MLS Business Certificate Track

Business Certificate Track

The Business Certificate degree track in the Master of Liberal Studies Program includes certification in business from an established and respected graduate school of business. The degree may be pursued on a part-time or full-time basis. The master’s program provides grounding in interdisciplinary research and a breadth of learning. Students can pursue their specific interests within a number of contexts. The business classes are fit into the degree as a practical focus for students who need to their business knowledge and their management skills.

Business classes are offered in eight-week "hybrid" sessions that combine online and in-person learning environments. Generally, the first four weeks of a course are offered online, followed by four weeks of classroom meetings in which the focus is on case studies, practical applications, and realistic problem-solving.

MLS seminars are fifteen-week courses that meet once per week in the evening and that focus on various social, historical, scientific, cultural, and philosophical themes from interdisciplinary perspectives.

Who should apply?

This program is designed to serve recent college graduates (majors in any field) who have professional aspirations, as well as current professionals who wish to update and expand their knowledge of business management and sharpen their critical thinking skills. The business courses are designed to provide a practical and theoretical overview of the components of business management, training in decision-making skills, and experience in tackling the major issues that face businesses and business people today.

The Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) is not required, but students must have at least a 3.00 undergraduate grade point average. (Under some circumstances, professional experience may affect the selection committee’s judgment in cases in which the candidate’s GPA falls below 3.00. Please inquire.)

What is the value of the MLS degree track in Business?

An MLS degree with strong emphasis in business gives graduates the leadership tools to contribute effectively to the management and growth of a business. The graduate student in the MLS Business Track is able to add specific expertise to the general communications skills and academic interdisciplinary skills developed in the MLS core courses. A student is able to shape the degree to fit specific professional and personal goals, but at the core of the educational experience are the values of interdisciplinary thinking and practice.

Professionals with business and non-business bachelor’s degrees will gain valuable business skills when they pursue the 12-hour Graduate Certificate in Business at the Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics as part of their MLS degree. The seminar courses in the Master of Liberal Studies Degree enhance this practical learning by providing knowledge of some of the contexts in which engagement in business takes on deeper cultural and ethical significance. It also encourages students to take their own expertise seriously, to be passionate about ideas, and to develop effective ways of sharing their knowledge with others in the local community and beyond.

What is the capstone course?

The capstone course rounds off the degree by guiding students in the development of a public voice. The Public Intellectual Practicum teaches new modes of public communication and helps students to share their knowledge and opinions effectively with their communities. Successful MLS students in the Business Certificate Track will come to understand their professional identity in terms of a passion for serving the broader public.

Business Track Requirements