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Greg Grieve, Executive Director, Liberal and Professional Studies and Director, M.A. in Liberal and Interdisciplinary Studies

The M.A. in Liberal and Interdisciplinary Studies program provides students and working professionals a unique mix of knowledge, tools, and experience that are relevant to the current world and its complexity. Program readings and assignments encourage students to think creatively, question assumptions, and imagine solutions to real-world problems thus creating a pathway to transformative thinking. 

Transformative Thinking

Students bring their unique skills, knowledge and values to the program and work towards connecting the dots between big ideas, historic movements, and global events. The program helps students gain mastery in the following five attributes to become a transformative thinker and doer:

1. Intellectual curiosity (develop the desire to dig deep, be creative, experiment, and take risks in order to learn);
2. Integrative thinking (see the big picture, think holistically, recognize patterns, and make imaginative leaps based on those patterns);
3. Intercultural competence (understand cultural differences to help one think, act, and move beyond global, cultural, and organizational boundaries);
4. Adaptability (be flexible, agile when handling change, resilient in ambiguous situations, and able to find unexpected solutions); and
5. Empathy (demonstrate effective listening, collaboration, and communication skills and be humble enough to be inclusive and considerate of the views of others).

Program Format

All M.A. in Liberal and Interdisciplinary Studies courses (10) are seven weeks long, asynchronous (no set class times), and offered online. There will be set due dates for assignments and projects, but otherwise the program offers the flexibility for students to pursue their degree without synchronous class meetings. At the same time, instructors use a variety of tools to personalize the online classroom.

The Capstone course follows four core courses and five electives and provides the opportunity to students to synthesize and apply their learning to a project of their choosing, such as a current challenge in their workplace or community.

For information regarding deadlines and requirements for admission, please see https://grs.uncg.edu/programs/.

In addition to the application materials required by the Graduate School, applicants must submit a three-to four-page essay describing their academic background and interest in liberal and interdisciplinary studies and the program.

Degree Program Requirements

Required: 30 credit hours

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Core Courses (12 credits)
Humanities Series Course (3 credits)
MAS 610	Culture and Ideas *	3
Social Sciences Series Course (3 credits)
MAS 620	Human Nature and Society *	3
Scientific Reasoning Series Courses (6 credits)
MAS 630	Scientific Reasoning *	3
Select one course (3 credits) from the following:		3
MAS 631	Understanding Data
MAS 633	Science, Environment, and the Media
GES 632	Geography of Livable Cities
GES 688	Topics in Environmental Sciences
Elective Courses (15 credits)
Select 15 credits of elective courses from the following: **		15
MAS 611	Design Thinking
MAS 612	The Contemporary World
MAS 613	Literature of Migration
MAS 621	Systems Thinking
MAS 622	Global Trade
MAS 623	Global Human Rights
MAS 624	Dignity, Identity, and Power
Capstone Experience (3 credits)
MAS 695	Applied Capstone Experience	3
Total Credit Hours		30

*

Select one Humanities topics course from MAS 610 offerings, one Social Sciences topics course from MAS 620 offerings, and one Scientific Reasoning topics course from MAS 630 offerings.

**

Students may also select 12 credits of electives from 600-level courses outside of MAS.