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Master of Arts in the Humanities
The Master of Arts in Humanities is an interdisciplinary degree which includes courses from three separate disciplines - English, History, and Cultural Studies - but it will give students the choice of either concentrating their coursework in one of these areas or spreading their courses among all three. Whichever choice the student makes, he or she will also take three interdisciplinary core courses in Humanities that deal with problems and issues that spill out beyond the boundaries of a single discipline. These may be timeless problems like the meaning of life and death, or issues of contemporary urgency like terrorism. A Creative Writing emphasis was added in 2007. Classes in Fiction and non-Fiction Writing, Screenplays and The Graphic Novel will be presented in subsequent semesters.
The ProgramThe M.A. in Humanities is a 31-unit program in which the final course constitutes an original contribution to human knowledge. This contribution may take the form of a master's thesis, a creative project, or a culminating portfolio. The program itself responds to the explosion of interest that has occurred over the last three decades in the liberal arts and humanities, particularly among adult learners at the graduate level. Faced with over-specialized work environments and with an increasingly fragmented, troubled world, many adults find themselves hungering for a more holistic approach to life and learning than that provided by their narrow, vocationally-oriented undergraduate training. Others see themselves struggling in isolation with the challenges life poses and yearning for a community in which to explore with others the perennial questions of human existence. Some simply seek a setting in which they can develop or refine skills of critical thinking and sound decision-making, acquire a better understanding of our increasingly complex and diverse world, or satisfy a personal passion for life-long learning. This program is designed address to all of these needs. With the goal of "cultivating our humanity," we have constructed the M.A. in Humanities program around three basic themes - The Individual, The Community, and The World. These themes enable us to bring the classical concerns of the humanities into the contemporary world. Without excluding other ideas and emphases arising naturally from the materials that are studied, each of our courses explores the issues embedded in one or more of the following:
We live in a world that is increasingly international, multicultural, and interrelated. We fail ourselves if we do not explore age-old questions in this complex new context, bringing to the task all the analytical insights of the modern university. The M.A. in Humanities program provides a course of study that might be termed “humanities for the twenty-first century. The CurriculumThe M.A. in Humanities is a 31-unit program (eleven courses) supported by several Mount St. Mary’s humanities-related departments. The departments involved include English, Creative Writing, History, and Cultural Studies. Students in the program may choose to have a primary concentration in one of these areas. Core Courses: At the heart of the program is a series of three required courses (9 units), each of which is a “Research and Writing in the Humanities” seminar that addresses each of the three disciplines of the program: Cultural Studies, English, and History. Each seminar features a research and writing component designed to equip the student to work on his or her senior thesis or project. Students may take these seminars in any order as long as they complete one seminar on each of the three program themes. Culmination Course: To complete the Master’s degree, each student submits an original, graduate-level project, portfolio, or thesis (3 units). This work is done under the supervision of the student’s advisor, or (with the agreement of the parties concerned) with a member of the Mount faculty more familiar with the student’s area of interest. If a student chooses to do a project or portfolio in place of a traditional thesis, a written component is required that places the project in a context that reflects the student’s cumulative experience in the program. Some students may opt for a traditional Master’s thesis. Others may be encouraged to consider a project or thesis that draws upon the resources of the community surrounding the Doheny campus. Faculty as well are encouraged to draw upon this racially and culturally diverse neighborhood in designing the content and methodology of their core courses and electives. Elective Courses: The remaining six courses (18 units) are chosen from a list primarily drawn from three departments: English, History, and Cultural Studies. With the guidance of a faculty advisor, a student may elect to earn a concentration by completing three courses (9 units) in one discipline. The Weekend FormatThe Weekend format is an innovative approach to adult learning that provides an alternative way of being a graduate student for professional with the complex work schedules typical of today’s adult student. It redistributes the weekly coursework for a traditional fifteen-week semester into six intensive weekends of class instruction. The weekends are non-consecutive and are scheduled two to thee weeks apart. Students spend the same time in class and receive the same outstanding quality of instruction as those in Mount St. Mary’s evening graduate programs. Each weekend of instruction in the Weekend format is the equivalent of more than two weeks of coursework in a traditional evening format. The adult who attends the Weekend format must prepare for this intensive learning experience well in advance of the actual two days spent on campus. To provide ample study time, the Weekend format offers at least two weeks and more usually three weeks for students to organize and balance career and family responsibilities. The Weekend format is a complete graduate-school experience tailored to fit the needs and schedules of today’s professional adult. Although it is not an accelerated program, the Weekend format generally allows students in less than two years. Timetable for Weekend Classes On instructional weekends, full-time graduate students enrolled in two courses attend classes all day Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon. Each course meets for seven-and-one-half, consecutive hours on the weekend. Students who do not wish to be full time can register for only one course. AdmissionAdmission Requirements
Information Sessions
In order to better acquaint you with our Master of Arts in Humanities program, we have scheduled an information session on the following date:
To RSVP or speak with a Counselor, please call 213-477-2800.
(All WEC 3-unit course schedule are the same dates) |
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