Integrated Studies Program option
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 Master of Arts (MA) in Liberal Studies 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.
For the purposes of the MA curricula, OU academic departments fit into one of the three categories as shown below. However, many topics cross over into other categories. History, for example, fits into both the humanities and the social sciences, depending on what and how a particular student investigates an event. Some disciplines such as engineering, mathematics, statistics, and science laboratory courses are not well suited to the MA model and are not listed.
Humanities
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
Other Interdisciplinary Departments and Programs
Choosing an Integrated Study Topic
The Integrated Studies option of the MA program helps students shape their studies in several ways. Students are not restricted to a particular discipline or field, but instead study a central topic from the perspective of three academic disciplines. Working with faculty advisors, students create a learning plan for the Independent Study assignments that is academically rigorous, and that complements and enhances his or her past academic work and personal experience.
The Integrated Studies option allows students to progress through the program at a pace that fits their own circumstances and life obligations. Independent study enrollments are for one year, and students may extend those enrollments if necessary. Attendance at on-campus seminars depends upon the pace at which students complete their independent study enrollments.
The success of MA graduates has shown that virtually any topic can be incorporated into the Integrated Studies interdisciplinary approach of the program. MA students have studied such diverse topics as:
Q: If I study a topic related to a specific discipline, will I earn a degree in that discipline? For example, if I study psychology as part of my self-design MA program, will I earn an MA in Psychology?
A: The College of Liberal Studies offers only one graduate degree designation: The Master of Arts in Liberal Studies. Regardless of which MA option you select—integrated studies or career track—upon successful completion of the program you will earn a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies degree.
Q: Do I get to choose my own professors in the self-design option? Can I use professors from outside the University of Oklahoma?
A: Working with you, the MA Program Coordinator and staff will select University of Oklahoma professors appropriate for your chosen study topic.
CORE COURSES:
Introduction to Graduate Interdisciplinary Study
LSTD 5003
Online Study
3 credit hours
Letter graded
Interdisciplinary Foundations
LSTD 5013
Online Study
3 credit hours
Letter graded
This online course combines texts with web-based readings and papers. Students develop online research skills as well as analytical skills.
Interdisciplinary Independent Study
LSTD 5213, 5313 or 5413
Independent Self Study
3 enrollments of 3 credit hours each for a total of 9 credit hours
S/U graded
These three courses are the essence of the Integrated Studies option and the content will vary for each student. All three courses will relate to a central topic selected by the student; they will have substantive reading and writing assignments.
Research Methods in Interdisciplinary Studies
LSTD 5903
Independent Self Study/Online
3 credit hours
Letter graded
Focused on the area of knowledge for your completion option, this course provides guidance in research design and puts your research in the context of the topic’s discipline.
ELECTIVES:
Students will choose 9 hours of course work from the following or other courses as approved.
LSTD 5790 - Advanced Topics in Interdisciplinary Studies
LSTD 5960 - Directed Readings in Interdisciplinary Studies
LSTD 5890 - Investigative Interdisciplinary Studies
LSTD 5943 - Advanced Seminar (Campus Seminar) This seminar is conducted on campus, normally in January and June of each year and topics will vary upon faculty selected for the seminar.
Completion Options:
A total of 6 credit hours plus defense or comprehensive examination.
Thesis in Liberal Studies
LSTD 5980
Research Project in Liberal Studies
LSTD 5940
Internship in Liberal Studies
LSTD 5950
Advanced Coursework
6 credit hours
S/U graded
By this point in the program, students will have selected a thesis, research project, internship, or advanced coursework option and enrolled in the appropriate course(s). Options are independent study enrollments for the research and preparation of your thesis or project with the guidance of your director and approval of your committee. The internship enrollment has special requirements that are listed separately. If you choose the six hours of Advanced Coursework, you may choose long term courses that relate to your core study in the MA program, or other course as approved.
Proceeding through the degree:
Students can complete the MA Integrated Studies option in approximately two years or can progress through their program of studies at their own pace; however, University policy allows only five years for completion of all degree requirements. A College requirement is that students must complete the first 15 hours of the program within three years.
You can work on some of the MA courses simultaneously while others are best completed in a specific sequence. The courses are described below as individual enrollments although you will be enrolling in some of them at the same time.
Communication skills are vital to effective participation in civic and professional life. If you or your faculty members feel that you are struggling with the reading or writing tasks in the MA 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 faculty members may also be helpful in recommending reference guides. All MA students should have a computer with access to the Internet.
Terminology: Other than on-campus seminars, most Integrated Studies option enrollments are for one calendar year from the date of enrollment. There is the availability of taking some online courses but this will affect your Financial Aid status and each student on Financial Aid should check with the financial Aid Office before enrolling in online courses.
STEP ONE
LSTD 5003: Introduction to Graduate Interdisciplinary Study
(Online- letter graded - 3 hours credit)
All students are required to enroll in the LSTD 5003 course as the first course in the program. It may be taken by itself or in conjunction with LSTD 5013.
STEP TWO
LSTD 5013: Interdisciplanry Foundations
(Online- letter graded - 3 hours credit)
Required for all MA students, this is an online course that provides a common background for the MA program. The reading and writing assignments cover both interdisciplinary texts and web sites, and are designed to reinforce interdisciplinary approaches to graduate studies and to lay the foundation for your Interdisciplinary Independent Study enrollments and future completion options. This step also serves to introduce paradigms, the underlying formulations that provide the structure for understanding and interpreting information.
You may enroll in Interdisciplinary Foundations once you have been admitted to the MA program. The College recommends that you complete this enrollment in conjunction with or after the Introduction to Graduate Interdisciplinary Study course and before you begin your Interdisciplinary Independent Study assignments.
STEP THREE
LSTD 5213, 5313 or 5413: Interdisciplinary Independent Study
(Readings - S/U graded - 3 courses - 9 hours credit)
Following Step One, Introduction to Graduate Interdisciplinary Studies and completion of Step Two, Interdisciplinary Foundations, you will proceed with the three Interdisciplinary Independent Study enrollments. Your studies will be directed by three faculty advisors, each of whom will work with you to develop a readings course related to your central question or interest. These courses will vary with each student in the Integrated Studies option depending on the study focus.
Determining Your Independent Study Faculty Advisors
Students in the Integrated Studies option will meet individually with three faculty members at the time of your enrollment with those professors. Each will have some degree of expertise in your particular academic interests and they will be from three different departments representing at least two of the three areas of knowledge. With each, you will design an individualized assignment that examines a topic or issue according to the approach of that particular discipline. As you proceed through the assignments in this step, you will narrow your focus until you arrive at a question or issue that requires further investigation, study, and analysis. This will become the topic you address in your completion option.
The reading assignments for each enrollment in the Interdisciplinary Independent Study step will be the equivalent of 6-8 graduate-level books but may consist of a variety of materials.
Beginning Your Independent Study
You are responsible for obtaining all materials for completing the assignments. After extensive search, if it is not possible to obtain the books or other materials for the assignments, or if other specifications of the study assignments cannot be met, then you should communicate directly with the faculty member who made the assignment and renegotiate it. Always notify the MA Program Coordinator by email of any changes.
As you progress through the Interdisciplinary Independent Study phase, you should communicate with your faculty members as needed; copy the MA Program Coordinator any communication with substantive changes so the College can chart your progress. Be sure to retain copies of all assignments and all materials you submit. If you do not hear from a faculty member within a reasonable time (approximately 2 weeks), you should contact that person to make sure that he or she received your papers.
STEP FOUR
Elective Courses
After completing the core independent study courses, you will be ready to begin your nine hours of elective course. These can be from the courses listed as electives or other courses as approved by the College.
STEP FIVE
LSTD 5903: Research in Interdisciplinary Studies
( Readings or online - letter graded - 3 hours credit)
This enrollment focuses on your area of concentration in preparation for researching and writing your thesis, research project, internship, or for further advanced study. The reading lists will develop and expand the concepts introduced Interdisciplinary Foundations. In essence, this step will underscore conceptual frames for thinking about inquiry and research in your primary topic. It will do this by exploring recent issues, theoretical approaches, and professional concerns specific to the area of study in which you will be doing research. The amount of reading here will vary by discipline.
The discipline assignments for the self-paced students are listed on the following pages. Your topic or focus and the academic discipline of your director in the completion phase of the program will determine whether you enroll in Research Methods in the humanities, the social sciences, or the natural sciences. If you are doing the coursework completion option you may be eligible to enroll in the online version of LSTD 5903. Be sure to check with the College to make sure these reading lists is still accurate when you reach this point.
STEP SIX
Completing Your Study
Once you have completed the Interdisciplinary Independent Study assignments and electives, the MA Program Coordinator will contact one of your faculty members to guide you in developing a prospectus (plan) for undertaking research. If you and your advisor are agreeable to the pairing, this person will become your committee chair or research director and will help you to narrow and focus your topic. At this time, you must decide whether you will be writing a thesis, developing a research project, carrying out an internship, or continuing with additional advanced coursework. Your Interdisciplinary Independent Study assignments should help you make decisions about the goals and design of your degree completion choice. The director/chair will guide you in compiling an initial bibliography relating to your topic, including background and issues about research in the matter you are pursuing. You will then write the prospectus. When the director has endorsed your prospectus, the requirement for this step will be satisfied.
NOTE: All students must complete a prospectus before beginning the thesis, research project, internship, or further study. This is especially critical if the topic and method fall under the guidelines related to Human Subject in Research.
Human Subjects in Research
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of Oklahoma must approve all research proposals that involve human subjects. For the policies and requirements related to human subjects in research, go to http://research.ou.edu. If you pursue research in this area, the CLS staff will direct all questions to the IRB staff. You will note that there is a required online training program before you can make application to the IRB.
The student is fully responsible for meeting all IRB requirements and for receiving IRB approval BEFORE starting any research related to human subjects.
To contact the IRB, you can call 405:325-8110 or email irb@ou.edu or write to Institutional Review Board, Evans Hall, Room 316, 660 Parrington Oval, Norman OK
STEP SEVEN
Enrollment in completion option.
LSTD 5940: Research Project in Liberal Studies
(Graduate research – S/U graded – 6 hours credit)
LSTD 5950: Internship in Liberal Studies
(Graduate field experience – S/U graded – 6 hours credit)
LSTD 5980: Thesis in Liberal Studies
(Graduate research – S/U graded – 6 hours credit)
Coursework - Various course numbers: Advanced, focused study
(Letter or S/U graded – 6 hours total credit)
As you enter the final phase of your MA studies, you must determine whether you will pursue one of four completion options: thesis, research project, internship or further advanced study. Each option has specific requirements and each meets specific academic needs. Each option also has a final examination requirement. You will discuss this choice with both faculty and College staff.
During this phase of the program, you research and write your thesis or non-thesis research project, carry out an internship, or continue with in-depth study related to your degree topic. In consultation with the your faculty member, you will do library research, collect data, read and reflect, conduct surveys, go to plays or museums --whatever is appropriate for your topic and style of inquiry. You will then complete course papers or draft and redraft your thesis, research project, or internship report. Normal progress in this step is approximately six months to one year’s time, and you will work independently in reading, doing research, and writing the thesis, developing the project, performing the requirements of the internship, or completing the advanced studies.
At this stage, it is essential that you keep in close communication with your faculty members as well as with the College and the MA Program Coordinator or MA staff.
All three enrollments in this phase of the program have variable credit with six hours being required to complete the degree. The number of long-term hours in which you chose to enroll depends on your individual circumstances but you must be continuously enrolled in at least 2-credit hours in order to defend a thesis; for a comprehensive examination you must be enrolled in 2 hours at the time of the exam. See the Graduate College Bulletin for requirements at http://gradweb.ou.edu.
STEP EIGHT
Degree Completion:
Completion of the thesis means:
When your thesis has been deposited in Bizzell Library, you will receive an "S" grade in your final independent study course. You have up to 60 days after your defense to complete and deposit your thesis. If the thesis is not completed within 12 months after the end of the last course enrollment, the grade for final independent study automatically becomes a permanent "I.” If, after the "I" becomes permanent, there is still time to complete the thesis within the five-year limit, you may reenroll in your courses and pay the fees in effect at the time of re-enrollment.
Completion of the research project means:
Completion of the internship means:
Completion of advanced, focused study means:
Master of Arts in Liberal Studies
