What is meant by the term Liberal Studies?

The term liberal studies refers to academic work in a number of disciplines that leads to an expanded understanding of the self and the world at large. The MA LS program is based on three broad areas of study – the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Content of study, methods of research, and processes of acquiring, formulating, and presenting information define each area. Generally speaking, the humanities are concerned with the elements, aspects, and products of human culture; the social sciences study individuals, groups, societies, and social relationships; and the natural sciences examine the nature, inter-relations, and transformations of material and physical elements of the universe.

Master of Arts in Liberal Studies Degree Program

The Master of Arts in Liberal Studies is an interdisciplinary degree program designed for older, nontraditional students who may or may not be working in the area of their baccalaureate education. They often have extensive work and personal experience and may be a number of years removed from their most recent academic experience.

The MA LS degree includes the following options: Integrated Studies, Administrative Leadership, Interprofessional Human and Health Services, and Museum Studies. The College of Liberal Studies offers the MA LS program in two delivery methods:

• An independent study format for Integrated Studies (IS) students which requires them to complete the majority of their studies in an independent study format with a faculty member;
• The Administrative Leadership (AL), Museum Studies (MS), and Interprofessional Human and Health Services (IHHS) options are offered as completely online program options although three of the four completion options are in the form of independent study and research.

NOTE: Students who enroll in the online options (AL, IHHS, and MS) will be enrolling in semester-based courses, generally 6 hours in the fall and spring semesters and 3 hours in the summer. These enrollments will be letter-graded. If you are using Financial Aid please contact them with regard to award amounts for each term.

General Information

The 33-credit hour MA LS degree is designed for completion in approximately two years; however, Graduate College policy allows up to five years for completion, assuming payment of the annual record maintenance fee for any long-term enrollments. The College of Liberal Study requires that the first 15 hours of the program be completed within three years.

All MA LS students should have a computer with access to the Internet. Students must use their OU email account and check that account through the web.

Communication skills are vital to effective participation in civic and professional life. If you or your faculty feel that you are struggling with the reading or writing tasks in the MA LS program, your faculty member may recommend remedial work to improve these skills either prior to or concurrent with other work. We strongly encourage you to consider purchasing study aids to develop your writing skills such as a dictionary, a thesaurus, and a writing guide. Your advisors may also be helpful in recommending reference guides. The Longman’s Writer Companion, Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. is a comprehensive basic reference book.

Note: The course content of each course is subject to change as are the assignments as books go out of print or web sites disappear. Do not purchase any books for courses until you have contacted the College or the professor. It is important that you purchase the correct edition of the books.

Time for Completing the Program

Independent Study Option: Integrated Studies

The MA LS program is designed to be completed in approximately two years. The independent study projects of the program give you great flexibility in finishing the program within this time. Also, the availability of seminars permits you to move through the program in a shorter or longer timeframe depending on your own goals.

Semester-based Options: Administrative Leadership, Interprofessional Human and Health Services, Museum Studies

These options require completion of six credit hours per semester, Fall and Spring and three credit hours in the Summer in order to complete the program in approximately two years.

The Graduate College guidelines require the completion of a master’s program within five calendar years from the time of initial enrollment. As a program of the Graduate College of the University of Oklahoma, the MA LS falls within these and other Graduate College guidelines. If there are extenuating circumstances, and upon petition, the Graduate College may grant an additional year to complete the degree. Students should note the various regulations listed in the University's General Catalog and the University’s Graduate Bulletin, http://gradweb.ou.edu, concerning the age limitations on courses presented for graduation and other such rules that affect completion of the degree. The College of Liberal Studies strongly urges students to complete degree requirements within three years from their initial enrollment.

In order to meet the time limit of the Graduate College for completing all work on a graduate degree, an MA LS student in a long-term enrollment option must finish the Interdisciplinary Independent Study enrollment of the program (15 credit hours) no later than the end of the third year. Students in a semester-based option should make every effort to complete courses as they are offered but should complete 15 hours within two years at the most.

Each year the Graduate College reviews the progress of all students enrolled in the MA LS program. This review may be conducted more often if needed. Your faculty members will also judge your progress, and at the end of each academic year you will receive a letter rating your progress in the program as either “Satisfactory” or “Unsatisfactory.” Two consecutive “Unsatisfactory” reports can lead to dismissal at the discretion of the Graduate Dean; three consecutive “Unsatisfactory” reports results in automatic withdrawal from the University.

BOOKS

You may use library books for many of your courses, or purchase the books at a local bookstore or from online booksellers. You can also order books directly from the publishers or from the University Bookstore. If you choose to order from the Bookstore, you will be billed for the price of the books, plus a handling charge; write or call:

University Bookstore
Attn: Textbook Manager
1185 Asp Avenue
Norman, OK 73019
(405) 325-3511

Online Ordering

Books for all the online courses can be purchased from the University Bookstore online by going to http://www.oklahoma.bkstr.com, selecting “Books”, then “Textbooks” and choosing “LSTD” from the pull-down menu. You then identify your course and section number and the books available will be on the screen. You want to make sure that the books you order correspond with the actual assignments for the course you are taking. Usually, the correct edition of a publication is critical for the assignments.

NOTE: You may, of course, purchase books at a local store, online, or use library books. The University bookstore gears its orders so the books will be there the first day of classes and they are not necessarily in stock far in advance of that date. Adult students often prefer to get a head start on their course assignments; distance students have time delays for mailing books. If you want to order your books early from another source, please check with the professor or the College staff to make sure the books have not changed.

EXPECTED RATE OF STUDENT PROGRESS

• The College of Liberal Studies expects all MA LS students to show steady progress in their studies from the time of their first enrollment. Steady progress means regular submissions of course work, reported to the College, and completion of courses at a rate that anticipates graduation within three to four years. This rate requires completion of the first 15-18 hours of the program within two years.
• The College requires students who have been admitted with a conditional status to complete the first 15 hours of course within two years or they will be withdrawn from the program.
• The Graduate College requires that all students complete course work for the master’s degree within five years of the first enrollment toward the degree.

Independent study students are enrolled in most courses except the seminars and online courses for a one-year period; at the end of one year if at least 50% of the assigned course work has been completed the faculty member may assign an Incomplete “I” grade. If at least 50% of the coursework has not been completed the faculty member may assign an Administrative withdrawal “AW” grade and the student will be required to re-enroll in the course. If the “I” grade is assigned the student has a maximum of year to complete the coursework, if the coursework is still not completed after the one year the “I” grade becomes a permanent grade and the student must re-enroll in the course. “I” grades will be changed to the letter grade given for completion of the course up to 120 days after the end of the term, after that point the “I” grade will be recorded as an “I/Grade,” i.e. “I/A.”

Students in the Administrative Leadership (AL) and Museum Studies (MS) online options enroll in semester-based courses and will usually complete their degree requirements within 2-2 ½ years if they follow the suggested enrollment patterns. If the “I” grade is assigned the student has a maximum of year to complete the coursework, if the coursework is still not completed after the one year the “I” grade becomes a permanent grade and the student must re-enroll in the course

If three consecutive grading periods pass without completion of one course, the College will notify the student that he/she will be administratively withdrawn at the end of the fourth grading period without a course completion. The student can petition this action in writing if there are extenuating circumstances.

UPCOMING SEMINARS

At this time Seminars are being offered in the Spring and Summer terms each year. All MA students may attend these seminars as part of their elective course work. The seminar topics are general in nature and the content can be approached from multiple perspectives. The topics provide students with the opportunity to apply what you have learned about interdisciplinary liberal studies in the MA LS program.

Seminar information will be sent by email and will be posted on this webpage under Announcements.

Contact Information

The administrative staff of the College of Liberal Studies is available each working day from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to assist you in your graduate education. The offices at the College of Liberal Studies will be your most important resource as you go about your studies. In addition to helping with all enrollment and administrative matters, the staff can counsel you on the direction of your work, arrange appointments with faculty members, and make certain that you are receiving the education you need. In effect, the College is your home base during your education at the University of Oklahoma. Please call or visit the College with any questions you may have about the program or any part of this guide.

The College of Liberal Studies office is located in McCarter Hall in the College for Continuing Education (CCE) complex. For services or information about the MA LS program from the College office please contact:

Russ Tresner , 405-325-1250
or
Michelle Shults , 405-325-2928