MLA-Master of Liberal Arts

Individual works, thematically related and deemed fundamental to the study of the liberal arts in Western culture, will be chosen by the seminar professor. The course's objective is to introduce the student to some basic texts, as well as to graduate level research and writing methodoligies.

This course is a 'learning-how-to-learn' course, designed to teach especially beginning graduate students the principles and practices of active reading and listening, based on the work of Mortimer Adler.

Liberal learning, study of the liberal arts, has been the hallmark of free, self-governing persons since Greek and Roman antiquity. This course will survey the meaning and relevance of liberal education as part of a flourishing human life, from the origin of the concepts to our own hyper-specialized scientific and technology-driven world of today.

Human beings act for reasons, and it has been argued that the ultimate objective of every human act is the pursuit of happiness. This course will survey conceptions of happiness and the myriad ways that people have pursued it over the ages.

A history of the attitudes the U.S. as a nation has had toward the environment and the historic forces that helped shape these attitudes. Fall, even years.

A study of the thought and influence of John Henry Newman through a selection of his writings and an examination of the historical circumstances that led to their composition. Spring, odd years.

The course studies the period 1300-1550 in order to ascertain its specific nature as a period of European history and its contributions to the development of Western civilization. The course will examine the contributions of this period in the areas of scholarly pursuits (Humanism), philosophy, political thought and religion, as well as in the literary and fine arts. An attempt will be made to place these developments in their political and socio-economic contexts.

Student research on a selected problem in the field pursued under the guidance of an assigned member of the faculty. Fall, Spring.

Selected topics of mutual interest to faculty and students.

MLA Project Continuation

Continuation of the thesis.

This is the course designator for projects.

This is the course designator for projects.

This is the course designator for research papers.

This is the course designator for research papers.