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The Liberal Studies Master of Arts Program consists of eight separate programs of study (see list below).  These programs are interdisciplinary and cross-departmental.  Students approach the particular culture, geographical region, or historical period that is the subject of their program by drawing on all three of the traditional liberal arts-the humanities, social sciences, and arts.  Students take specific required courses in addition to requirements chosen for their concentration (if applicable) from course offerings in several participating departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences as well as, to a lesser extent, the Law School, School of International and Public Affairs, and Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation.  The aim of the Liberal Studies M.A. program is to reach across departmental boundaries rather than to confine students to research in one discipline exclusively.  Within the requirements of each program, then, students are encouraged to define their own territory of intellectual inquiry.

American Studies                     Jewish Studies

East Asian Studies                   Medieval Studies

Human Rights Studies              Modern European Studies

Islamic Studies                        South Asian Studies

Students in the Liberal Studies M.A. programs at Columbia are a diverse group with varied professional and educational backgrounds.  Some students enter the program to fill gaps in their undergraduate training or strengthen their expertise so as to support the arduous research and disciplinary focus required for future pursuit of the Ph.D. degree.  The program also appeals to recent college graduates with cross-departmental interests, who use the interdisciplinary approach to increase their knowledge in a number of areas prior to pursuing advanced study in one specific discipline.

Others are already members of a profession, but wish to expand their career options or obtain a broad intellectual background for the practical matters they encounter in their daily work.  A number of students enroll to explore new academic disciplines and for the sheer pleasure of learning for its own sake.  The program is also attractive to people who have been out of school for some time but who would like to pursue further education in a more structured and thorough way than they are able to do on their own.