UNCA's Master of Liberal Arts Program is an interdisciplinary, part-time course of study for college educated adults who are interested in broad-based learning at the graduate level. The Master of Liberal Arts degree focuses on the theme "The Human Condition." The program explores human nature, human values, and the quality of human life. The theme integrates studies ranging from the humanities and the arts to the natural and social sciences. To earn the MLA, students must successfully complete 10 courses (30 credit hours), including a capstone project seminar.

Its diverse scope allows students to choose from a wide range of courses, and the interdisciplinary nature of the program acts to promote a broad, enriched experience in the study of the human condition.  This experience extends students' intellectual resources and ranges, promotes openness to new ideas and tolerance for differences, stimulates students to find connections between their lifelong learning and their personal and professional lives, and encourages a lifelong commitment to learning.

What Should Students Expect to Accomplish Through the Master of Liberal Arts Program?

As successful graduate students in a Liberal Arts program, students should expect to complete the program with a deepened understanding of and appreciation for the importance of integrated learning, critical thinking and the benefits of life-long learning.  In addition to such general accomplishments, the program has articulated a number of more technical outcomes that are expected of successful MLA students.

On Completion of the Program, Masters Students should have the following Qualities and Skills:

1. an ability to independently initiate, design, conduct and report on research and/or creative projects
2. an ability to formulate viable research questions
3. an ability to manage time to maximize the quality of their scholarship
4. an understanding of the major contours of academic work in their areas of study
5. a capacity for critical evaluation of relevant scholarly and/or creative literature
6. well-developed and flexible problem-solving abilities
7. a capacity to communicate effectively the results of scholarship by oral and written means
8. an understanding of and facility with scholarly conventions in their areas of study
9. a respect for intellectual integrity and the ethics of research and scholarship
10. a capacity to cooperate with other scholars
11. an ability to manage information effectively, including the application of computer systems and software where appropriate to student's areas of study