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MALS students come to Reed to dedicate themselves to learning for its own sake. They often carry on busy careers outside of school and have no professional need for another degree or further training. Instead, students come because their passion for learning makes them want more than simply reading books on their own can provide. MALS students want to be among a community of scholars, like themselves, who yearn to know more, and are thus willing to submit themselves to the discipline of writing, dialogue, and critical thinking that is a hallmark of a Reed liberal arts education. ELLEN KECK STAUDER Professor of English and Humanities

Master of Arts
in Liberal Studies

MALS Students

There is no “typical” Reed MALS student. The program attracts a diverse group of people of varied interests, ages, and backgrounds. They are drawn to the program by their desire to focus their intellectual curiosity in a more structured context, and to do so with similarly motivated students and a stimulating faculty. Some come to the program from specialized professions looking for an opportunity to broaden and deepen their knowledge; others are recent college graduates who want to study more broadly before narrowing their career focus. Most can be described as seekers: people looking for deeper meaning as individuals and members of society, people who wish to expand their thinking about themselves in relation to the world. Thus, the most fundamental and abiding characteristic of students in the program is the desire to learn for its own sake.

In addition to the pursuit of personal and intellectual growth, some students also seek professional advancement. They may look to a general master’s degree to open doors to new employment opportunities or career enhancement. For example, one student, a local business manager, used materials from a MALS course on stereotyping and prejudice to make a presentation to his business colleagues. A curator at the Portland Art Museum received a fellowship upon graduation to continue her degree paper research at the Huntington Library. Others prompted by their experience in the program have made career changes with additional schooling, moving from business to academia as teachers and librarians. Several have found positions teaching at the community college level.

Some students use the flexibility of the program to explore the possibility of advanced study or to strengthen a future application to a Ph.D. program. In the past 10 years, two graduates continued on to a Ph.D., one at Yale, the other at Stanford. Another recent graduate completed law school at the University of Pennsylvania, and one other entered the M.F.A. program at the University of Virginia to pursue creative writing. Other recent graduates have entered master’s programs in library science and in teaching.

Most MALS students live in the Portland metropolitan area and work full or part time. In recent years, several students have moved to Portland specifically to participate in Reed’s MALS program. MALS students come to the program while pursuing careers in such diverse fields as education, law, medicine, the arts, finance, journalism, architecture, and business. While the average age of program participants is approximately 35, student ages generally range from the mid-20s to mid-70s.

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