Study Options
MALS "Early Credit" Program for Wesleyan Undergraduates
Wesleyan students may apply for provisional admission to the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) degree and begin taking Graduate Liberal Studies (GLS) courses during their 8th term of undergraduate study. If provisionally admitted as an MALS candidate, students get approval to take GLS courses in fall or spring term of their senior year (approval required from class dean, advisor, faculty member and GLS director). After graduation, they may then petition to have courses count toward their MALS if they were not applied to any of the credit, major, Gen Ed, or other requirements for the BA degree. All GLS courses taken in the senior year as part of full-time enrollment will be included in undergraduate tuition and financial aid packages and residential credit count.
Standard Class Schedule
Wesleyan GLS standard class schedule courses meet once a week for twelve weeks during the fall and spring terms (September through December and January through May). Class sessions generally meet for two and a half hours, with start times between 6 and 7 p.m. Online options, weekend immersions or, less frequently, weeklong immersions, may also be available in fall and spring terms.
GLS standard class schedule students can set up meetings with faculty before class, and campus libraries are open both before and after evening classes. The GLS assistant director is available, by appointment, for advising meetings before evening classes.
Summer Study
As a Wesleyan GLS student, you can choose to pursue a summers-only plan of study or you may elect to take one or two summer classes in addition to taking courses during the academic year. GLS students choosing summers-only study can complete their degree requirements in three or four summers or may take classes (including tutorials) during the academic year to complete the requirements sooner.
Summer study schedules allow students to study full time (three or four classes), if they wish, during this short term. Summer classes meet twice weekly for five weeks (typically the full month of July with a tag at the end of June or the beginning of August), for three hours in the morning, afternoon or evening. Most summer terms also include two weeklong immersion courses: one prior to the beginning of the term and one immediately following it. For this reason, many educators choose to pursue the GLS degree with summers-only study. Online and weekend immersion options may also be available during summer term.
Campus housing and dining, as well as libraries, athletic facilities, film series, arts series and other university resources, are available to GLS students during summer term. Housing units for GLS students are located near the Olin Memorial Library. Equipped with off-street parking, full kitchens and basic furnishings, each unit houses up to five students in private rooms; both single- and mixed-sex housing units are available. Members of The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) receive a special housing discount for summer study.
Immersion Courses
Wesleyan GLS immersion courses typically bring students to campus for either five consecutive or five weekend days (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) during summer term and frequently during fall and spring terms as well. Immersion courses are worth three units of credit and are academically as rigorous as a regular term course, with the same number of meeting hours in the term compressed into the shorter duration. Students interested in immersion courses should be aware that the syllabus usually requires that students prepare for up to a month prior to the first class meeting, and complete assignments in the weeks following the course.
In some cases, a professor will supplement the immersion course's class meetings on campus with synchronous online meetings or asynchronous work. While it's possible to build an academic plan pursuing immersion study only, doing so will limit your curriculum choices. Students who do not live locally but wish to earn a degree are encouraged to purse a combination of immersion, online and independent study.
Online Study
Wesleyan’s online study options allow distance-learning students to take advantage of select Wesleyan GLS courses. Please note that for students earning the MALS or MPhil degree, the number of online courses that can count toward a degree must be less than 50% of the total.
Synchronous online courses allow distance-learning students to contribute to discussions and interact with their classmates in real time. Occasionally, faculty may combine asynchronous teaching and learning components with synchronous meetings on campus or online. Asynchronous work can entail participation in online discussion forums, commenting on reading material and completing activities as assigned. Fully-asynchronous courses are not offered.
Please note: Our ability to provide online study options varies from term to term. All online GLS courses require regular computer access with a reliable internet connection.
Foundational Course Study
Each semester, at least one—and sometimes several—GLS courses are offered with the “foundational course option.” The foundational option provides an additional level of guidance, support and feedback to ensure that students cultivate the tools and skills necessary for graduate level research and writing. All GLS students working toward a degree are strongly encouraged to take a foundational course as one of their first few courses in the program. Any student, degree or non-degree, may enroll in a foundational option, and some degree candidates may be required to do so as a condition of their admission to the program.
Living on Campus: Residential Study
While on-campus housing is only guaranteed to Wesleyan GLS students during the summer term (click here for summer housing information), on-campus or near-campus housing may be available to GLS degree-candidates enrolled in three or more courses per semester.
GLS students who are employed at TABS member institutions receive a housing discount; ask us for more information!