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. Students pursuing the MLS degree must complete:
- A minimum of 11-12 courses (33-36 credit hours) to satisfy degree requirements.
- A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 in required coursework.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the MLS Degree | 33-36 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| MLSC 600 | INTRODUCTION TO GRADUATE RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND EXPOSITION 1 | 3 |
| Select 1 course from each of the following fields (see below for course lists): 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 | ||
| Select 1 from the following: 4 | 3-6 | |
| CAPSTONE I | ||
| CAPSTONE I and CAPSTONE II | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 33-36 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | All students must take MLSC 600 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 “track” (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. |
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 | ||
| "PLEASE SIR, I WANT SOME MORE": DICKENS, OLIVER TWIST, POVERTY, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| "PLEASE SIR, I WANT SOME MORE": DICKENS, OLIVER TWIST, POVERTY, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY IN ANTARCTICA | ||
Policies for the MLS Degree
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 3.0 from the applicant’s undergraduate work is expected, though the admissions committee also gives consideration to applicants’ postgraduate experience and recent accomplishments.
For additional information, please see the Master of Liberal Studies website: http://mls.rice.edu.
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.
For additional information, please see the Master of Liberal Studies website: http://mls.rice.edu.