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March 25, 2005 > News > School of Continuing Studies to offer new Masters degree in fall

School of Continuing Studies to offer new Masters degree in fall

By Katricia Lang | Thresher staff

Professionals and retirees who hope to enhance their education and supplement prior university course work can seek a Master of Liberal Studies degree from the School of Continuing Studies beginning next fall. The degree, Rice’s first continuing studies degree, will incorporate liberal arts courses in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.

The program is geared toward older students and will offer evening classes and part-time status, Dean of Continuing Studies Mary McIntire said.

The program might attract professionals, such as lawyers, accountants and engineers, whose previous educational focus has been narrow, she said. It will offer students the opportunity to integrate liberal arts disciplines with their prior educational experiences.

‘It is extremely important for people to be able to integrate science, political and social issues, and the humanities in a meaningful way,’ McIntire said. ‘If your focus in college has been on any one of the three academic areas — science, social sciences or humanities — you may not have an equal grasp of the two other disciplines.’

The degree requires 33 credit hours and can be completed in less than four years if a student takes one class each session.

The School of Continuing Studies currently offers courses on subjects ranging from personal finance to languages but does not offer a degree.

McIntire said the school hopes to attract intellectually curious students.

‘It’s a degree for people who really want to learn for learning’s sake,’ she said.

After taking three core courses in each of the three liberal arts disciplines, students will take seven in-depth elective courses. No electives will be offered in the fall because students are required to complete core courses during their first semesters.

The final course, called a capstone course, will require students to write an extended paper or complete a project and prepare an oral presentation.

All courses will require research papers, and some may require tests or presentations. Psychology Professor David Schneider will teach a core social science course entitled ‘Violence and Human Nature.’ Schneider said he thinks the new program’s outreach to the community may indirectly help Rice undergraduates.

‘If it increases the prestige of Rice in the community, it is important not only for financial support, but it means that undergraduates have a better time when they need something from the community [such as] jobs,’ Schneider said.

McIntire said the program may result in the development of new undergraduate courses. ‘Because the core courses have to be created by the faculty, they may be adapted … in some form for undergraduates,’ McIntire said.

English Professor Dennis Huston will teach ‘The Shaping of Western Thought’ in the fall. Huston modeled this course on his course HUMA 101: From Ancient Greece to Medieval Islam: Introduction to Western Literature, History and Philosophy, an introductory class for undergraduates, but he intends to lengthen the reading assignments and discussions.

‘Our Environment: Science and Culture,’ to be taught by Biology Professor Ronald Sass, will be offered as another core course in the fall semester.

Electives will include ‘Bilingualism: Educational, Social and Political Issues,’ ‘Western Art: Music from the Middle Ages to the Present’ and ‘The Solar System and the Mind of Man.’ Schneider, who has previous experience teaching in Continuing Studies, said he expects older students will seek the Master of Liberal Studies degree. Many will have jobs or will be retired, and some may have doctorates or master’s degrees, he said.

‘Adults often find that they miss the excitement of university life,’ Schneider said. Students will not have access to financial aid to cover the inaugural tuition cost of $1,960 per course. The student services fee will be $32 per session, and the parking fee will be $68 per session.

Students will be issued a campus ID from the Rice University Police Department, a commuter parking permit, a Rice e-mail account and Fondren Library privileges. They will be subject to the Code of Student Conduct and the Honor Code.

For students beginning the program in its first academic year, tuition will include all required textbooks for their first course.

To apply for admission to the program, prospective students must have at least a 3.0 GPA from their undergraduate work and submit a complete application for admission, a current resumé, a personal statement, specific writing assignments, official transcripts from previous colleges or universities attended and two letters of recommendation. All application materials for Fall 2005 admission must be postmarked no later than May 13.

Provost Eugene Levy initiated discussion of the proposed program with former Rice President Malcolm Gillis. The approval process for the degree lasted about three years.

In October, the Graduate Council reviewed the program, followed by two faculty votes.

After the program secured final approval, the Graduate Council appointed a steering committee to address specifics, such as tuition and the admissions process.

In designing the MLS degree, McIntire consulted with several institutions offering similar programs.

McIntire said there are approximately 100 comparable programs throughout the country at schools such as Duke, Harvard and Stanford Universities and the University of Chicago.

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