Jerry Van Hoy, Director

The Master of Interdisciplinary Studies at The University of Toledo seeks to provide an intellectually challenging and academically rigorous education to non-traditional students with bachelor’s degrees who desire additional study in the liberal arts. By its very nature, the Master of Interdisciplinary Studies program encourages interdisciplinary thinking and respects diverse philosophical and methodological approaches to knowledge. Degree requirements are flexible, allowing students to design a customized program of study that reflects their unique academic interests. In designing the curriculum, students are able to choose from dozens of graduate courses taught campus-wide. You can also earn a graduate certificate as part of your plan of study by incorporating certificate courses in MIS course electives.

Recognizing the unique challenges facing non-traditional students, the program attempts to provide course offerings in a variety of formats. The Master of Interdisciplinary Studies degree may be completed via distance learning or on campus. For further information, please see the master of liberal studies web page at http://www.utoledo.edu/al/mls or contact the director at jerry.vanhoy@utoledo.edu.

A Certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies is available through the Master of Interdisciplinary Studies. See the Women’s and Gender Studies section of this catalog for details.

All students seeking admission to the master of liberal studies program must file an application with the College of Graduate Studies. Application materials consist of an application, a statement of purpose, writing sample, post-secondary transcripts (not necessary for applicants with a UT degree), and three letters of reference. Students with an undergraduate GPA of less than 2.70 must also submit GRE scores to be considered for admission. Applicants may request or may be requested to have an interview with the director.

EARLY ADMISSION TO THE  Master of Interdisciplinary Studies PROGRAM

Students currently enrolled in the BA in Liberal Studies program of University College (UC) are given an opportunity to enroll in up to nine semester-hours of graduate course work in the Master of Interdisciplinary Studies program of the College of Arts and Letters. Students may then apply those courses and credit hours to both their BA and Master of Interdisciplinary Studies degree requirements for graduation from The University of Toledo.

Undergraduate students accepted into the LS/MIS option will be admitted to the MIS program and allowed to complete three graduate level classes. They will then continue in the MIS program upon completion of the BA degree requirements. The nine hours of graduate course work will be applied to completion of both LS and MIS degree requirements. It will be the joint responsibility of staff in UC and MIS to supervise students admitted to the LS/MIS option and to ensure that the limit of nine hours taken as an undergraduate is strictly enforced.

The following provisions apply to classes taken for graduate credit:

1. Graduate classes can be taken at The University of Toledo only after the student is accepted in to the LS/MIS joint program.
2. Only MIS classes numbered 6010-6040 may be included in the approved nine semester hours of graduate credit taken as an undergraduate.

Students must have a 3.3 cumulative undergraduate grade-point average to be considered for this option. Applications must contain:

1. A letter of application.
2. A completed “Regular Graduate Admission” form.
3. At least two letters of recommendation from faculty members teaching ALS/MIS classes, or upper-level classes in the students’ proposed area of concentration at the graduate level.

The student and the MIS Graduate Adviser must develop an approved MIS plan of study and file this plan immediately after the student is granted graduate student status. The plan of study must specify the course work and credit hours that will be accepted as part of the LS/MIS early admission option.

For the master of interdisciplinary studies degree, students must complete the following requirements, totaling 33 hours of study:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Core Seminars
MLS 6010	MLS Seminar in Humanities	3
MLS 6020	Mls Seminar In Social Sciences	3
MLS 6030	Mls Seminar In Natural Sciences	3
MLS 6040	Mls Seminar In The Visual And Performing Arts	3
Research Methods
MLS 6100	Interdisciplinary Research Methods	3
Or another research methods course chosen in consulation with the director and an adviser
Electives
Courses chosen in consultation with the director and an advisor
Capstone Requirement
Capstone

Thesis option: A thesis is a written report on original independent research conducted by the student under the supervision of his or her thesis adviser and thesis committee. The thesis must be written in scholarly format, with the appropriate citation format and extensive references. The literature review developed for the thesis proposal should serve as the initial component of the thesis. Typical thesis length: 50 to 70 pages including all tables, figures, and references.

Project option:  A project is an applied or creative work. Generally a project will include a product that contributes knowledge via applied research or creative accomplishment (such as video, a course of study, short stories or essays). Projects must include an explanatory essay that includes an explanation of the methods and theory involved. In addition, the document will describe, in summarized fashion, the project development process. The literature review developed for the project proposal may serve as the basis of the explanatory essay. Typical explanatory essay length: 20 to 30 pages, including references.

• PLO 1. Students will critically assess the assumptions and problem solving techniques associated with the disciplinary perspectives of the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.
• PLO 2. Students will examine social class, race, gender, and disability in their research and writing.
• PLO 3. Students will write clearly, critically, and effectively.
• PLO 4. Students will apply an integrative process to research, problem solving or creative endeavor.