M.A. in Humanities

Admission Requirements

The Master of Arts in Humanities (MA) program seeks to admit graduate students who have demonstrated, through their academic performance, aptitudes to complete graduate work at the highest level. Admission is a privilege granted by the College rather than a right to be assumed by those meeting minimum qualifications. A prospective student must be of good character and standing within his or her community. An applicant’s academic background would ideally represent a broad-based curriculum including the disciplines of English, History, Mathematics, Natural and Social Sciences, and a foreign language(s).

Applications cannot be processed until all required materials are received. As soon as they have been received, the applicant will be notified that the file is complete. If admission is granted, the admission offer will be valid only if the applicant enrolls during the term indicated on the application. When submitted, all application materials become the property of Faulkner University; none will be returned to the applicant. Prospective students who wish to enroll in the Master of Arts in Humanities program must meet the following admission requirements:

• Completed Application
• A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university; you must provide transcripts from all previously attended institutions.
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale.
• Acceptable test scores on graduate admissions exams, including the GRE (a combined verbal and quantitative score of 297 or above) or MAT (400 or greater). Exam results cannot be more than five years old and must be forwarded directly to Faulkner from the testing service.
• Three letters of recommendation with specific comments regarding the applicant’s academic work, professional experience and ability to successfully complete graduate study. The letters are often from the applicant’s faculty members or supervisory personnel.
• A statement of goals and interest specifying the applicant’s interest in the program, as well as the applicant’s academic and professional background in preparation for graduate study (approximately 300 words).
• Approval by the director of the Master of Arts in Humanities program.

Policies

For full details of policies in the MA and PhD degree programs in Humanities, please refer to the

“Manual for Students and Tutors” and the “Thesis and Dissertation Manual” (available upon request from the Department of Humanities). A few policies are stated briefly here to assist students who are considering applying to one of the programs.

Transfer Policy

A student who has earned graduate credit in comparable courses (as determined by the program director) from institutionally accredited colleges and universities (i.e., by accrediting bodies recognized by the US Department of Education) may transfer up to 6 credit hours toward the MA or PhD degree. Courses taken in pursuance of a master’s degree do not qualify for transfer credit toward the PhD degree. No grade lower than a B is transferable toward the MA or PhD degree.

Class Attendance and Participation

The MA and PhD programs require class attendance via Google Apps for Education, including live video conferences. Seminars require 7-8 video conferences of 90-minute duration in the course of a semester. Individual tutorials require 8 60-minute discussions with a tutor. None of the classes in these degree programs is purely asynchronous.

Graduation Requirements

Students applying for graduation must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 for their entire degree, including the thesis or dissertation grade. No grade lower than a C is accepted in the degree program. No more than 6 hours of coursework earning a C may be applied toward the degree. The thesis or dissertation must be successfully defended and receive no lower than a B.

Overview

The Master of Arts in Humanities (MA) is a 30-hour thesis degree (27 hours of course work and 3 hours credit for the thesis) with rich roots providing intellectual and spiritual engagement with the Great Tradition of the Western world. The MA prepares students to pursue doctoral studies or vocational service in disciplines like History, Humanities, Literature, Philosophy, and Classical Education. Using many of the Great Books and a conversation mode (e.g., threaded discussions, conference calls), students work with enthusiastic, highly qualified tutors to examine, discuss, and work through great ideas with an eye toward living and teaching these truths. The program includes:

1. Two foundation courses
2. Three core courses
3. One emphasis-specific seminar and three independent tutorials
4. One thesis course

Purpose

The degree program allows for areas of emphasis in humanities, literature, religion, history, or philosophy. The purposes of the Master of Arts in Humanities are:

1. The degree serves the Faulkner University mission statement as a continuance of the undergraduate degree in liberal arts in which the education of the whole person through a rigorous distance program is in view by means of the broad disciplinary content of the curriculum. The degree serves the mission statement with assertion that all learning has as its end that we may know and honor Christ. The degree serves the students at a distance by introducing them to the great ideas and ongoing issues of mankind through seminal texts from western culture.
2. The degree prepares students to pursue doctoral studies in such disciplines as humanities, literature, religion, history, and philosophy.

Outcomes

1. The outcomes of the Master of Arts in Humanities degree are as follows:
2. Expand the mission of the university by educating the whole person through a broad disciplinary content via distance education,
3. Demonstrate the unity of all learning with its chief end that we may know and honor Christ,
4. Enable students to be conversant about the perennial ideas and issues of mankind,
5. Prepare students for employment and/or further graduate study, and
6. The specific learning objectives reflect the focus on the Great Books curriculum and conversational method through the lens of Christian thought.

Application Process

To apply, please:

1. Review the application checklist,
2. Complete and submit an application,
3. Complete and submit a transcript request form, and optionally,
4. Apply for financial aid.

Applicants’ immediate family members are not eligible to write recommendation letters for their family members’ applications. 

Degree Plan

Total Hours Required for Graduation 30 hours