Deepen your understanding of the world around you, expand your knowledge, and boost your capacity for creativity. JHU’s nationally recognized Master of Liberal Arts degree lets you explore humanistic questions from interdisciplinary perspectives.

Degree Type:
Master of Liberal Arts
Entry Terms:
Fall, Spring, and Summer
Mode of Study:
Online
Requirements:
10 courses
Time to Complete:
18 – 24 months

Master of Liberal Arts Program Overview

The JHU Master of Liberal Arts program thrives on your curiosity, passion, and diverse world experience. The first program of its kind in the country, this educational experience allows you to pursue a graduate degree tailored to your interests, whether you’re looking for an advanced credential for career mobility or simply want to enrich your personal and professional life.

Build a Program Around Your Interests

You’ll have access to a diverse and creative selection of interdisciplinary courses each semester, with topic-driven offerings that draw from disciplines like history, film, art, music, literature, sociology, politics, world cultures, bioethics, psychology, ecology, and archaeology.

While the Master of Liberal Arts program is not designed with a specific career pathway in mind, MLA students and alumni represent every sector of the workforce and every stage of their professional lives. Many of our students seek this degree to deepen their knowledge of the world and its intellectual history, to expand their understanding of the human experience across time and cultures, and to sharpen their analytical and communication skills. Listed below are examples of careers our MLA students and alumni occupy; it is not an exhaustive list. It is important to note that the MLA degree usually is not the specialized degree required to gain access to these fields, but the MLA has been known to contribute to the professional success of our alumni.

What It’s Like to Study Liberal Arts at AAP

In-Depth Article

What is a Master of Liberal Arts, and How is It Useful?

On the Advance Blog

A Master of Liberal Arts is a graduate degree earned through an interdisciplinary course of study that immerses students in topics like literature, history, art, science, philosophy, and culture.

Why to Pursue a Master of Liberal Arts at Hopkins

Flexible Course Selection

Given the breadth and flexibility of our program and course offerings, the MLA is able to meet a range of different goals and expectations among our students. Our students represent the full range of working professions and are at all stages of their careers.

Deepen Analytical Skills and Broaden Your Perspectives

Our interdisciplinary courses strengthen your critical thinking and communication skills, improve your ethical reasoning, boost your capacity for creativity and innovation, and raise your social and cultural awareness.

Knowledgeable, Diverse Faculty

The liberal arts faculty has a range of research interests and professional backgrounds, including: jazz musicians, cultural historians, philosophers, art historians, photographers, religious scholars, sociologists, and literary critics.

Capstone Experience

Your program will culminate with a capstone project that is selected from a range of different options. Students choose from a reflective portfolio, a research-driven graduate project, a research-based creative project, and an internship option.

Take the Next Step

Let your intellectual curiosity be your guide as you complete your Master of Liberal Arts online or on campus from Johns Hopkins University.

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