| Skip to main content The Master of Arts in Liberal
Arts and Sciences (MALAS!)
at San Diego State
University
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How
to Finish your MALAS MA Degree!
You have three options as a Master of Arts in Liberal Arts graduate student when it comes to graduation--aka, your culminating work! 1. A MALAS MA Thesis--this is a 45-75 page essay, (what used to be called a "monograph" in the olden days), an original piece of scholarship/writing or creative writing*, authored in collaboration with three professors. (link to Montezuma Publishing guidelines) |
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Give Now If You Can!  |
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 Curious about MALAS? Stay in touch by signing up for our periodic newsletters--see an archive of past communications here. March 1, 2021 is the priority deadline for applying to MALAS--start NOW! |
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 MALAS is a proud institutional
member of the AGLSP, the Association of Graduate
Liberal Studies Programs
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-->MALAS Fall '19 Seminars &
Suggested Classes -->MALAS Fall '19 Seminars via Web Portal -->MALAS Fall '19 Course Descriptions (scroll down)  |
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Archive of Past
Telegram/Dispatches etc here! |
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 Check
out our new and improved MALAS digital vortex
(aka, the MALAS blog!) |
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  Old, perhaps outdated, but still useful guide to writing Theses and Projects! Documents
in Portable Document Format (PDF) require Adobe
Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher or compatible viewer: download
Adobe Acrobat Reader |
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Links to all past MALAS (and MALA) Masters Theses!  |
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Check out our list of Fall
2020 MALAS seminars!
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 Stuart Hall MALAS
Graduate Research Travel Stipends MALAS is proud to announce that the SDSU Foundation, working in collaboration with the Dean's office in the College of Arts and Letters, has partially restored the John and Jane Adams Endowment for the Humanities funding which allowed MALAS to originate over 30 years ago. What this means in the short term is higher visibility for our unique Cultural/Interdisciplinary Studies Master's degree program and more resources for graduate students. To that end, we are restoring the Stuart Hall Graduate Student Research Travel stipend. All MALAS graduate students (and a select, limited number of graduate students doing cultural studies/interdisciplinary studies research in other CAL graduate programs) have the right to apply for upwards of $600 to help defray travel to conferences where research is shared. Check with Bill Nericcio, Director, or Katie Waltman, MALAS administrative coordinator, for more details Named for Stuart Hall, the godfather of international cultural studies, MALAS Graduate Research Travel Stipends consist of travel grants up to $500.00 to be awarded to at least 10 graduate students who deliver research initiated/ developed in any MALAS seminar at a domestic or international conference. The best clearing house for CFPs (Call for Papers) in the humanities is at Penn: https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/ A useful index for CFPs in the Social Sciences is here. Another index appears here. Awards will be determined on a first come, first served basis. Applicants should submit the following to bnericci@mail.sdsu.edu by April 1, 2019: 1. The flyer or website for the conference you are attending. 2. Your proposal to that conference (emails are fine) 3. Your acceptance letter from the conference organizers/hosts Should you be selected, you will have to provide us with your travel receipts and a facsimile of the conference program showing your participation. While $500 is not a lot of money, our hope is that it will encourage you to begin to share your research work with your peers and scholars in your field of emphasis. |
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  Apply for the MALAS
Joe
Gillis Hollywood Internship! |
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| Comprehensive Exam Option click the image below for the info-page  |
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 How to Become a Member of the MALAS team of Extraordinary Graduate Students!
Requirements:
https://www2.calstate.edu/apply/graduate Our SDSU MALAS Program Admissions team will not see any of your materials unless you follow these directions to the letter--we emphasize this here as many cool students have run aground in the past by not following SDSU Graduate Division's rather clear, utterly strict protocols. This part of the application process must be completed by March 1, 2021--the EARLIER you apply, the EARLIER we will let you know your application status! Note that official test scores and transcripts must be sent to SDSU Graduate Admissions – All materials must be received by April 1, 2021 but we kind of BEG you to get all materials in by March 1, 2021 to avoid any headaches or complications!!!!  For the
2nd part of this gnarly application process Graduate
Division @ SDSU has asked that you use this Interfolio
portal to get MALAS your supplementary application
materialsHowever, if you have trouble with Interfolio (as some applicants have!), all the supplementary materials, A, B, & C, that we ask for below, may be sent DIRECTLY to MALAS world headquarters, bypassing the Interfolio system--send to Dr. Bill Nericcio, bnericci@sdsu.edu and Katie Waltman, kwaltman@sdsu.edu.NEW! https://apply.interfolio.com/
Dr.
William Nericcio Last
minute applicants can have their reference-letter
writer email their correspondence directly to Dr.
William A. Nericcio, the program director at bnericci@sdsu.edu
and the MALAS Administrative Coordinator, Katie
Waltman, at kwaltman@sdsu.edu Note: Many applicants
to MALAS are far removed from their
undergraduate work and are not in contact
with their former professors--don't let that
be a deterent to applying; we will accept
and read any letter of recommendation from
professionals / artists / mentors /
colleagues familiar with your skills.
A
two-page essay describing the best class/professor
you had as an undergraduate or graduate student.
The hard deadline
for official test scores to be sent to Graduate
Admissions and the MALAS Program Application to be
completed is April 1, 2021--but please please
please don't wait to the last minute and get your
goods to us by March 1, 2021. A NOTE ABOUT THE GRE
Open
University Persons who are not
matriculated as students at SDSU may enroll
for MALAS courses on a space-available basis with
approval of the instructor. Please consult the Extended Studies Schedule. Taking a MALAS seminar is a
great way to TEST DRIVE MALAS! Students can take up
to three classes or 9 units of MALAS seminar work
and have them roll into your program of study when
you officially admitted into the program. |
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| Faculty
& Staff
MALAS Faculty Advisory Cohort {MFAC}   The MALAS Faculty Advisory Cohort is a group of scholars from across San Diego State University committed to interdisciplinary and cultural studies. Feel free to visit them and take their classes each semester. Dr. William A. Nericcio MALAS Director Professor, English and Comparative Literature, Chicana/o Studies, and Latin American Studies Dr. Howard Kushner Professor Emeritus, History, and Director Emeritus, MALAS Dr. Stuart C. Aitken Professor, Geography Dr. Clarissa Clň Professor of Italian and European Studies Director of the Italian Studies Program Dr. D. J. Hopkins Professor, Director of the School of Theatre, Television, and Film Dr. Risa Kohn Professor and Chair, Religious Studies & Classics and Humanities; Director, SDSU Center for Jewish Studies Dr. Ramona Perez Professor of Anthropology and Director Center for Latin American Studies Dr. David Cline Associate Professor of History and Lead Faculty The Digital Humanities Initiative, SDSU Dr. Raechel Dumas Associate Professor, Humanities and Classics Dr. Roberto D. Hernández Associate Professor, Chicana/o Studies Dr. Yetta Howard Associate Professor, English & Comparative Literature Dr. John Putman Associate Professor, History and Director, International Studies Program Dr. Walter D. Penrose, Jr. Associate Professor, Department of History Dr. Michael J. Roberts Associate Professor, Department of Sociology Dr. Amy Schmitz Weiss Associate Professor, School of Journalism and Media Studies Dr. Ricardo Vasconcelos Associate Professor, Spanish & Portuguese, MALAS Dr. Roy Whitaker Assistant Professor, Religious Studies, MALAS Dr. Pam Fox-Kuhlken Lecturer, Religious Studies Dr. Michael Caldwell Lecturer, Classics & Humanities Dr. Edith Frampton (more) Lecturer, English and Comparative Literature Now in beta, MALAS faculty bios, past and present  Emeritus MALAS Faculty Advisory Committee Members Dr. Seth Mallios Professor, Anthropology and SDSU University Historian Dr. Michael Borgstrom Associate Professor and Chair, English and Comparative Literature; Affiliated Faculty, Women's Studies and LGBT Studies Dr. Jessica Pressman Associate Professor, English & Comparative Literature Director, Arts and Letters Digital Humanities Initiative Dr. Joseph Andrew Smith Associate Professor, Classics and Humanities Administrative Faculty & Staff  Dr. William A.
NericcioMALAS Director/Graduate Advisor Professor, Department of English and Comparative Literature, SDSU Editor, San Diego State University Press bnericci@mail.sdsu.edu Office Location: Arts and Letters 273 Office hours, by appointment: memo@sdsu.edu Phone: 619-594-1524 | Fax: 619-594-4998  Katie WaltmanMALAS Program Administrative Coordinator Office Location: Arts & Letters 226B Office Hours: 8am to 4:30pm, M-F Phone: 619-594-1516 email: kwaltman@mail.sdsu.edu Mailing Address:  MALAS: Master of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences c/o Katie Waltman, MALAS Admin Coord. Department of English & Comparative Literature San Diego State University | MC 6020 5500 Campanile Drive San Diego, CA 92182-6020
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Information for Students
Graduate Student Bios {click this image for instant
transport to our groovy grad student bio page}
 We are always in the process of updating our current graduate student bio page and soon we will add both a faculty and alumni biography page.{NOTE: these specifications are adapted from the official SDSU GRADUATE BULLETIN}Specific Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences (Major Code: 49017) (SIMS Code: 114501) During the course of your time doing cultural studies/interdisciplinary work in the M.A.L.A.S. program, graduate students will complete a graduate program of 30 units, basically 9 classes {27 units} + the MA Thesis/Project {3 units}. Of these 9 classes or 27 units of coursework, 5 courses or 15 units must be 600- and 700-level courses. Note also that up to 15 units of coursework can be taken at the 500-level, though it is best to pick from the best of the 600-level graduate courses and 700-level graduate seminars, before filling out the balance of your work with 500-level classes. Do please note that 500-level classes are open to undergraduates at SDSU {nota bene: this is NOT a dig at SDSU undergraduates!} . A typical MALAS POS (program of study) includes: THESIS / PROJECT PATHWAY 1. MALAS 600A, 600B, 600C, or 600D in any combination (9 units). Each course may be repeated once with new content and, in excess of nine units, can be used for elective credit. 2. 1. MALAS601(3) {When offered; it is a straightforward process to petition to have another MALAS seminar (MALAS 600 A, B, C, or D) cover for MALAS 601 3. MALAS 799A (3): Thesis or Project. 4. 15 units of electives selected with approval of the MALAS director. All programs of study must be approved by the MALAS director in consultation with the Graduate Liberal Arts and Sciences Committee. OR
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM PATHWAY 1. MALAS 600A, 600B, 600C, or 600D in any combination (9 units). Each course may be repeated once with new content and, in excess of nine units, can be used for elective credit. 2. 1. MALAS601(3) {When offered; it is a straightforward process to petition to have another MALAS seminar (MALAS 600 A, B, C, or D) cover for MALAS 601 3. MALAS 795 (3): Studies in Liberal Arts and Sciences 4. 15 units of electives selected with approval of the MALAS director. All programs of study must be approved by the MALAS director in consultation with the Graduate Liberal Arts and Sciences Committee. GRADUATE COURSES MALAS 600. Interdisciplinary Study in Liberal Arts and Sciences Prerequisite: Graduate standing. MALAS seminars are divided into four general areas with content that varies semester to semester. Each course may be repeated once with new content. See Class Schedule for specific content. Maximum credit six units for each of the following courses: MALAS 600A, 600B, 600C, 600D A. Cultural Studies B. Science and Society, Environmental Studies C. Globalization, Technology, Future Studies D. Media Studies, Fine Arts, Transformative Arts MALAS 601. Seminar in Interdisciplinary Thinking (3) Prerequisite: Graduate standing. Nature of interdisciplinary thinking. Ways of knowing and schools of thought in multiple disciplines. Interdisciplinary methods to analyze social issues. See Class Schedule for specific content. MALAS 795: Studies in Liberal Arts and Sciences Sign up for this class if you are taking the MALAS MA Comprehensive Exam in lieu of an MA Thesis or Project. MALAS 798. Special Study (3) Cr/NC/RP Prerequisite: Graduate standing. Individual study on a given topic through interdisciplinary perspectives. MALAS 799A. Thesis or Project (3) Cr/NC/RP Prerequisites: An officially appointed thesis committee and advancement to candidacy. Preparation of a project or thesis for Master of Arts degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences. MALAS 799B. Thesis or Project Extension (0) Cr/NC Prerequisite: Prior registration in Thesis or Project 799A with an assigned grade symbol of RP. Registration required in any semester or term following assignment of RP in MALAS 799A in which the student expects to use the facilities and resources of the university; also student must be registered in the course when the completed thesis or project is granted final approval. |
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MALAS is the MA program for 
First things first! Go to CSU Apply and
begin your application process 
Two letters
of recommendation (one, at least, should be from a
university professor familiar with your research,
writing, or creative work). As with all
applications to research university graduate
programs, it is best that the letters of
recommendation come directly to MALAS from the
individuals writing the letter. Please ask
the individuals writing your letters of
recommendation to use their official institutional
letterhead when possible and to mail their
correspondence to:
