Duane Said:

Master of Liberal studies/Master of Individualized studies?

We Answered:

If you're completing this education for self-enrichment and personal goals then it doesn't matter in the slightest - there is no "better" but only more. And, it never ends. ?

If you're completing this education for vocational qualification then you're going to be a little disappointed in the workplace value of a degree where liberal arts/liberal studies is the major unless you're employed in an occupation where simply having any master's degree results in advancement or if you're a teacher.

Liberal Arts/Studies as a major is best suited to those who are not completing the education as a road to vocation. It's for people primarily interested in gaining a very broad body of knowledge. The analogy of "an ocean of knowledge, an inch deep" is appropriate here. People who need a job tend to need more depth and less breadth in their education. More like "a river, but a very deep river".

None of the master's you're pointing at have a true major outside of Liberal Arts and the MAIS from Western NM doesn't include the Lib Arts portion at all. Your BA concentrations aren't a "major" either - remember, your degree major is Liberal Arts. You just happen to have more than a few courses (and some upper levels) in Psych and Lit; but not a major. You'll likely find that the Excelsior BALS is acceptable to a very wide range of grad programs though - far more choices than our BA (subject) peers have available.

If your objective is to study some area at the graduate level because you're interested in that area - then the master's with that study is the way to go. If your objective is simply to collect a master's degree just to have a master's degree then it doesn't matter which - they're all "a master's degree". If your objective is to use one of these to qualify for a job - there are some better options out there for you and you need to make this decision based on what degrees are required for the job you'd like to get.

The Western New Mexico program is unique in the way they construct that. Two 18 hour areas won't give you "a master's degree in _____" though - it does give you two teaching content areas though at minimum qualification - if you happen to be a post-secondary teacher and want to add a content area. That's the real appeal of the WNM MAIS - it's an 18/18 grad degree and community college teaching appointments require "a master's degree with 18 hours in the subject..." as minimum qualification.

If you'd like to collect a group of master's degrees for the purpose of writing and consulting qualification then your best option is unrelated degrees. The Liberal Arts foundation in the Stony Brook and Fort Hayes are similar enough to be the same degree essentially. The MAIS is a content area degree and a good place to pick up an 18/18 pair of subjects.

Be certain that you understand that these are not strong vocational qualifiers. This point can't be emphasized enough. They are excellent paths to learning, not so great paths to a job unless you already have a job that calls for this sort of education. If you aspire to become a teacher then you'll need a master's in teaching (elementary, middle grades, or secondary) or a master's in a content subject area (post-secondary) and can use these types for additional qualification.

As for all three concurrently; generally not. I've know more than a few people to do two concurrently but doing three is an overload of work and presents the problem that you're committed into them should you change your mind about areas of study once into the programs. Pick one, work through half of it before you add the second. Doing two part-time degrees concurrently to equal the time commitment of one full-time is reasonable.

Heidi Said:

Can a Masters in Liberal Studies get me into a phd program? and which ones?

We Answered:

Most PhD programs accept right out the bachelor's degree and you're potentially wasting a lot of time going for a master's first. Check with the programs you're looking into for more specific information.

Andy Said:

can i get a masters in art education if I have a bachelors in liberal studies?

We Answered:

Yes. There is a degree, MAT that's designed specifically for people who want to be educators, who's undergrad degree wasn't in education. This is the sort of program my sister did, and she's an excellent teacher.

"At a time when politics deals in distortions and half truths, truth is to be found in the liberal arts." ~Joyce Carol Oates

Henry Said:

HES or duke university for master in liberal studies? i want to use the degree to eventually do my JD/MBA?

We Answered:

The MA could be a waste of your time. You already have the medical degree and work experience. You should apply for an MBA program and not waste your time on liberal arts. You are already sufficiently liberated.

MBA programs accept students in any undergraduate field. I have taught MBA students with degrees in Music, Medicine, Dentistry, Law, Psychology, Political Science, Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, and many other fields. Consult the Official MBA Guide. It's a comprehensive free public service with more than 2,000 MBA programs listed worldwide. It allows you to search for programs by location (US, Europe, Far East, etc.), by concentration (finance, marketing, aviation management, health management, accounting, etc.), by type of program (full-time, distance learning, part-time, executive, and accelerated), and by listing your own criteria and preferences to get a list of universities that satisfy your needs. Schools report their accreditation status, tuition cost, number of students, class sizes, program length, and a lot of other data. Schools provide data on entrance requirements, program costs, program characteristics, joint degrees, and much more. You can use the Guide to contact schools of your choice, examine their data, visit their web site, and send them pre applications. You can see lists of top 40 schools ranked by starting salaries of graduates, GMAT scores, and other criteria. It's the best service available at http://officialmbaguide.org.

Agnes Said:

Is a Masters in Liberal Studies a worthy degree?

We Answered:

A perfect education for a newspaper or television news editor or writer.

Cecil Said:

Masters of Liberal Studies?

We Answered:

Depends on what you want the MA and PhD for. If you are a public school teacher, it is worthwhile, since your pay is scaled to your educational background.

If you're a professional in the private sector, it is not a degree worth pursuing, money-wise. Though you may have a personal interest in the curriculum options for it and want to take the degree for self-edification, by all means go for it.

For business, get the MBA.

The MLS will open the door for other liberal arts degree PhD programs, *if* you get the MLS from an *accredited* school. Ask U. of Toledo who their accrediting authority is, then ask some of the PhD programs you're interested in if they accept accreditation from that authority.

Bear in mind, some academic *departments* at a particular university, like a history department, or a foreign language department, may have *additional* requirements about your program of study in the MLS, like a minimum number of units taken in history or in the foreign language of interest, before they give recognition to your MLS if you pursue the PhD. That is to say, they may force you to take extra graduate courses in whatever the department specializes in, if your MLS program doesn't match up well enough with the usual MA program for that department's subject.

My advice is don't start post-graduate education without a specific terminal goal in mind: "A PhD in Early Modern European History," if you're aiming for a history degree or "A PhD in 19th Century Russian Literature" if foreign language is your target. Doctoral programs will demand that you be that specific (even more specific actually) with your studies.

The PhD is really a labor of not just love, but neurotic obsession. At the end of your 4 to 7 years, you will be conditioned by reflex to study the subject to the exclusion of other activites.