Masters of Arts in the Liberal Arts (MALA) Special Program for Teachers

LSU has long offered the Masters of Arts in the Liberal Arts, an interdisciplinary program with great flexibility. It is now instituting a special program within this degree to provide teachers in both social studies and language arts the opportunity to earn a content-based MA, which could enhance both their professional development and the knowledge they bring to the classroom. Teachers could take courses toward this degree part-time during regular semesters as well as full time in summer school.

The MALA is an ideal program for teachers since it provides them with maximum flexibility in designing an interdisciplinary program that would best meet their needs. They will be able to take courses counting toward their degree in a variety of departments relevant to their disciplines and teaching assignments. For example, social studies teachers could take courses in history, political science, and economics. Language arts teachers could take courses in literature in the English Department or various foreign language programs. In addition, teachers would be able to take courses in other areas, including pedagogy, or even courses that they just find intellectually stimulating.

Teachers in the program may pursue either a:

Non-Thesis Track
36 Hours of Course Work + Exit exam/Oral Defense
Thesis Track
24 Hours of Course Work + 6 Hours of Thesis Credit (LIBA 8000) + Oral Defense

Additional requirements in both tracks are:

LIBA 7000 and LIBA 7900
At least one-half of the courses must be at the 7000 level
No more than one-half of the courses may be taken in any one department.

To help teachers meet these requirements while accommodating their work schedule and tailoring the program for them, the MALA program will:

Teach either LIBA 7000 or 7900 in summer school each summer along with another graduate seminar, if there is sufficient demand. Teachers in the program would also be able to take independent study or 4000 level courses for graduate credit during the summer.
Offer, whenever possible, LEH summer seminars that can be taken for credit toward the degree.
Allow students to take courses in whatever departments or colleges that they find helpful in their professional or intellectual development. These would include courses taught in the College of Education.
Allow students to take independent study courses—up to four (if they are in the non-thesis track) or three (if they are in thesis option).
Maintain and provide a list of faculty members, drawn from various departments, who have committed to the program and are willing to work with students on independent study courses as well as serve as their advisors or on their committees.

Core Faculty

Participants in the program may take courses with and choose an advisor from among any member of the College’s graduate faculty. The following faculty members, however, have agreed to serve as advisors and to offer independent study for teachers in the program.

African and African American Studies	Joyce Jackson
Classics	Michelle Zerba
Communication	Renee Edwards Andrew King
Comparative Literature	Adelaide Russo
English	Elsie Mitchie Anna Nardo Daniel Novak
French Studies	Kate Jensen
History	Gaines Foster Maribel Deitz Charles Shindo Victor Stater
Geography and Anthropology	Jill Brody Craig Colton Joyce Jackson Kent Mathewson
Philosophy	Edward Henderson Mary Sirridge
Political Science	William Clark Cecil Eubanks Robert Hogan James Stoner
Psychology	Emily Elliott Janet McDonald
Sociology	Susan Dumais Jeanne Hurlbert
Spanish	Margaret Parker
Women’s & Gender Studies	Kathleen Bratton Katherine Henninger

For more information, contact the advisor for the MALA for Teachers Program:

Brannon Costello
Director, MALA program
Associate Professor
Department of English
260 Allen Hall
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
phone: 225-578-2867
fax: 225-578-4129
e-mail: bcostell@lsu.edu

To Apply:

https://app.applyyourself.com/?id=gradlsu

Additional Information:

MALA Brochure