Masters Degree In Liberal Arts

Masters Degree in Liberal Arts

The Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) is the result of a collaboration with the College of Arts and Sciences. It is designed with the adult learner in mind. That learner might be a professional who wishes to add a reflective and/or historical dimension to their professional competencies, or who wishes to pursue paths of inquiry or satisfy curiosities that have developed over the unfolding of their life.

The MLA degree provides the opportunity to achieve the fulfillment that comes only through the mindful pursuit of higher education while allowing students to maintain work and life commitments. The MLA degree is also designed to provide students with the opportunity to develop critical reasoning and creative thinking skills that can be applied to everyday life, as well as to any industry or profession within which a student may choose to work. The MLA degree builds on a common core of foundational courses that then leads into an area of specialization. Students work with faculty advisors to design a coherent program that is tailored to their particular areas of interest. Students may choose to specialize in Applied History, Global Studies, or an individualized course of study.

Masters Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies

The University of Maine Graduate School offers an interdisciplinary concentration in Maine Studies within the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies. This degree program offers students the opportunity to design an interdisciplinary study of Maine through classes in literature, history, folklore, Native American studies, Franco-American studies, women’s studies, geology, geography, political science, and other disciplines. Students will also participate in interdisciplinary seminars.

The Maine Studies graduate program allows students to pursue Maine-related interdisciplinary interests such as Wabanaki culture and the environment, poverty and public policy, immigrant history and culture, women’s work and the economy, the art and culture of the coast, or folklore and labor history, to name just a few examples of interdisciplinary research areas. While providing a better understanding of the state’s problems and opportunities, both past and present, this interdisciplinary liberal arts program will also sharpen students' research and critical thinking skills and deepen their understanding of Maine. The program will help prepare students for careers in such areas as teaching, government, business, historical preservation, or social services.