Graduate Liberal Studies Program

For complete details about tuition and fees go here.

Financial aid in the form of grants, loans, and part-time employment is available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. For more information about financial aid go here. No financial aid is available for international students.

Most students in the program are between the ages of 25 and 35, though there are some students in their 40s and 50s. Many MALS students work in the field of education, and others come with backgrounds in business, healthcare, community organizing, criminal justice, journalism, art, and other fields.

Most students in the program have full-time jobs. For working students we recommend no more than 2 courses per semester. At that pace, the program can be completed in 2 1/2 to 3 years. Students who are not working may be able to manage 3 courses per semester and finish the program in 2 years.

Classes are scheduled with working students in mind. Most classes will meet one night a week starting at 6 pm. There are also some classes that meet in the late afternoon.

No tests are required. However, an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 is expected.

Since the MALS program was designed as a part-time program for working adults in the South Jersey/Philadelphia area, it is recommended for international students only if they have other reasons that bring them to this area. Generally, there are other programs that are more suitable for international students.

Graduate courses taken prior to enrolling in the MALS program may be transferred for credit in many cases. All courses proposed for transfer credit must be approved by the program director using this form. Professional training courses are generally not acceptable for transfer. A maximum of 3 courses (in which a student has received a grade of B or better) may be transferred for credit in the MALS program. Course taken outside of Rutgers-Camden after you have matriculated in the program are considered “transient credit” and must be approved as described here.

You can apply on-line by going to this link.

When you apply to the Masters Program in Liberal Studies, you will be asked to choose between the On Campus program and the Fully Online program. 

The On-Campus program is intended for students who live close enough to take at least some of their classes at one of the locations where the Rutgers Graduate Liberal Studies program offers traditional face-to-face seminars.   Most of the classes are offered on the Camden campus and meet one evening per week.   However, classes are also offered at Rutgers satellite program at Mcguire Air Force Base.   Students who are enrolled in the On-Campus program may still take online classes, as long as at least 4 of their classes are taken on campus.

The Fully-Online Program is intended for students who are not able to take any classes at all on campus, either because of where they live or the nature of their schedules.   Students in this program are expected to take ALL of their classes online.