Foundations for Academic Inquiry
Dartmouth College's extensive facilities are available to all graduate students and visitors year-round. The college library's collection of more than a million volumes, the rich variety of computer network services, the Hopkins Center for the Performing Arts, the Hood Museum, Alumni Gym, and numerous other facilities and services offer many advantages to M.A.L.S. students.
Resources that provide opportunities for students to engage in community activism, international and public affairs activities, and intellectual forums with guest speakers, debates, discussion groups, and student organizations include the Tucker Foundation, the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Affairs, the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Affairs, the Ethics Institute, the Humanities Center, and the Center for Women and Gender, among many others.
A Rural Setting Balances the World-Class Standing and Fast Pace of Academic Life at Dartmouth in New Hampshire
Dartmouth is located in Hanover, New Hampshire, a small New England town dating back to a few years before the college's founding in 1769. Situated in the Upper Valley of the Connecticut River between the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Green Mountains of Vermont, Hanover combines the advantages of a rural setting with the resources of a university.
The Dartmouth campus is about 2 hours by car from Boston and 3½ hours from Montreal. Local airports include Lebanon-Hanover, Manchester, and Burlington, and there is an Amtrak station approximately 15 minutes from campus in White River Junction, Vermont.
