The Master of Liberal Arts degree offers people of all ages the opportunity to pursue
interdisciplinary studies at a graduate university level. The theme of the program
is "The search for order." Through three complementary core courses and elective courses
chosen in consultation with the program director, students engage in both deep and
wide-ranging explorations of the arts and sciences.
Two broad goals infuse the program. The first is to introduce all students to the
challenges of critical thinking, deep reading, and effective communication in English.
Course readings and assignments especially as found in the core curriculum are reading
and writing intensive. Engaging in the "heavy lifting" of careful writing, close editing,
and responding to critical feedback build skills and confidence in written expression.
Written critiques and in-class discussion of content, themes, and significance motivates
the learner to read carefully and critically. The interplay of reading, writing, and
discussion clarifies the key questions and challenges within The Search for Order,
and then motivates each student to both formulate and defend positions on how those
questions are to be addressed.
The Master of Liberal Arts program has been a full member of the Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs (AGLSP) since 1995.
Program Director
Dr. Will Kiblinger
kiblingerw@winthrop.edu
803/323-4598
