Master of Arts [M.A] [Liberal Studies - History] From Valparaiso University

The 36-credit MA in?Liberal Studies - History?program from Valparaiso University, which can be completed on a part-time basis through evening study, or on a full-time basis through a combination of evening and day study, is made up of core requirements in Liberal Studies, the History concentration, and electives.

Core requirements consist of four interdisciplinary seminars drawn from five areas: Religion, Culture and Value; Humanities; Social Sciences; Natural Sciences and Fine Arts. The specific topics of these seminars change regularly, but all share the common thread of viewing the human experience through both classical and contemporary perspectives. Each seminar involves significant reading, writing, and reflection.

While the core seminars challenge students to think beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries, the concentration encourages them to apply this conceptual and methodological breadth to the specific field of History. Content of courses within the concentration are typically interdisciplinary, and students are afforded a great deal of flexibility in constructing their studies in History.

No thesis is required for completion of the MALS in history, however, research papers are a regular part of graduate coursework in the program. MALS students are encouraged to culminate their studies with a capstone experience, a research project, a creative or artistic work, a service-learning endeavor, or even a travel/study experience. Regarding this last option, MALS students may earn academic credit by taking advantage of 4-6 week stints of study at one of VU?s overseas centers in Cambridge, England, or Reutlingen, Germany, Puebla, Mexico, or Hangzhou, China.