Master of Arts [M.A] [Liberal Studies - Human Behavior and Society] From Valparaiso University

The 36-credit Liberal Studies - Human Behavior and Society MA degree from Valparaiso University which can be completed through evening study, or through a combination of evening and day study?are made up of core requirements in liberal studies, an area of concentration, and electives.

MALS programs at VU require a 12-credit core of interdisciplinary study drawn from seminars in the humanities, social and natural sciences, and fine arts. These core seminars provide students with diverse perspectives and methodological tools that help prepare them for in-depth study in their concentration. Although the specific topics of these seminars change regularly, all share the common thread of viewing the human experience through both classical and contemporary perspectives, and all can be approached from the perspective of the student?s concentration in Human Behavior & Society. 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 Human Behavior & Society. Content of courses within the concentration are typically interdisciplinary, and students are afforded a great deal of flexibility in constructing their studies in Human Behavior & Society.

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 up to 6 credits of travel/study by taking advantage of 4-6 week stints of study at one of VU?s overseas centers in Cambridge, England; Reutlingen, Germany; Puebla, Mexico; or Hangzhou, China.