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Frequently Asked Questions

    What is a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies degree?
    What makes the Liberal Studies Program at Wake Forest special?
    What do people do with a Liberal Studies degree?
    How big is the program at Wake Forest and who are the students?
    What are the requirements for getting the degree?
    What types of courses are taught in the Liberal Studies program?
    What are the classes like?
    What about the capstone project?
    How long does it take to finish?
    What does an applicant need to get into the program?
   Do I have to be in the program to take courses?
    Isn't a school like Wake Forest expensive?

What is a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program?
Nationwide there has been a realization by universities and colleges that many adults have a deep interest in lifelong learning. Yet these same adults do not want to limit their interests by studying just one discipline or pursuing pre-professional degrees. As a result some 200 universities and colleges in the US have created Liberal Studies programs. These programs offer adults an opportunity to explore the full range of liberal arts on their own terms. The courses are interdisciplinary and interactive. Adults who enroll in these programs gain new information, new perspectives, and new insights. Mostly our students are people who are motivated by a desire to know and understand more about the world and themselves than they do now. The goal of the Liberal Studies program is to facilitate the development of a truly educated mind.

What makes the Liberal Studies program at Wake Forest special?
Wake Forest University is a nationally-ranked private university rated 26th in the country according to US News and World Report. The catch phrase for the university is "small in size, large in resources". The small size provides a close, interactive learning environment. Large in resources emphasizes the quality and depth of the learning experience available at Wake Forest. Professors who participate in the Wake Forest Liberal Studies program are distinguished for their teaching and their intellectual achievements. Participation in the WFU Liberal Studies program also provides a connection to the rich resources and stimulating intellectual environment at Wake Forest University. Students are invited to join the academic community in attending lectures, concerts, theatrical performances, and other cultural events offered on campus. The libraries and other university facilities are also available.

What do people do with a MA in Liberal Studies?
The Liberal Studies degree is designed to enrich a person's life by involving him/her in an intellectually rich set of courses. These courses are selected by the student from an array of interdisciplinary courses specially created for the Liberal Studies program and from graduate courses in other departments. At the end of the program the student earns a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies.

For many students, the knowledge and process of learning is an end in itself. However, for some students, their work organizations may also recognize the attainment of a master's degree with some form of compensation. Community college instructors may be able to use the courses taken to fulfill accreditation requirements. The Liberal Studies degree is not appropriate, however, for a teacher seeking licensure.

How big is the program at Wake Forest and who are the students?
Although the exact number of students fluctuates over time, there are about 90 students in the program at present. Our student group is very diverse. We have teachers, business people, home makers, lawyers, technicians, artists, administrative assistants, retired persons and people right out of college. They range from 24 to 76 years old; about 40% of the students are male; about 25% are minorities.

What are the requirements for getting the degree?
Completion of the Master's Degree requires nine courses and a capstone project totaling 30 hours. At least four courses (12 hours) must be chosen from the Liberal Studies seminars, designed especially for the program. Many students choose most or all of their courses from these seminars. Students are encouraged to design an individualized program of study by choosing courses that allow them to pursue their own interests. One course (3 hours) is devoted to a capstone project of the student's choosing. This work may be a standard research thesis, a field study, an oral history, or an original creative work in the arts, music, or literature.

What types of courses are taught in the Liberal Studies program?
Click here to view a list of examples of courses that have been taught in the Liberal Studies program over the last several years.

What are the classes like?
All Liberal Studies classes are seminars. This means that a faculty member develops a set of readings and lectures around a specific topic. For the Liberal Studies, which is an interdisciplinary humanities program, the seminar instructor will draw from many fields to make the topic exciting and meaningful. The student becomes actively involved in the topic by reading the material, discussing it in classes with the instructor and other students. The student's progress in the area is primarily evaluated through presentations and papers by the student on relevant topics of personal interest. The instructors in the Liberal Studies program are some of the best faculty that Wake Forest University has to offer. Many of them have won teaching or research awards.

What about the capstone project?
The capstone project or thesis provides the student with the opportunity to apply the information, perspective, and skills acquired in the program to a topic of the student's own choosing. Although the capstone project may sound daunting to some, students realize that the work they have done in their nine classes has prepared them well for this challenge, and many students find producing a work of their own very satisfying. Besides traditional research projects, students may also decide to create an original work for their thesis.

How long does it take to finish?
Students usually take one or two classes a semester. At this rate, most finish within 2-3 years.

What does an applicant need to get into the program?
The first requirement is that the applicant be the kind of person interested in enriching his/her life by taking the courses offered by the Liberal Studies program. We determine this from the essay, letters of recommendation, and the interview.

The second requirement is that the applicant can work at the graduate level. One way of determining this is to look at an applicant's undergraduate grade point average. If it was a 3.0 or B, then the applicant will probably do fine in our courses. What about applicants who have an undergraduate g.p.a. of less than 3.0? Given that many Liberal Studies students are returning to school after years of making a career or home life, a g.p.a. from years ago may not be very helpful in predicting success in the program. Therefore, in this case the applicant may be given the opportunity to try two courses in the program. If the applicant can earn a B in both classes, then the applicant will be admitted to the Liberal Studies program. This route is open to students who earned at least a 2.5 or about C+ grade level when they were undergraduates.

The third requirement is that the student needs to be able to communicate clearly and effectively in writing. The Liberal Studies program requires a substantial amount of writing both in the courses and in the capstone project. The essay is an important aspect of determining writing ability, so applicants are encouraged to do their best work here.

Do I have to be in the program to take courses?
Persons who wish to sample the Liberal Studies program may apply as an Unclassified student through the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Please see the Application Information page. Only regular, degree-seeking students in the Liberal Studies program who have taken a minimum of two courses, or alumni of the program may audit courses.

Isn't a school like Wake Forest expensive?
The Liberal Studies program is viewed as a service to the community. Therefore, the cost of a Liberal Studies course is about two-thirds less than the regular WFU tuition cost for graduate courses. For 2009-2010, the Liberal Studies cost per three credit class is $1008. Full-time teachers and WFU employees are eligible for special tuition concessions.