Program

The graduate program in liberal studies (MALS) offers an interdisciplinary curriculum, primarily in the humanities and social sciences, for adult, part-time students, leading to a master of arts degree. It incorporates broad exposure to such areas of study as history, literature, philosophy, religion, creative writing, art, music, political science, psychology, childhood studies, anthropology, and more. It is designed to meet the needs and interests of mature students from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds as flexibly as possible. Some may be seeking career advancement in education and other fields, while others may simply be seeking personal enrichment. All students should develop not only a greater fund of general knowledge but also a greater ability to read and think critically.

MALS students come from all over the United States, as well as from a number of countries outside the United States. The majority of MALS students complete the program exclusively with online courses specially designed for MALS students. All MALS classes are kept small to encourage the in-depth exploration of ideas. 

Students who live near the Rutgers-Camden campus also have the option of taking traditional campus graduate classes offered by various graduate programs on campus such as English, History, Childhood Studies, Criminal Justice, and Public Policy.  Campus classes meet at convenient times, either in the late afternoon or early evening, in order to accommodate returning students who work. It is also possible to mix online and campus classes, as well as to take a limited number of classes at other Rutgers campuses.