Master of Science in Liberal Studies
https://www.tamuct.edu/degrees/graduate/liberal-studies.html
*The Master of Science in Liberal Studies degree will change in name to 'Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies' pending approval beginning in the Fall 2024.
OVERVIEW
A graduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies allows students to develop a unique scholarly identity by combining a variety of academic programs into one curriculum. The result is a more personalized degree that can more directly meet the variety of educational and professional goals today’s students bring with them to a university.
The Interdisciplinary Studies graduate degree aims to address the interests and needs of working professionals seeking an advanced degree or traditional students looking to secure the foundation they need for more advanced academic pursuits.
This program holds particular rewards for students looking to develop scholarly interests that extend beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries or that naturally exist within an interdisciplinary context. All graduates will develop the skills they need to address contemporary questions or concerns through original research, and to express their findings in an effective and meaningful manner.
Program Level Student Learning Outcomes
The student will be able to:
- Locate scholarly arguments within the disciplinary concerns that define them.
- Examine one's own scholarly interests within some established or still developing sets of methodologies and scholarship.
- Combine and integrate the theories and methodologies from multiple disciplines. Combine and, when appropriate, integrate the theories and methodologies from multiple disciplines into one project.
- Evaluate intellectual questions against a set of contexts including, but not limited to, political, historical, material, cultural, racial, ethical, national, and geographic contexts.
- Author original research that exhibits the advanced critical-thinking and communication skills necessary for effective professional and other social or cultural contexts.
- Develop habits of critical inquiry that include self-direction and self-reflection.
Entry Requirements
1. Successful admission to graduate school.
2. Successful writing sample to the graduate program: Applicants will submit a writing sample that can earn a successful rating on the “writing sample rubric.” The rubric and the process of review are both provided in the program handbook. The writing sample can be a paper from an undergraduate course or something equivalent to that type of assignment.
Priority Deadlines for admission to the Graduate school and submission of the writing sample:
1 August for the fall semester
5 January for the spring semester
15 May for the summer semester
Applications received by the priority deadlines will be reviewed in time to register for the next upcoming semester. Applications received after the priority deadline should not expect to be considered in time for the upcoming semester.
Master of Science - Liberal Studies With Thesis Program Requirements
Individuals in the Graduate Studies Program, together with individuals from the College of Arts and Sciences, serve as advisors to students seeking a Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. This is an interdisciplinary degree, which means it offers students the opportunity to work across disciplines and to bring those disciplines into conversation with one another.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| LIBS 5300 | Interdisciplinarity | 3 |
| LIBS 5310 | Interdisciplinary Methods | 3 |
| LIBS 5395 | Interdisciplinary Thesis | 3 |
| LIBS 5395 | Interdisciplinary Thesis | 3 |
| Approved Courses | 24 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 36 | |
Master of Science - Liberal Studies Without Thesis Program Requirements
Individuals in the Graduate Studies Program, together with individuals from the College of Arts and Sciences, serve as advisors to students seeking a Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. This is an interdisciplinary degree, which means it offers students the opportunity to work across disciplines and to bring those disciplines into conversation with one another.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LIBS 5300 | Interdisciplinarity | 3 |
| LIBS 5310 | Interdisciplinary Methods | 3 |
| LIBS 5090 | Comprehensive Examination | 0 |
| Approved Courses | 30 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 36 | |
