Earn an Online Master of Arts in Liberal Arts from LSU
Engage in graduate-level study across multiple disciplines to strengthen critical thinking, research, and communication skills.
Customize coursework to align with personal, academic, or professional interests.
Apply interdisciplinary perspectives to complex problems across cultural, social, and organizational contexts.
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Admissions
Whether you’re returning to school or advancing your career, our admissions team is here to support you every step of the way.
Apply by
May 11, 2026
Classes begin
May 25, 2026
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited college or university or the equivalent from a foreign institution*
- Cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 on all undergraduate work (or in the final 60 credit hours) and for any graduate work already completed for regular admission. GPA between 2.75-3.0 can be reviewed for a probationary admission.
- Resume or CV
- 3 letters of recommendation – professional
- The recommender should be able to highlight the applicant’s character, work ethic, and professionalism.
- Written on letterhead and signed if possible.
- Upload unofficial transcripts of all Undergraduate, Graduate or Post Baccalaureate course work in the application if available (Can review on unofficial transcripts).
- Make sure that you order the official transcripts to be sent to gradtranscripts@lsu.edu
- Personal Statement
- Motivation to attend LSU Online' s MALA program, including personal and career goals, your commitment to excellence, and how you believe your prior work experience would attribute to this program.
- No GRE Required.
Additional information about LSU Graduate admission requirements are located here.
Flexible Schedule
This program is built for busy adults with work and family commitments. Learn on your schedule with 24/7 access to course materials.
No required login times
Complete coursework when it works for you
Stay on track with weekly goals
Perfect for full-time workers and parents
Tuition
LSU programs offer competitive, flat-rate tuition with no out-of-state fees, making it easier to plan for the cost of your degree. You may also be able to save more by transferring eligible credits.
Tuition & Fees
- 36 credit hours
- Total credit hours per program
- $464
- Cost per credit hour
- $16,704
- Total cost with fees
The total cost above does not include transfer credit or financial aid. Cost per credit hour and fees are subject to change. Fee schedules may vary by program depending on course-specific fees for proctoring and/or books. Please contact a Student Success Coach for more information.
Financial Aid Available
LSU offers several ways to help you pay for your degree including credit for prior learning (PLA), financial aid, and veteran education benefits. Learn More.
Academics
This provides academic opportunities at the Master’s level not provided by discipline-specific degree programs within the university and offers instructional venues to exhibit and develop interdisciplinary expertise among LSU’s faculty.
What Will I Learn?
Students who graduate with a master’s in liberal arts can expect to expand their knowledge around their particular interests and career goals. The program encourages independent-minded students to pursue graduate-level interdisciplinary programs of study, so the curriculum will vary.
Topics covered in this degree could include:
- Interdisciplinary study in the liberal arts; modes of inquiry in different disciplines, common themes in the humanities and means of integrating these into the whole.
- Major ideas in the liberal arts as reflected in exemplary published studies and student research.
- Principles of workforce education and development programs conducted by business, industry, government and educational institutions at all levels
Introduction to the theory, methods and practice of organization change and development. - Policies and practices in the administration of athletic programs in academic settings.
- Examination of the social construction of sport and the systemic issues connected to contemporary sport.
- Data warehousing; use of big data in business; storage and retrieval of data in business; descriptive analytics for business; business intelligence tools.
- Predictive analytics in business; business cases in predictive analytics; data mining use in business; industry solutions for predictive analytics.
- Factors and strategies in contemporary political communication in the U.S.
- Law and social change; evolution of legal institutions; group conflict and law; influence of legal controls and sanctions on human behavior.
How This Program Works
To earn the Master of Liberal Arts (MALA) degree, students must:
- Successfully complete 36 hours of course credit.
- Among those 36 hours, students are required to take two specific courses: LIBA 7000 (offered each First Fall) and LIBA 7900 (offered each First Spring).
- No more than half of the total credit hours may be completed within a single unit.
- Students may enroll in 4000- or 7000-level courses. However, students cannot take more that 18 hours at the 4000-level.
- All 4000-level courses must be taught by members of the Graduate Faculty. Students can check instructor status here.
Possible Focus Clusters
Some students may want to direct their courses toward a career-focus cluster. If so, consider the following options:
- Leadership (Up to 12 credit hours)
- Sport Management (Up to 12 credit hours)
- Interdisciplinary (Up to 12 credit hours)
As long as the guidelines above are followed, students may take any course for which they are eligible. Please note that some departments may place restrictions on enrollment. If you'd like to give your MALA coursework a particular focus, consider using the suggested Focus Clusters above to guide your course selections.
Courses
| Core (6 credit hours) | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
LIBA 7000: Liberal Arts: Methods of Inquiry |
3 |
LIBA 7900: Liberal Arts: Themes and Commonalities |
3 |
Students are free to enroll in any 7000-level course. Students are also free to enroll in any 4000-level course taught by a member of the LSU Graduate Faculty. (For specific guidelines, consult “How the Program Works” below.)
Some students may wish to direct their courses toward a career-focus cluster. If so, consider the following options (please know that the clusters below are only suggestions and can be shifted to suit a student’s interests).
| Leadership | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
LHRD 7001: Principles of Workforce Development |
3 |
LHRD 7575: Managing Change in Organizational Systems |
3 |
LHRD 7602: Program Evaluation Design I |
3 |
LHRD 7910: Human Resource Analytics |
3 |
| Sport Management | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
KIN 7518: Social Issues in Sport OR KIN4515 Sports Seminar |
3 |
KIN 4517: Sports Administration |
3 |
KIN 4513: Facilities Management |
3 |
KIN 7544: Current Topics in Sport Management |
3 |
| Interdisciplinary | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
CMST 4100: Political Communication |
3 |
SOCL 4461: Criminology (SOCL 2001 Prerequisite) |
3 |
SOCL 4471: Sociology of Law |
3 |
POLI 4032: Interest Groups in American Politics |
3 |
ART 4561: Survey of Graphic Design |
3 |
Careers
Career Opportunities
- Fundraiser
- Public relations specialist
- Human resources specialist
- Training and development specialist
- Writer
- Editor
- Technical writer
- Actuary
- Market research analyst
- Administrator
- Salesperson
- Director of public relations
- Management consultant
- Real estate agent
