25 Best Master of Liberal Arts Degrees

Are you interested in Latin American Studies? English literature? Social or natural sciences? Perhaps a combination of the three?

Maybe you want to open the door to a wide range of career opportunities and don’t want to pigeonhole yourself into a specific area of study. Or you want to explore new ways to think about the world. 

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Perhaps you have a variety of professional goals you want to meet. You want to explore the fundamental questions of existence. You have countless passions and interests. 

If you have a strong sense of intellectual curiosity – or you just want to understand the human experience a little better from multiple perspectives – then a liberal arts degree might be the right choice for you.

A liberal arts degree provides a well-rounded graduate education. Its great for students with diverse educational backgrounds as well as those from a wide range of academic disciplines. 

You’ll complete a master’s degree that will hone your communication skills, critical thinking skills, and analytical skills. You’ll take classes that allow you to gain access to new ways of thinking. You’ll also build a strong foundation in subjects that will help you in any career you choose to pursue.

But what exactly is a master of liberal arts, and is it right for you? Can you pursue it on a part time or full time basis? What kind of classes will you take in a master of liberal arts?

Learn everything you need to know about this versatile degree -a nd find the best master of liberal arts for your needs – in this guide. 

See Also: Best & Cheapest Online Master’s in Education

Our Methodology

We approached this ranking by looking at many factors. We gathered information from available sources such as:

• the Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs (AGLSP)
• U.S. News and World Report
• the U.S. Department of Labor
• the websites of schools that offer Master of Liberal Studies, Liberal Arts, or Interdisciplinary degree programs online

Then, we looked at three criteria that helped guide our choices for the ranking. 

The three criteria were:

• School reputation
• Clear Liberal Studies focus and/or the variety of offerings
• Amount of program accessible online

See Also: 40 Fastest Online Master’s Degree Programs

25 Best Master of Liberal Arts Degrees

#25. University of Illinois at Springfield

Master of Liberal Arts Program

The online Master of Arts degree in Liberal and Integrative Studies graduate program at UIS is one of the best master of liberal arts programs around and helps students hone their communication and critical thinking skills.

What MLA Students Cover:

Some examples of past degrees created by online students include:

• Deaf Material Culture
• Applied Existentialism
• Storytelling and Folklore
• Philosophy of Ethics in Virtual Worlds

You will also complete a capstone project. 

See Also: 10 Most Popular and Cheap Online Master’s Degree Programs

#24. Albertus Magnus College

Master of Liberal Studies 

This next top masters in liberal arts is offered as part of Albertus Magnus College’s Online & Flex Programs, The Master of Arts in Liberal Studies degree program is all online. It can also be completed on-campus or as a combination of the two. You’ll hone your critical thinking skills and analytical skills, among others. 

What MLA Students Cover:

The degree is not self-directed. Instead, there are four themes that students pursue in their coursework: 

• Society and Culture
• Arts and Humanities
• Science, Technology and Environmental Studies
• Religion, Philosophy and Moral Choice

Students must complete 33 credit hours and a final capstone project. This can be a master’s thesis or a creative project (or a combination).

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#23. University of Massachusetts Boston

Master of Arts in Critical and Creative Thinking

UMassOnline has a Master of Arts in Critical and Creative Thinking (CCT) degree program. It has 33 credit hours. 

What MLA Students Cover:

MLA students can participate in a general track or follow the Science in a Changing World track. There are foundational courses required. Students have their choice of electives along with a capstone project to hone their critical thinking skills. Topics include:

• Creativity in the Literature and Arts
• Biomedical Ethics
• Issues in Antiracist and Multicultural Education
• Reflective Practitioner’s Portfolio

#22. California State University, Dominguez Hills

Master of Arts in Humanities

The Master of Arts in Humanities (HUX) degree at CSU Dominguez Hills has been offered as a distance education program since 1974. This masters in general studies takes five terms to complete. It’s all online. 

What MLA Students Cover:

Students immerse themselves in interdisciplinary courses covering:

• History
• Literature
• Philosophy
• Music
• Art 

Classes in this master of liberal arts degree might include topics such as: 

• Foundations of the Humanities
• Philosophy and Human Being
• Music and Hearing Humanities

This program is designed to meet the needs of incarcerated students, though other liberal arts students may also apply. You will also complete a capstone project.

#21. American Public University

Master of Liberal Arts Program

The next best masters in liberal studies is in APU’s School of Arts & Humanities. 

It has 36 credit hours. The program allows up to fifteen transferable credits from other institutions. This school is known for online programs. APU’s MA in Humanities can be completed in two years if students pursue the degree full-time. The program has start dates at the beginning of each month. 

Courses in This MLA Program:

21 credit hours of core courses cover core and elective curricular topics. Examples chosen by liberal arts students include:

• Evolution of Life and Intelligence
• Antiquity and Medieval World
• History and Popular Culture
• Evolution of Earth and Universe
• Society, Class and Wealth

#20. Wayland Baptist University

Master of Arts in Humanities

This next liberal arts master’s degree consists of four eleven-week terms per year. WBU’s online Master of Arts in Humanities degree program is both accessible and convenient. It is a thirty-seven-credit-hour interdisciplinary degree program. 

Courses in This MLA Program:

Students choose eighteen credit hours in one discipline within English, history, or religion. They then divide the remaining eighteen credits between the other two academic disciplines. The final credit is made up of a comprehensive exam or capstone project. 

#19. Tiffin University

Liberal Arts Master 

Tiffin University has another outstanding MALS degree. 

It has concentrations such as:

• Humanities
• Art & Visual Media
• English
• Communication
• Creative Writing
• Film Studies

Courses in This MLA Program:

The degree is focused on ” broad-based background courses.” Examples include:

• Studies in Human, Political, and Social Sciences
• Aesthetics
• Literary Theory

#18. Texas Christian University

Master of Liberal Arts Program (MLA Degree)

The Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) degree program at TCU is all online.  It’s one of the best MALS programs out there. It is ideal for students who have interests in various subjects that were not satisfied in their undergraduate studies. 

There’s also an on-campus program. 

Courses in This MLA Program:

TCU’s Online MLA presents 54 online classes. Not all are available each semester. Some choices include:

• The Wild West
• Creative Writing: Advanced Fiction Writing
• Science, Scientists, and Society

This degree does not lead to a specific career. It presents students the opportunity to “satisfy their intellectual curiosity and to broaden their knowledge.”

#17. University of Michigan–Flint

Master of Arts in Liberal Studies in American Culture

University of Michigan’s Rackham Graduate School at UM-Flint is the home of the online MA in Liberal Studies in American Culture degree program. Students can participate as full or part-time students. A final thesis is required for this program. It’s one of the best master of liberal arts online.

Courses in This MLA Program:

There are twenty-five online elective course offerings. Some of the most popular are:

• Black America Since the Civil War
• Recent American Film
• Multicultural Children’s Literature
• Law and Administrative Processes

#16. The College at Brockport, State University of New York

Master of Liberal Studies Program

The Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) degree program at Brockport is a 100% online program. 

Courses in This MLA Program:

This is an interdisciplinary program. Students create their own plan of study. They can choose classes that interest them most.

#15. Nova Southeastern University

Master of Arts in Cross-Disciplinary Studies

The online MA in Cross-disciplinary Studies at NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences is an interdisciplinary program. It’s one of the most versatile master of liberal studies you will find.

The program takes just over a year and a half to two and a half years. It has 33 credit hours. 

Courses in This MLA Program:

There are six concentrations: 

• Culture and Society
• Health and Society
• Information Systems and Society
• Coastal Environment and Society
• Education and Society
• Institutional Assessment

The two required practicums must be a combined 130 hours of placement within a community setting.

#14. University of Memphis

Liberal Arts Master Degree

This next program is a thirty-three credit hour, interdisciplinary program. The Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) degree at UofM Global allows students to customize their degree.

Students are supported the entire journey with this masters in liberal arts online.

Courses in This MLA Program:

Topic choices include:

• Promotions in Sports Commerce
• Intro to the Exceptional Learner
• Museum Practices

#13. The University of Toledo

Master of Liberal Arts Program

The online MALS degree program at The University of Toledo gives students the space to become “inspired by a particular course or line of inquiry.” This online masters in liberal arts helps students craft their own path.

Courses in This MLA Program:

The program requires 33 credit hours of both core courses and electives. Students must coordinate a personalized study plan with the program director. 

#12. Thomas Edison State University

Master of Liberal Arts Program

TESU’s Heavin School of Arts and Sciences has a MALS degree program. It includes 36 credit hours of study. 

Courses in This MLA Program:

Students can customize their degree by choosing the Learner-Designed Area of Study (LDAS). Or they can opt for predetermined focus areas in:

• Digital Humanities
• Geropsychology
• Industrial Organizational Psychology
• Online Learning and Teaching
•  Professional Communications

There are eighteen credit hours of core courses. These include topics like:

• The Liberal Arts and Professional Life
• Technology and the Human Community: Challenges and Responses
• Sense of Community I – Art and Morality

#11. University of South Dakota

Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary studies

Flexibility and student choice are key to USD’s online Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS) degree program.

Courses in This MLA Program:

Students choose from two (or an optional third) academic disciplines. This makes up the thirty-two credit hour degree, which is one of the best online masters in liberal arts.

Classes are offered in eight-week sessions. Students work with an advisor to choose from the many online class offerings.

#10. Utica College

Master of Liberal Arts

The Master of Science in Liberal Studies degree program at Utica College is interdisciplinary. It caters to students from an array of educational backgrounds. The program, one of the best liberal arts masters degrees, presents three academic disciplines. 

Courses in This MLA Program:

The program has a minimum of thirty-one credit hours (and up to thirty-seven). Students take six credits of foundational method courses. There are nine hours of electives. They must complete a six-hour thesis. That’s in addition to the twelve required credit hours in their chosen focus area. 

Electives can be chosen from one of the other focus areas to build critical thinking and communication skills. They can also be selected from other departments with faculty advisor approval.

#9. Rutgers University

Master of Arts in Liberal Studies

Accessibility and convenience are key benefits of the online Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) degree program. Whether you’re interested in Latin American Studies or want to explore new ways of thinking about the sciences, this graduate degree is a great choice. It can be completed in as little as one year on a full time basis or you can take your time with your courses in a part time program of study. 

Courses in This Liberal Arts Degree:

This is a thirty-credit hour, cross-disciplinary program. It is designed for intellectuals who want something more out of their interests and professional lives. 

Students explore topics in at least three different disciplines to gain access to multiple perspectives and discplines: 

• the humanities
• the social sciences
• either a class in non-western culture or gender/minorities studies

#8. Stony Brook University

Master of Liberal Arts Program

Stony Brook’s online learning through the School of Professional Development offers an interdisciplinary MALS degree program. 

There are eleven three-credit hour classes make up the master in liberal arts. 

Courses in This Liberal Arts Degree:

Fifteen credit hours are devoted to the required liberal studies core curriculum. Topics include a wide range of classes, including:

• Effective Professional Global and Cultural Awareness
• Effective Professional Action and Leadership

#7. Arizona State University

Master of Liberal Studies

ASU Online offers many high-quality online degree programs. The online Master of Liberal Studies (MLSt) degree program is no exception. 

New students can start the program every seven and a half weeks for ultimate convenience. 

Courses in This Liberal Arts Degree:

Nine hours of required core classes are chosen from four classes: 

• Film and Media Studies
• Ethics, Science and Culture
• Religion, Health and Culture
• Writing About Social Issues

#6. Johns Hopkins University

MLA Degree

The Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) at Johns Hopkins’ Krieger School of Arts & Sciences has been perfecting the degree since 1962. This was when it was first offered. 

This “dynamic” interdisciplinary program is comprised of a ten-course curriculum: 

• one interdisciplinary core course called “Exploring the Liberal Arts” 
• eight or nine elective selections
• a final MLA Capstone (a non-credit portfolio or one-credit graduate capstone project–students who opt for the portfolio take the additional ninth elective)

Courses in This Liberal Arts Degree:

Electives are broad and varied. They might include:

• Bioethics
• Ideas of Justice
• Evil in Modern Literature
• Food and Politics

#5. Kent State University

Master of Liberal Studies

Want to design a degree program? Then the online Master of Liberal Studies (MLS) at Kent State’s College of Arts and Sciences is a great choice for you.

Courses in This Liberal Arts Degree:

Twenty-seven electives make up the majority of this thirty-three credit hour program. The other credits entail an introductory course. There’s also a required essay and research paper.

#4. University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Master of Arts in Applied Arts and Sciences

The Master of Arts in Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) online degree program through UNCG Online is fantastic. 

Courses in This Liberal Arts Degree:

Students can complete the thirty-three credit hour program in as little as one and a half years. The “collaborative” and interdisciplinary program first begins with three required courses:

• Systems Thinking
• Design Thinking
• Understanding Data

Students must take these courses before choosing the direction of their graduate degree with electives.

#3. Western New Mexico University

Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies

WNMU’s Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies graduate degree program offers no less than fourteen online concentration options. Graduate students from all kinds of professional backgrounds can gain access to multiple perspectives and learn more about the human experience in this diverse graduate degree. 

Courses in This Liberal Arts Degree:

Students must choose coursework from two or three disciplines. WNMU encourages students to take eighteen credit hours in one selected discipline. 

Students can opt to concentrate in two or even three disciplines for added customization and focus. You’ll complete most classes online with assigned reading, exams, and projects. It can open the door to a wide variety of career opportunities.

#2. University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Master of Arts in Liberal Studies

The Master of Arts in Liberal Studies degree through the Graduate Liberal Studies (GLS) Program at UNCW is fully online. It allows for thorough exploration of the liberal arts for students with all kinds of professional goals. 

Courses in This Liberal Arts Degree:

General education courses include:

• Contemporary Issues in Liberal Studies
• Final Capstone Project in Liberal Studies
• Social Concerns and Cultural Systems
• Environment, Science, and Society
• Literature, Arts, and Society

There are also four possible concentrations:

• Conflict Management and Resolution
• Gerontology
• Hispanic Studies
• Women’s and Gender Studies

#1. Fort Hays State University

Master of Liberal Studies

The online Master of Liberal Studies (MLS) degree program through FHSU’s Virtual College is flexible – and the best. It allows students to participate in interdisciplinary classes.

Courses in This Liberal Arts Degree:

There are 10 credit hours of core courses, like:

• Ways of Knowing in Comparative Perspective
• Information Literacy
• Origins and Implications of the Knowledge Society

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