Students

As a student in the MALS degree program, you embark on a journey of intellectual exploration and discovery that can take almost any direction you desire as you pursue a graduate degree. All you need is the willingness to work hard and learn under the guidance of experienced professors and advisors. What you have to gain is a better understanding of yourself and your work, as well as thinking and writing skills that will serve you well for the rest of your life. The critical thinking skills you learn, and the graduate degree you earn, can have a profound effect on who you are and your understanding of where you want to go in your life.

Our hundred and fifty students come from all walks of life: CEOs and civil servants, physicians and police officers. Some have traditional liberal arts backgrounds, while others have technical or professional degrees in such fields as engineering, law, computer science, business, journalism or medicine. Most are part-time students returning to academic life; they range in age and experience from recent graduates to retirees.

Despite differences in age, occupation and background, our students share a desire for intellectual challenge and personal growth. They enter Graduate Liberal Studies in pursuit of specific interests or in search of new challenges and opportunities. Together they form a dedicated community of students who bring their knowledge and expertise into Liberal Studies seminars.

In the GLS context, learning is a cooperative process rather than a competitive one, and seminar participants form a supportive student cohort. The personal and intellectual friendships that develop are enduring dividends of the MALS experience.

I have always dreamed of a program that would expand my knowledge in different disciplines while incorporating my experience of other cultures. The MALS program provides this in a creative and friendly learning environment. Just what I needed! And the faculty and staff are always there to support and encourage me. Gracias!

Pilar Fort
Early Childhood Specialist
Bilingual Home Based Manager
Orange County Early Head Start/CHTOP