Admission Requirements
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Admission Requirements
A variety of factors are considered when your application is reviewed. Background and experience vary from student to student.
Accelerated Master's in Liberal Studies
Beginning fall 2025, MALS graduate students can earn their degree in nine months in our full-time, in-person program with courses on Northwestern's Evanston campus. MALS students will be able to select from a wide range of courses across campus taught by Northwestern's distinguished faculty. Students will follow an interdisciplinary curriculum through the humanities and social sciences, engaging with influential academic arguments and methods and developing deep expertise in their self-designed course of study.
Our practicum core course will allow students to learn how professionals use their liberal arts training in public humanities, non-profits, and cultural institutions. Elective courses will be available in disciplines such as history, literature, film, and religious studies will allow students to hone their skills in critical thinking, argumentation, and communication, while the practicum will allow them to apply those skills in the wider community.
In the final capstone course, students will work closely with Northwestern faculty to complete an original piece of written scholarship—ideal for generating writing samples for PhD applications—or a public-facing project designed in tandem with such faculty advisor.
Recent graduates considering PhD applications; professionals who miss the challenge of academic work; and adults whose work or family lives have quieted enough to allow them to revisit their passions—all of these demographics are represented among our MALS alumni.
We invite you to join us for an immersive year of intellectual exploration and discovery.
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Students must complete nine courses to earn the MA in Liberal Studies degree: four core courses, and five elective courses. See the curriculum page for details.
The Master's in Liberal Studies faculty is comprised of dynamic and distinguished educators. Get to know the instructors on our Liberal Studies Faculty page.
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A variety of factors are considered when your application is reviewed. Background and experience vary from student to student.
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Tuition for the Master's in Liberal Studies program at Northwestern is comparable to similar US programs. Financial aid opportunities exist for students at Northwestern.
Still researching? Request information from our enrollment advising team.
We offer our MA in Literature program in a part-time format. The MA in Literature offers a flexible humanities curriculum with a wide range of course options led by outstanding Northwestern faculty.