The Maine Studies Interdisciplinary Masters Degree

The University of Maine Graduate School offers an interdisciplinary concentration in Maine Studies within the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS).  This degree program offers students the opportunity to design an interdisciplinary study of Maine through classes in literature, history, folklore, Native American studies, Franco-American studies, women’s studies, geology, geography, political science, and other disciplines.  Students will also participate in interdisciplinary seminars.

            The Maine Studies graduate program allows students to pursue Maine-related interdisciplinary interests such as Wabanaki culture and the environment, poverty and public policy, immigrant history and culture, women’s work and the economy, the art and culture of the coast, or folklore and labor history, to name just a few examples of interdisciplinary research areas.  While providing a better understanding of the state’s problems and opportunities, both past and present, this interdisciplinary liberal arts program will also sharpen students' research and critical thinking skills and deepen their understanding of Maine.  The program will help prepare students for careers in such areas as teaching, government, business, historical preservation, or social services.

Degree Requirements:
            With the guidance of an academic advisor, students will complete 30 graduate credit hours in order to earn the Maine Studies Interdisciplinary Masters degree.  These credit hours will be distributed in the following way:
6-9 hours of LIB 500, Interdisciplinary Seminars, including:
            LIB 500 – Exploring Interdisciplinarity
            LIB 500 – A Sense of Place: Maine and Regional Identity
15-21 hours of graduate level course credits distributed the following way:
            -no more than 2 courses may be taken at the 400 level
-no more than 3 courses may be taken in a single discipline (this stipulation does not apply to courses with the LIB designator)
3-6 hours of LIB 699, Master Project in Liberal Studies, usually completed near the end of the student’s academic program
At least 15 of the required 30 credit hours must be Maine-related courses as identified by the Coordinator of the Maine Studies program.

For more information contact:
The Maine Studies Program
Carol Toner, Coordinator
5 Chadbourne Hall
University of Maine 04469
207-581-3147