In this increasingly complex world, the way we live and work is changing rapidly. Being flexible, knowledgeable and adaptable is key to personal and professional growth. In light of this, pursuing a MLA at St. Edward's University is more than an avenue for personal fulfillment. It is your opportunity to become a true generalist—someone who, through a broad-based graduate liberal arts experience, is better able to bring valuable perspective and depth to evolving personal, professional and community issues.

The MLA is a rich complex of academic interests. You may be in a seminar with students wanting to examine the intersections between history and anthropology, or between literary and art history, or globalization, or environmental issues, or the Italian Renaissance, or creative writing.

As important as diversity of curriculum, however, is diversity of community. Many MLA students are in their 20s and 30s. Others are in their 60s and 70s. Others are in between. Some students are early in careers, while some are still searching for who and what they want to be. Others are looking toward retirement or are retired. And still others are taking a break while they re-evaluate themselves and their personal and professional goals, or they are taking the time to experience a liberal education that they did not pursue earlier in life. In short, a MLA seminar is a wonderfully rich complex of interests, backgrounds, perspectives, and goals.

Within this rich diversity, however, there is a unifying theme, namely, that each MLA student is on her or his unique quest. The MLA program supports these quests by providing a context, not by requiring a fixed set of courses. Working with St. Edward’s faculty, you have the opportunity to create your own program of study, using your imagination and giving form to your deepest interests. What you create will be as unique and as individual as you. We look forward to taking this journey with you.

H. Ramsey Fowler, Ph.D.
Director, Master of Liberal Arts