Master of Arts in Humanities - Program Features

A distinctive graduate degree program for midcareer adults who recognize that only by changing habits of mind can the world be changed.

With the M.A. in Humanities you can...

Qualify to teach full-time throughout the California Community College system.
Become a leader in the arts community as a museum curator, theater director, or non-profit arts organization executive.
Teach in many four-year universities throughout the United States.
Advance your career and pay-scale level in the California K-12 system.
Move ahead in business as a global thinker, innovative problem solver and strategic thinker.

Throughout history, powerful ideas have driven action, built and ended civilizations, and defined what individuals and groups understand to be reality. In an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world, our truest success as citizens, professionals and parents depends on our understanding of and ability to work with humankind’s most fundamental ideas in all their diversity, complexity and richness.

The College of Humanities and The Tseng College at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) have together created this unique and powerful graduate education program: a jump start to new ways of thinking based on the best traditions of our intellectual heritage.

While a broader and deeper understanding of the power of worldviews enriches any individual, the learning experience offered by CSUN’s new M.A. in Humanities program may be of particular value to those working professionals and engaged community members who are seeking to expand their conceptual breadth in order to move into leadership roles in new contexts – professional, creative or civic.

Make An Investment in Changing How You Think!

LEARNING GOALS

Participants who complete the M.A. in Humanities program will

Develop an understanding of the origins of humankind’s “great ideas” and their transformations as they have moved through different social, historical and cultural contexts.
Discover how ideas and values from the past inform our present expectations, practices and policies, both explicitly and implicitly.
Acquire the skills necessary for stepping outside one’s own worldview and questioning long-held assumptions about self, society and others.
Expand and refine their skills in critical thinking, reading, speaking and writing across a variety of disciplines in the humanities.
Develop and refine close, context-sensitive reading and observational skills that make visible the forms, structures and rhetorical functions of texts and cultural artifacts in a variety of genres.
Discover how theoretical and methodological skills can be appropriately applied to the liberal arts.

PROGRAM FEATURES

An Interdisciplinary Emphasis on Understanding

The Master’s Degree in Humanities is a 11-course, 33-unit interdisciplinary program that draws from all disciplines represented in the College of Humanities and also includes the participation of faculty from CSUN’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

The M.A. in Humanities program is designed for midcareer professionals and other lifelong learners who are interested in the nature and foundations of ideas, are curious about other worldviews and their origins, and seek to understand these ideas and worldviews through the lenses provided by the broad range of disciplinary fields in the Humanities.

Participants will be guided through both older and more contemporary treatments of ideas, values and worldviews in order to develop an appreciation of how these concepts underlie current practices and policies in virtually all areas of daily life. Participants will develop and share their perspectives and insights through research, discussion and writing.

An Engaging, Enjoyable Learning Experience

While a first or second master’s degree can serve as a career-advancement tool, one of the most valuable rewards of the CSUN M.A. in Humanities program is the compelling learning experience itself. This program opens the door to a deeper appreciation of not only great ideas and unfamiliar worldviews but also their expressions in everything from art and literature to public policy and from urban planning to personal and professional decision-making and lifestyle choices.

Participants explore the foundations of big ideas, read and dissect the work of influential writers, and gain insights to share and discuss with family, friends and colleagues.

Our courses have been designed to spark the imagination and challenge the mind.

This program is an exciting, life-changing experience; one not to be missed!

Tailored for Busy Adult Learners

Convenient Part-Time Schedule – Designed for working adults, the program can be completed under two years with classes meeting one evening per week plus the occasional Saturday. Individual courses vary in length from eight to 16 weeks.

Offered in the Cohort Format – All participants enter the program at the same time and proceed through the course of instruction as a group, growing into a strong learning community.

Advantages of this format:

Each course builds on those that preceded, thereby facilitating and  reinforcing learning.
Coursework for the entire program is scheduled before the cohort begins, allowing participants to plan ahead and manage their work and family responsibilities more easily
The cohorted learning community engenders the development of powerful support networks among faculty and fellow students who come to know one another well.

These advantages typically lead to rapid and successful program completion. In fact, nearly 75 percent of students in CSUN cohort programs offered through The Tseng College graduate successfully and on time. This graduation rate is well above the national average.

Tranquil, Easily Accessible Location – The Humanities M.A. classes will meet on campus at CSUN’s charming University Club “The Orange Bistro,” located in a park-like setting near the southeastern border of the newly transformed Valley Orange Grove. This five-acre green space – which features 400 orange trees, meandering paths, a stream, fountains, and a “botanical pond” – provides a tranquil environment ideal for contemplating and investigating the most influential ideas of our time.

Parking is FREE and immediately adjacent to the University Club.

Exceptional Support Services – Through The Tseng College, CSUN provides an exceptionally high level of support for its programs designed for midcareer adults.