What Do You Study in Liberal Studies?

The short answer is almost anything you care to study.  The Master of Liberal Studies at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne is an interdisciplinary degree that allows you to focus on a topic through various disciplines.  For example, you could consider social class in American literature and history, or you could examine Impressionist painting through culture, aesthetics, and psychology.  However, not having a particular focus does not prevent you from being accepted in the program:  you might simply want to focus on two or more complementary disciplines such as psychology and sociology or folklore and literature.  Perfectly acceptable.  Configure your degree however you choose--as long as it is within the broad requirements of the program (12 hours of Liberal Studies seminars and 18 hours of graduate study in Arts and Sciences).

            Similarly, the Liberal Studies seminars in the broad divisions of humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences consider topics from two or more disciplinary perspectives.  For example, Professor John Minton, author of 78 Blues: Folksongs and Phonographs in the American South, teaches his Popular Music and Culture seminar as an exploration of the social, cultural, and historical aspects of popular music.  Professor Rodney Farnsworth’s Arts, Sciences, and Realism seminar considers the impact of scientific thought on literature and the arts.  Professor Michael Wolf’s Politics and Society seminar studies the various social, historical, and political forces that influence American governmental elections.

            In short, you are free to explore any graduate course in the College of Liberal Arts, the largest college at IPFW, comprised of disciplines from Biology, Physics, and Political Science to English, History, and Sociology. 

            Generally, graduate courses outside of the College of Liberal Arts (i.e., in Education, Business, etc.) cannot be applied toward the Master of Liberal Studies degree, except in particular instances, and when agreed upon in consultation with the Director of Liberal Studies--and in the Master of Liberal Studies in Fine Arts.
   

Master of Liberal Studies course breakdown--

3        LBST D501 Humanities Seminar

3        LBST D501 Social Science Seminar 

3        LBST D503  Science Seminar

3    LBST D700 Seminar OR  LBST D500 Graduate Project

subtotal 12 hours

18 elective hours of graduate Arts and Sciences course (i.e., English, History, Sociology, Psychology, etc., but no more than 9 hours in one discipline)

Total degree --30 hours

  IPFW Liberal Studies Page

            If you have questions about the program, call the director at (260) 481-6760 or the program secretary at (260) 481-6019 or email at kaufmann@ipfw.edu or larah@ipfw.edu respectively.