Graduate Bulletin

Liberal Arts, M.L.A.

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: July 15                                  [December 15 for international applicants]

Spring: November 15                          [August 1 for international applicants]

Applications are processed as they arrive up to the deadline date.

Letters of Reference:

Not required.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration:

All applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. While a 3.0 undergraduate GPA is required for admission to graduate study at Temple University, applicants to the M.L.A. program are considered on an individual basis and may be exempted from this requirement.

Bachelor's Degree in the Discipline/Related Discipline:

A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university is required.

Statement of Goals:

The Statement of Goals should be approximately 500-1,000 words and should include the following elements: your interest in Temple's program; your research goals; your future career goals; and your academic and research achievements.

Standardized Test Scores:

Minimum TOEFL score or range of scores needed to be accepted: 575 paper-based, 230 computer-based, or 88 internet-based.  Any student admitted with a TOEFL score below 600 on the paper-based, 250 on the computer-based, or 100 on the internet-based examination must pass an English skills course during the first semester of enrollment at Temple University.  Those having taken the paper-based or computer-based test have the additional option of testing out of the English course by taking and passing the SPEAK test at Temple.

Resume:

A resume is required.

Transfer Credit:

Graduate credits from an accredited institution may be transferred into the M.L.A. The credits must be equivalent to coursework offered at Temple, and the grade must be a "B" or better in order to transfer. The Admissions Committee makes recommendations for transferring credits to the Director of the M.L.A. Program. The maximum number of credits a student may transfer is 6.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:

Number of Didactic Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 30

Required Courses:

Minimum of three M.L.A. courses, one of which should be MLA 555: Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies. Students are advised to take no more than three courses in a specific discipline or department.

Internship: No internship is required.

Language Examination: No language examination is required.

Culminating Events:

Qualifying Paper:

All candidates for the Master of Liberal Arts degree are required to write the Qualifying Paper, which is 4,000-6,000 words in length.  It should demonstrate the student's ability to write analytically on a topic of her/his choice; to read, absorb, and evaluate scholarly thought and research; and to develop and establish her/his own perspective on the problem being examined.  The Qualifying Paper is submitted for approval to the M.L.A. Advisory Committee or other graduate faculty chosen by the M.L.A. Program. Revisions may be requested.

Contacts

Program Contact Information:

www.temple.edu/MLA

Department Information:

Master of Liberal Arts Program

College of Liberal Arts

1114 West Berks Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6090
nadiak@temple.edu
215-204-1644

Department Contacts:

Admissions:

Nadia Kravchenko
nadiak@temple.edu
215-204-1644

Program Coordinator:

Dr. Jayne Drake
jayne.drake@temple.edu
215-204-4699

Graduate Chairperson:

Dr. Jayne Drake
jayne.drake@temple.edu
215-204-4699

Chairperson:

Dr. Jayne Drake
jayne.drake@temple.edu
215-204-4699

About the Program

The Master of Liberal Arts is an interdisciplinary degree that offers students the opportunity to take courses from a variety of graduate programs in the College of Liberal Arts and elsewhere in the University. Students are encouraged to develop an individual focus, based on their own interests and objectives and with the advice of the M.L.A. Director. Our students are generally working adults who want to grow intellectually by extending their liberal arts education. Some may be seeking to move toward the doctoral level in an area and want to prepare themselves for graduate work; others may be interested in changing careers and wish to gain post-baccalaureate experience. The M.L.A. might be relevant, for example, to those seeking to move into educational administration, library work, public policy, or teaching.

Time Limit for Degree Completion:  5 years

Campus Location:

Main Campus, Center City

Students may take a significant number of required and elective courses at the Main and Center City campuses. Occasionally, courses will be offered at the Ambler Campus.

Full-Time/Part-Time Status:

Students are able to complete the degree program through classes offered after 4:30 p.m. The degree program can also be completed on a part-time basis (8 credit hours or less per semester).

Continuous Enrollment:

Because the M.L.A. student is typically a working adult, continuous enrollment in the program is not required.  Thus, students do not need to be enrolled each semester (Fall and Spring) to maintain current status and are exempt from filing a Leave of Absence form when opting to take a semester off.

Department Information:

Master of Liberal Arts Program

College of Liberal Arts

1114 West Berks Street

Philadelphia, PA 19122-6090

nadiak@temple.edu

215-204-1644

Interdisciplinary Study:

Students are introduced to interdisciplinary thinking in introductory courses and encouraged to develop individual programs of study along interdisciplinary lines.

Affiliation(s):

Not applicable.

Study Abroad:

No.

Ranking:

Not available.

Accreditation:

No.

Areas of Specialization:

The M.L.A. Program draws upon faculty from across the range of disciplines in the College of Liberal Arts, with an emphasis on American Studies, Arts and Society, Environmental Policy, and Women's Studies. It is recommended that students concentrate their courses outside of the M.L.A. courses in two or three departments.

Job Placement:

While not a professional degree, the M.L.A. degree may be applicable to a wide range of future graduate training and/or employment, from teaching and educational administration to library work, from public policy to arts management, from government and public service to work in the private sector.

Licensure:

Not applicable.

Non-Degree Student Policy:

Non-matriculated students may take up to 9 s.h. of graduate work at Temple University before admission to the program. Coursework may be credited to the M.L.A. degree with the approval of the M.L.A. Advisory Committee.

Financing Opportunities

Students in the M.L.A. Program are generally working adults who want to grow intellectually by extending their liberal arts education. Therefore, funding for assistantships and academic internships is limited.

Updated 2.8.06