Liberal Arts Online

Graduate

Liberal Arts

Nannette Glenn, Program Director
16633 Dallas Parkway Suite 800
Addison, TX 75001

Phone: 214-305-9500
Email: nwg20a@acu.edu

Faculty

The graduate faculty of Abilene Christian University’s online programs serves as the faculty for the Master of Liberal Arts.

Introduction

The Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) program provides students who have completed at least a baccalaureate degree a means of formal personal enrichment through the interdisciplinary MLA degree.

Liberal arts study at ACU permits the student to explore a wide range of disciplines and personal interests at the graduate level. The MLA student may take graduate courses from any area in which he or she can meet the specific course prerequisites. Thus, a student can gain understanding in a broad graduate curriculum within the context of Christian higher education.

Unlike more traditional master’s degree programs, the MLA is not designed to produce a standard career credential. Rather, the liberal arts program seeks the intellectual development and professional enhancement of adult students in areas such as the arts and humanities, social sciences and religion with additional enrichment from professional and technical areas such as business, leadership, and conflict management.

The liberal arts student will be responsible for helping design his or her degree plan because each is crafted to the student’s individual needs and desires for higher education. The degree plan must meet the parameters given in the degree requirements below. Courses will be offered online in settings designed to fit within the schedules of working adults.

The liberal arts student will first work with the MLA advisor to determine the dominant areas of interest and an appropriate graduate committee. The graduate committee will then work through the completion of the individual MLA degree program. The committee and degree program should be approved by the end of the second semester of enrollment.

The liberal arts student may apply to take courses in any online graduate program but should remember that some courses have specified prerequisites. Note: the courses in some programs are available only to students formally admitted to those programs. In some cases, the student will require special admission to the course from the program director. Specific courses may be required and appropriate research competencies must be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the student’s graduate degree committee, the MLA advisor, and the dean.

Each degree program operates under the general supervision of the dean of the College of Leadership and Professional Studies. The initial advisor will be the MLA advisor. A supervisory committee of appropriate graduate faculty (at least three) will be appointed to consult with, advise, and evaluate the student’s progress. Each degree plan will be approved by the dean and committee members from appropriate areas of study in consultation with the MLA advisor.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for the Master of Liberal Arts are:

A completed application for admission with a nonrefundable application fee.
An official transcript(s) in English (or translated to English) of all previous colleges attended. The transcript must indicate an earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university or equivalent.
A cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Interview with the MLA advisor or one appointed by the MLA advisor and/or
Impromptu written statement from the applicant describing the purposes and objectives for entering the MLA program.

An admission committee will determine the student’s eligibility for admission. Admission applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as received prior to the beginning of each academic term. Admission decisions will apply all general standards for graduate programs.

Programs

Master of Liberal Arts

Liberal Arts (Online), MLA (LIBO)