Overview
Program Coordinator: Laura Doolan
Program Modality: Online, 8-week sessions
Total Credits: 30
Admission Cycle: Fall, Spring, Summer (6 entry points per year)
Contact:
Graduate Admissions: Crystal Perry
cperry@mcdaniel.edu
(410) 857-2516
Graduate and Professional Studies Advising - gpsadvising@mcdaniel.edu (410.857.2500)
The Master of Liberal Arts Program is an online interdisciplinary graduate program for adults interested in crossing the boundaries of a traditional, career-oriented approach. It is of particular interest to those who want to explore new disciplines in the liberal arts, who wish to supplement their professional education by continued intellectual growth, or who simply wish to satisfy their continuing intellectual curiosity and creativity.
The Master of Liberal Arts program has become popular with recent college graduates who want to continue their education, as well as educators who desire an alternative to traditional education graduate programs. A number of elementary, middle, and high school educators have used the program to accumulate graduate credits required for recertification. The MLA program does not lead to initial teacher certification.
McDaniel College is a member of the Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs.
Admissions Requirements
Candidates required to submit:
- Completed application for graduate study. https://admission.mcdaniel.edu/apply/
- Official transcript verifying completion of an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum GPA of 3.00. Students with a GPS between 2.75 and 2.99 will be admitted provisionally which requires a student to maintain a 3.0 GPA in the first 9 to 12 credit hours. Students with less than a 2.75 GPA can be considered for provisional admission on a case-by-case basis but may be required to provide additional documents or participate in an interview. Admission may also require additional conditions.
Required Courses: 18 credits
Electives:(12 credits)
Students are required to successfully complete four elective courses with program coordinator approval. These courses may be from graduate programs at McDaniel and must be selected with the approval of the Program Coordinator. Suggested options for focus area for certified teachers include the following:
- Equity and Excellence in Education
- Writing for Children and Young Adults
- STEM Instructional Leadership*
- Gifted and Talented Education*
- Learning Technologies
- Educational Leadership
Focus areas listed above use courses from various Post-bachelor’s certificates, some of which can lead to MSDE endorsement/certification. Teachers who enroll in the MLA program who are seeking MSDE endorsement will be required to complete additional courses in addition to the 30 credits required for this degree program, including any required internships.
* denotes focus areas with Post-bachelor’s certificates which lead to MSDE certification.
This program is delivered entirely online. McDaniel is a member of SARA (State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement) and as such can offer this program to students in any state except for California. Students completing an internship in lieu of the capstone course will be required to receive approval prior to entering internship in a state outside of Maryland. Request for internship must be made to the Program Coordinator prior to enrolling in the internship course. Students who live or will be studying in a state outside of Maryland may be required to complete the capstone course if the internship is prohibited by the state reciprocity regulations.
While McDaniel teacher education programs provide reciprocity for licensure in other states, students who seek advanced certification via a focus area are advised to contact the appropriate state department of education for additional requirements. Students seeking licensure in another state should confirm that the specific subject area they wish to pursue is available for licensure in that state. Contact information related to licensure for states outside of Maryland can be found here.
State Authorization
McDaniel is an approved institutional member of the National Council of State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA). Membership in SARA is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses/programs offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state. For more information about SARA, including the states currently participating in the agreement, visit http://www.nc.sara.org.
SARA membership allows McDaniel to accept and deliver our programs/courses online to students in 49 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Students who reside in California, currently the only state not a member of SARA, should contact the admissions office prior to application to verify if you are eligible to participate in the online program of interest.
For more information about state authorization requirements and complaint resolution, visit https://www.mcdaniel.edu/academics/graduate-professional-studies/state-authorization-requirements-complaints-resolution
