Master of Liberal Studies (MLS) Degree
Program Learning Outcomes for the MLS Degree
Upon completing the MLS degree, students will be able to:
- Appreciate major perspectives and methods of the liberal arts by demonstrating a broadened understanding of some basic concepts in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
- Appreciate the connection of the liberal arts to their lives and the larger world.
- Demonstrate a capacity for analytical thinking.
- Demonstrate good writing skills.
- Practice critical listening and good discussion and oral communication skills.
- Demonstrate academic research methods.
Requirements for the MLS Degree
The MLS degree is a non-thesis master's degree. For general university requirements, see Non-Thesis Master's Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students. Students pursuing the MLS degree must complete:
- A minimum of 12-13 courses (34-37 credit hours) to satisfy degree requirements.
- A minimum of 34 credit hours of graduate-level study (graduate semester credit hours, coursework at the 500-level or above).
- A minimum of 30 graduate semester credit hours must be taken at Rice University.
- A minimum of 24 graduate semester credit hours must be taken in standard or traditional courses (with a course type of lecture, seminar, laboratory, lecture/laboratory).
- A minimum residency enrollment of one fall or spring semester of part-time graduate study at Rice University.
- A maximum of 1 course (3 graduate semester credit hours) from transfer credit. For additional program guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.
- A minimum overall GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework.
- A minimum program GPA of 3.00 or higher in all Rice coursework that satisfies requirements for the non-thesis master’s degree with a minimum grade of B- (2.67 grade points) in each course.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this degree program. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the program's academic advisor or, where applicable, the department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the department or program's Official Certifier. Additionally, these course substitutions must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the MLS Degree | 34-37 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| MLSC 500 | INTRODUCTION TO GRADUATE LIBERAL STUDIES 1 | 3 |
| Select 1 course from each of the following fields (see course lists below): 2 | 9 | |
Humanities | ||
Social Sciences | ||
Natural Science | ||
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 6 elective courses from MLSC course offerings at the 500-level or 600-level 3 | 18 | |
| Capstone | ||
| MLSC 699 | CAPSTONE SEMINAR | 1 |
| Select 1 from the following: 4 | 3-6 | |
| CAPSTONE I and CAPSTONE II | ||
| CAPSTONE II | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 34-37 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | All students must take MLSC 500 in their first semester of study. |
| 2 | The core requirements are designed to acquaint first-year students with contrasting perspectives and methodological approaches that define academic inquiry in the three broad fields of humanities, social sciences, and natural science. Core courses must be completed before courses that satisfy the electives can be taken. |
| 3 | The six (6) electives beyond the core requirements may focus on just 1 field (humanities, social sciences, or natural science) or may be chosen more broadly. |
| 4 | The capstone coursework is designed to help students integrate their knowledge through writing an extended paper or completing a project to be presented to MLS faculty and students. Students may take 1 semester (MLSC 701) or 2 semesters (MLSC 700 and MLSC 701) to complete the capstone project. |
Course Lists to Satisfy Requirements
Core Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Humanities | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| THE SHAPING OF WESTERN THOUGHT | ||
| SHAKESPEARE AND FILM | ||
| MUSIC AND OTHER ARTS: COLLABORATION AND FUSION | ||
| MODERN DRAMA ON FILM AND IN PERFORMANCE | ||
| CONTEMPORARY MORAL ISSUES | ||
| SELF-DETERMINATION IN ARAB WORLD | ||
| TRADITIONAL CHINESE CULTURE AND ITS MODERN LEGACY | ||
| PROFILES FROM THE PAST: FAMOUS FIGURES IN WESTERN HISTORY | ||
| IMMIGRATION AND THE STATE: EUROPE AND THE US IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE | ||
| HUMAN RIGHTS, GENDER EQUALITY AND RELIGIOUS BELIEFS | ||
| THE EPIC JOURNEY | ||
| THE CITY IN LITERATURE | ||
| WRITING LITERATURE FOR CHILDREN | ||
| WINDOW TO THE SOUL: EXPLORING RELIGION AND ETHNICITY THROUGH MUSIC | ||
| PROFILES FROM THE PAST II: FAMOUS FIGURES IN WESTERN HISTORY | ||
| HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY SET IN INTERDISCIPLINARY CONTEXT | ||
| COMPARATIVE IMPERIAL PLEASURE GARDENS: POWER AND LANDSCAPE | ||
| PROFILES FROM THE PAST III: FAMOUS FIGURES IN WESTERN HISTORY | ||
| MY FAVORITE NOVELS - AND GREAT FILMS MADE FROM THEM | ||
| THE POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION | ||
| HEAVEN AND HELL: FROM DANTE TO MILTON AND BEYOND | ||
| EARLY MODERN ISLAMIC WORLD: ART AND EMPIRE | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL LITERATURE | ||
| WOMEN IN SOUTHERN LITERATURE | ||
| HISTORY OF SOUTH ASIA: THE ORIGINS OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN | ||
| MUSIC AND MEDIEVALISM | ||
| A HISTORY OF TUDOR ENGLAND | ||
| MUSIC IN THE ERA OF THE REFORMATION | ||
| THE HOUSE OF STUART | ||
| BIBLICAL ETHICS | ||
| WOMEN WRITERS AND HEROINES: FROM MYTH TO REALITY | ||
| GREAT LITERATURE, GREAT MUSIC | ||
| THOMAS JEFFERSON AND HIS WORLD, 1740-1830 | ||
| LATINA/O/E STORIES FROM THE BORDERLANDS | ||
| INTELLECTUAL FOUNDATIONS OF AMERICAN LAW | ||
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Social Sciences | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| STEREOTYPES, PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION | ||
| PSYCHOLOGY OF BELIEFS | ||
| THEORY AND PRACTICE OF PUNISHMENT | ||
| CONTEMPORARY MORAL ISSUES | ||
| SELF-DETERMINATION IN ARAB WORLD | ||
| HUMAN RIGHTS IN WORLD AFFAIRS | ||
| TRADITIONAL CHINESE CULTURE AND ITS MODERN LEGACY | ||
| IMMIGRATION AND THE STATE: EUROPE AND THE US IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE | ||
| HUMAN RIGHTS, GENDER EQUALITY AND RELIGIOUS BELIEFS | ||
| COMPARATIVE IMPERIAL PLEASURE GARDENS: POWER AND LANDSCAPE | ||
| THE POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION | ||
| EARLY MODERN ISLAMIC WORLD: ART AND EMPIRE | ||
| HISTORY OF SOUTH ASIA: THE ORIGINS OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN | ||
| THE POLITICS OF WORLD WAR TWO IN EUROPE | ||
| PSYCHOLOGY OF AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE | ||
| FORESIGHT IN SOCIAL JUSTICE | ||
| CHILDREN OF IMMIGRANTS | ||
| MORAL LEADERSHIP IN ECONOMICS | ||
| THOMAS JEFFERSON AND HIS WORLD, 1740-1830 | ||
| INTELLECTUAL FOUNDATIONS OF AMERICAN LAW | ||
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Science | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| OUR ENVIRONMENT: SCIENCE AND CULTURE | ||
| THE SOLAR SYSTEM, THE SUN AND THE MIND OF MAN | ||
| EARTH SYSTEMS DYNAMICS | ||
| DNA: HUMAN IDENTITY AND ORIGINS | ||
| SCIENCE IN THE FIRST PERSON | ||
| PLAGUES AND POPULATIONS | ||
| THE GRAND DESIGN | ||
| OUR CHANGING PLANET | ||
| IS ANYBODY OUT THERE: THE SEARCH FOR LIFE BEYOND EARTH | ||
| THE ROLE OF CHEMISTRY IN HISTORY | ||
| MODERN ASTRONOMY AND OUR PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE | ||
| CONSERVING BIODIVERSITY | ||
| SOLVING THE CLIMATE CHALLENGE | ||
| EVOLUTION AND SOCIETY | ||
| PAST AND FUTURE CLIMATE CHANGE: NATURAL VERSUS HUMAN INFLUENCE | ||
| ALL ABOUT BIRDS - AND MORE: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY SCIENCE COURSE | ||
| EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY IN ANTARCTICA | ||
Policies for the MLS Degree
Department of Liberal Studies Graduate Handbook
The General Announcements (GA) is the official Rice curriculum. As an additional resource for students, Liberal Studies publishes a graduate program handbook, which can be found here: https://gradhandbooks.rice.edu/2024_25/Liberal_Studies_Graduate_Handbook.pdf.
Admission
Admission to graduate study is open to qualified students holding a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from an accredited university or college. A minimum GPA of 3.00 from the applicant’s undergraduate work is expected. Additionally, a statement of purpose, resume, writing samples, letters of recommendation, and work experience will be evaluated as part of the admissions decision.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content) and by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS). Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Program Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the MLS degree should be aware of the following program-specific transfer credit guideline:
- No more than 1 course (3 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards the degree.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Liberal Studies website: https://glasscock.rice.edu/master-liberal-studies/.
Opportunities for the MLS Degree
Association of Graduate Liberal Studies National Honor Society
MLS graduates who earn a 3.75 GPA or higher and have demonstrated leadership in the classroom and in the greater community are eligible for nomination to the Association of Graduate Liberal Studies National Honor Society.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Liberal Studies website: https://glasscock.rice.edu/master-liberal-studies/.