Graduate Program
Master of Arts in Liberal Studies MALS courses are conducted as
discussion groups and generally enroll between 7 and 12 students, with
a maximum enrollment of 15. At least one MALS seminar each term is
designated as a liberal studies core course. These courses are
explicitly interdisciplinary and writing-intensive. We strongly
encourage new students to take at least one liberal studies core course
within the first year of the MALS program, preferably before they
apply for formal candidacy (see “MALS Student Admission”). Liberal
studies core courses scheduled for the 2008-09 academic year are:
“Plagues and Their Meanings” in fall, “Ancient Slavery and Modern
Ideology” in spring, and “Ancient Epics” in the summer. The
program does not specify a minimum number of courses required in a
field of principal interest. The student’s total program, however, must
lead to a clearly defined objective and must be approved by the
Committee on Graduate Studies when the student applies for admission to
candidacy. After completing two provisional Reed courses, all students
must make application for formal candidacy to the program. Upon
candidacy approval, a faculty adviser and the director of the MALS
program will assist students in designing a course of study that meets
their particular intellectual interests while providing a broad
academic base. Most MALS students attend part time; full-time
status requires concurrent enrollment in both undergraduate courses and
graduate seminars. Full-time enrollment in a regular semester is three
units; half-time enrollment is one and one-half units. In the
accelerated summer term, one unit is considered half-time enrollment;
one and one-half units is full-time. While most students take three to
six years to graduate, it is possible to complete the program in two
years. The yearly course load for graduate students generally ranges
from one to five academic units. There is no specified minimum or
maximum course load, however, and students are not required to be
enrolled each consecutive term. Complementing this flexibility in
progression, however, is the expectation that all MALS students meet
the following completion time frames: Exceptions to the above requirements must be
approved in advance by the Committee on Graduate Studies. Petitions
should be addressed to the committee no later than the first day of
classes of the term before the degree paper. Degree Paper The
committee is cautious about approving creative degree paper proposals
and considers carefully the nature of the project, the student's prior
coursework, and the educational benefit of the project for the student.
Since creative projects also include a critical component, they
generally require substantial work on the part of the student. The
degree paper is due on the date specified in the academic calendar for
senior thesis submission. The schedule and deadlines for summer degree
papers are determined by the registrar and the MALS program director.
The degree paper requirement is completed with a two-hour oral defense
of the project. The committee of examiners typically includes
the student’s paper adviser, one member of the Committee on
Graduate Studies, and at least one but usually two other faculty
members. The committee should represent at least two different academic
divisions of the college. The Reed library houses copies of all degree
papers and undergraduate senior theses, easily accessible for both
reference and borrowing. When necessary, MALS students may take a
three-day extension for submitting the paper, provided a $50 late fee is
paid and the bound copies are submitted to the library by the regular
deadline. Grading The Committee on Graduate Studies
will consider applications from Reed MALS graduates who wish to audit a
specific graduate course. Graduates must submit an audit application to
the committee no later than 30 days before the start of the desired
term. The committee will consider the auditor’s statement of interest,
instructor approval, and space availability in granting admission to the
course. MALS graduates may audit no more than one course per year. Reed welcomes
applications from individuals who wish to pursue interdisciplinary
graduate work in a program that is both flexible and rigorous. Those
applicants are accepted who, in the view of the Committee on Graduate
Studies, are most likely to become successful members of and contribute
positively to the MALS community. Admission decisions are based on many
integrated factors. We recognize that qualities of character—in
particular, motivation, intellectual curiosity, and openness to
constructive criticism—are important considerations in the selection
process, beyond a demonstrated commitment to academic excellence. Tuition is
calculated on a per-unit basis at a rate reduced from that of
the undergraduate program. For the 2008-09 academic year, the semester
MALS tuition rates are as follows: For financial aid purposes, the academic year at Reed College begins in summer, continuing through fall and spring. Federal Title
IV financial aid includes the subsidized and unsubsidized
Federal Stafford Loan. For students who are recipients of federal Title
IV financial aid, additional calculations must be made for tuition
refunds. Third,
the college determines the amount of Title IV aid that must be returned
to the Title IV programs by the college and by the student. Aid
is returned to the Title IV programs in the program order listed above. Seminar Topics The following graduate seminars have been offered in the past five years:
The Master of Arts
in Liberal Studies (MALS) is an interdisciplinary graduate program
inthe liberal arts and sciences. An alternative to the highly
specialized course of study characteristic of more traditional
programs, the MALS degree does not provide a specific vocational or
professional orientation. It is intended for those students who wish to
pursue interdisciplinary graduate work in a flexible, individually
designed program. The MALS program therefore attracts a diverse group
of bright and intellectually curious students of varied interests,
ages, and backgrounds who are motivated to learn and who wish to pursue
learning with similarly motivated students and faculty members. In
short, the most fundamental and abiding characteristic of students in
the program is the desire to learn for the sake of learning.
Course Offerings
The
MALS curriculum incorporates a broad spectrum of courses in liberal
studies: humanities, history and the social sciences, the arts,
mathematics, and the sciences. Graduate seminars are offered in the
evenings and summers. These seminars frequently are interdisciplinary
in nature and are taught by faculty members from a variety of
departments. Normally there are three half-unit evening seminars each
fall and spring semester, and one full-unit course, along with an
additional half-unit evening seminar, in the summer term. With the
exception of the accelerated summer term, graduate seminars meet one
and one-half hours once a week for the duration of the semester. MALS
students also may select from 300- and 400-level undergraduate courses,
with consent of the instructor, for their degree program, or from 100-
and 200- level courses for undergraduate background credit and
prerequisites, and thus are eligible to take courses in any of the 24
academic departments at Reed.
On an exceptional basis, a student
may undertake an independent study class. The course must be approved
in advance by the Committee on Graduate Studies, which will take into
consideration the individual student’s personal and educational
circumstances. A proposal for the course, signed by the instructor,
must be submitted to the committee no later than the last day of
classes of the preceding term.
Course Load and Progression
Degree Requirements
The MALS
degree requires the completion of nine units of coursework. Each
student designs an individual program, incorporating the following
degree requirements:
a. A minimum of four of the eight
units must be in Reed courses at the graduate level (numbered 500 or
higher).
b. No more than four units from
300- and 400-level undergraduate courses may be applied to the eight
required units.
2. A one-unit degree paper.
3. No more than five units (including
the degree paper) in any one department or division, or in liberal
studies core courses, may be applied to the total nine units required
for graduation.
A required
final project, the degree paper is a one-unit, one-semester study of a
specific topic that should emerge out of the student’s courses and
critical studies. The experience of writing the degree paper is intended
to allow the student to investigate a particular topic in depth and to
present a conclusion in the scholarly manner appropriate to the field. A
description of the degree paper topic with an outline and a bibliography
must be approved in advance by theCommittee on Graduate Studies.
Candidates should submit the degree paper proposal to the MALS office
according to the following schedule: proposals for fall papers are due
the last day of classes of the preceding spring term; proposals for
spring papers are due the last day of class of the preceding fall term;
proposals for summer papers are due April 1 of the preceding spring term.
MALS students are expected to
perform at the graduate level and to earn grades of B- or better in all
their classes. Work completed at a level below B- is considered
unsatisfactory. The grade of C is allowed for students who complete a
course with credit, but whose work was unsatisfactory. The F grade
designates failure. Students are eligible for an incomplete grade with
the same constraints applicable to undergraduate students. For the
degree paper, B- is the lowest passing grade.
Transfer Credit
A
maximum of two of the nine units required for the degree may be
satisfied by transfer credit.Transfer credit may not be used to meet
the minimum requirement of four units of Reed courses at the graduate
level. All work submitted for transfer must be approved by the registrar
and by the Committee on Graduate Studies, preferably before enrollment
in the transfer course.The coursework must be from a regionally
accredited college or university, may not be applied to another degree,
and should represent B or better work. Courses taken as a
postbaccalaureate student should be comparable to upper-level
undergraduate or graduate coursework offered at Reed. Normally, all
courses approved for transfer must have been completed within the past
five years.
Auditors
Graduate courses are open
only to students who have been admitted to the MALS program. They are
not open to general auditors or to undergraduate Reed students. Students
currently enrolled in the MALS program are eligible to audit an
undergraduate course and should follow the guidelines outlined in the
section on auditors in the admission section of this catalog (under
“Special Admission Groups”).
Special Students
Those individuals
with an undergraduate degree who wish to sample a graduate course one
time only may initiate a special student application to take one class.
Credit for the class may be applied to the MALS degree requirements if
the student enters the degree-seeking program within five years of
taking the course.
Admission
Students
may apply to enter in the fall, spring, or summer term. Initial,
provisional admission to the MALS program requires submission of the
following items: a completed application form, official transcripts from
all undergraduate and postbaccalaureate schools, evidence of completion
of a bachelor’s degree, two letters of recommendation, a $60
nonrefundable application fee, and an interview with the MALS director
and a faculty member of the Committee on Graduate Studies. Applicants
should submit all required materials by the following deadlines: no
later than July 1 for fall entrance; no later than December 1 for spring
entrance; no later than April 1 for summer entrance. Applications are
reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year, and applicants are
notified of the admission decision accordingly.
All students are
admitted to the program on a provisional basis. In order to be admitted
formally as a candidate to the MALS program, the applicant must
successfully complete two successive or concurrent Reed courses, at
least one of which must be at the graduate level. If the student is
accepted, credit for these courses will be applied to the MALS degree.
Within one term of completing the second course, the student must submit
to the Committee on Graduate Studies a self-evaluation, outline of
course progression and completion, and a class paper. The program
director will solicit comments from the student’s instructors, including
an assessment of the applicant’s potential to write a final degree
paper. Once accepted as a candidate, the student should consult with the
faculty adviser to plan a program of study consistent with the goals of
the program, leading to the completion of all requirements for the MALS
degree.
Costs and Financial Assistance1/2 unit $1,720 2 units $6,880 1 unit $3,440 2 1/2 units $8,600 1 1/2 units $5,160 3 or more $10,320
Students enrolled
at least half time (1.5 units in the fall or spring terms; 1 unit in the
summer term) are eligible to participate in the Federal Stafford Loan
program. Students wishing to borrow under the Federal Stafford Loan
program must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA). In addition, for each semester that a graduate student is
interested in borrowing a federal loan, the student should provide the
financial aid office with the following information: a letter stating
the semester of attendance (fall, spring, or summer), the course titles
and the number of units per course, and a loan request form. New
borrowers at Reed must also complete a loan entrance session.
The FAFSA
is available in Reed’s financial aid office, or online
at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The Reed College code for the FAFSA is 003217. If
the student would like to borrow through one of the college’s
preferred lenders, a student loan request form also is available in the
financial aid office. The maximum subsidized Federal Stafford Loan
available to a graduate student is $8,500 per academic year. The maximum
unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan available to a graduate student is
$12,000 per academic year. The exact amount of subsidized and
unsubsidized loan eligibility is based upon the student’s determined
need, calculated from the FAFSA and the number of units enrolled at Reed
each semester. Graduate students also may borrow costs of attendance
under the federal PLUS loan program, which requires a credit check. As
the Stafford loans should cover the cost of attendance for most
students, however, it is unlikely that MALS students would qualify for
the additional PLUS loan.
A Reed
College monthly payment option, administered by Tuition
Management Systems, offers a flexible alternative to semester payments
to the college. Participants make 10 equal monthly payments, beginning
July 15, for the academic year. (A five-month payment option also
is available for one-semester participation.) Requests for an
application and questions may be addressed to the Reed College business
office, to Tuition Management Systems at 800-722-4867, or online at http://www.afford.com/reed.
The
MALS program also sponsors a small scholarship each year to help defray
tuition costs for one or two MALS students. Recipients are chosen by the
Committee on Graduate Studies based on an application process that takes
into account primarily financial need (as calculated from the FAFSA
form), but also academic and personal merit. Generally, the committee
will call for scholarship applications in the spring and make a final
decision on awards no later than fall of the new academic year.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Satisfactory academic
progress refers to a minimum grade point average (GPA) expectation, the
number of units completed during the academic year, and the time it
normally would take to complete the MALS degree. For federal financial
aid purposes, a student is expected to maintain at least a 2.0 GPA.
Full-time status at Reed is 3 units in a regular semester (fall or
spring) and 1.5 units in summer. Based on the degree requirement of 9
units, a student attending full time would take a year and a half to
complete the program. Students are eligible for federal financial aid
for up to 150 percent of the regular time frame to complete a degree;
therefore, MALS students may be eligible for federal aid for up to two
years of full-time study. A student who enrolls part time during any
semester may be eligible for additional semesters of federal aid.
Reed’s
institutional definition of satisfactory academic progress for the
number of completed units is the same as noted above in the federal
definition. It differs, however, from the federal definition in minimum
GPA and time frame. MALS students generally are expected to maintain a
GPA of at least 3.0. They must apply for formal candidacy in the program
after completing their first two courses, take at least one course every
three semesters, and complete the degree within six years of acceptance
as a degree candidate.
Dropping Courses, Refunds, and Withdrawal from the Program
MALS students
who drop courses during a semester must complete an add/drop form,
available from the registrar’s office. The signatures of the instructor,
adviser, and student are required for acceptance of the form. Deadlines
for registration changes are published in the academic calendar. The
date that the completed form is submitted to the registrar’s office is
the effective date for determining any refund.
The refund of
tuition is based on the percentage of the payment period completed by
the student. The effective drop date determines the period of
completion. The method of determining the refund percentage pertains to
nonfederal Title IV financial aid (for example, alternative loans or the
Menashe scholarship). The business office has detailed information on
the refund policy.
No deviations from the refund schedule will be
made except in cases of extreme hardship, of which the college shall be
the sole judge. The Administration Committee may, upon the
recommendation of the MALS program director, approve petitions for such
exceptions. Reed College’s refund policy is based in part on the fact
that it is an institution with a semester-based program, and we are not
required to take attendance. The refund policy applies to all graduate
students who drop or withdraw from courses during a semester, whether or
not they have federal Title IV financial aid, except as noted in the
section below.
Any student who wishes to withdraw formally from
the MALS program must provide written notification to the MALS office.
If the student is enrolled at the time of withdrawal, the student must
complete the add/drop form.
Credit balances under $10 will not be refunded.
Tuition Refund for Federal Title IV Financial Aid Recipients
First, the college calculates the amount of Title IV aid
earned by the student for the percentage of payment period completed. If
the percentage of payment period completed is greater than 60 percent,
the student is considered to have earned 100 percent of their Title IV
aid; otherwise, they have earned the actual percentage calculated.
Second,
the college compares the amount earned with the amount disbursed
to determine the amount that must be returned to the Title IV
programs.The amount disbursed is that aid awarded and disbursed to the
student’s account, plus the Title IV aid awarded that could have been
disbursed to the student’s account (such as memo balances).
Health Insurance
All degree-seeking
MALS students taking a half unit or more of Reed classes continuously
each term, including summers, are eligible to enroll in the Reed College
health plan. Students are allowed one term of nonenrollment in their
progression to the MALS degree; a second term of nonenrollment would
result in termination of coverage. A student who is unable to return to
classes because of extenuating circumstances may qualify to purchase
coverage for an additional period of time.
The rates for graduate
students are somewhat higher than for under graduates. However, MALS
students may choose their own primary care providers off campus. In
addition, MALS students who join the Reed health plan may seek medical
attention from the Reed health center, preferably by appointment but
also by dropping in. The health center requires students seeking their
services to complete a confidential health history form. The plan offers
access to the Aetna national network of preferred providers. Detailed
information on the plan benefits and costs is available at
www.chickering.com or by calling The Chickering Group at 866/574-8289.
Anthropology 570 The Theory and Practice of Globalization
Art 541 Picasso’s Cubism
Biology 505 The Biological Legacy of Lewis and Clark
Chinese 527 Representations of the Cultural Revolution
Classics 527 Women in the Ancient World
Creative Writing 512 The Memoir of Others
History 545 The Vietnam War
History 561 Inquisition and Society in Late Medieval and Early Modern Europe
Liberal Studies 512 The Black Radical Tradition
Liberal Studies 524 Cultures in Contact: The American Frontier
Liberal Studies 526 Chaucer in the Medieval World
Liberal Studies 528 Crossing Chinese Frontiers
Liberal Studies 530 Dream in Human Societies
Liberal Studies 531 Socrates and Plato
Liberal Studies 535 Biblical Narrative: Literature, Art, and History
Liberal Studies 536 Economic Success and Failure
Liberal Studies 553 Literary and Visual Culture in 18th-Century Britain
Liberal Studies 560 The Twenties in America
Liberal Studies 561 The Soviet Experience
Liberal Studies 562 The Victorian Fin de Siécle
Liberal Studies 569 The History of Women, Gender, and Sexuality
Liberal Studies 583 Engendering History
Liberal Studies 588 Railways and Modernity
Liberal Studies 593 Faulkner and Morrison
Literature 511 Form and Dissolution in the Central European Novel: 1888–1927
Literature 542 Argentina: Literature and Society
Literature 543 Culture and Literature of Medieval France
Literature 552 Studies in Autobiography
Literature 584 The Beat Generation
Literature 591 Contemporary and Classical Literary Theory
Literature/Mathematics 563 Thomas Mann and the Discourse of Science in Early-Twentieth Century
Mathematics 537 The Copernican Revolution
Philosophy 545 Iris Murdoch
Philosophy 548 Existentialism
Physics 568 Here in the Universe
Psychology 522 Stereotyping and Prejudice
Psychology 531 Emotions
Psychology 544 The Social Construction of Disability
Religion 533 Hidden Divinity: In Search of Christian Mysticism
Theatre 519 The Birth of Modernism in the Theatre
