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Course topics converge in Penn’s Master of Philosophy in Liberal Arts
Designed for inquisitive and creative students who already hold a master’s degree, the Master of Philosophy in Liberal Arts (MPhil) at the University of Pennsylvania is your opportunity to explore a unique and interdisciplinary topic of your choosing. The degree can be completed in just five courses (up to four in a single discipline) and an independent study dedicated to your final thesis.
This flexible, customizable program allows you to dive deep into an intellectual question or perfect a creative project you’re passionate about through an academic journey designed for you by you. Choose from over 50 academic disciplines across the University to tailor a curriculum that feeds your curiosity and builds toward your thesis. You might consider exploring where academic disciplines converge with the following course pairings:
Do you want to tackle critical issues in health facing humanity on a global scale?
Pair PSCI 5401 Global Human Rights with MLA 5020 Global Health: Anthropological Perspectives.
The right to health and wellbeing is considered a human right by the United Nations, but the reality is that many across the globe, particularly the world’s poor, lack access to basic healthcare and an adequate standard of living—and global health disparities are only increasing. If you want to develop a thesis related to challenges in global health, the following course pairing can deepen your understanding of this complex topic.
Human rights are the freedoms inherent to every person. But how does society determine what those rights are and what systems are in place to protect them? In Global Human Rights, you will explore and discuss the theoretical, historical, and political foundations of contemporary human rights debates, from broad conceptual issues to specific human rights areas. The class will also explore how new rights norms emerge and diffuse in the international arena.
Structured around cases from across the globe, the graduate seminar Global Health: Anthropological Perspectives explores how globalizing cultural, political, economic, and technological forces shape global health and health disparities. You and your classmates will explore how communities value and organize health from the global to the local scale and discuss how more effective interventions can be formulated.
Do you have a tale to tell that’s bound for the big screen?
Pair ENGL 9011 Screenwriting with ENGL 9003 Storytelling in Fiction and Creative Nonfiction.
If movie magic is your passion, Screenwriting will teach you the fundamentals of crafting a cinematic story. The workshop-style course introduces students to the elements of screenwriting, such as classical dramatic structure, formatting, and a variety of storytelling strategies. Writing assignments, as well as short film screenings, readings, and class discussions, will advance your understanding of how to develop scripts that are both sound in narrative and conducive to a visual medium. During the course, you will develop an original short film script that you will workshop in class with your peers, applying the lessons learned in class to refine your creative work.
To further sharpen your storytelling skills and bring your narrative into focus, enroll in Storytelling in Fiction and Creative Nonfiction. Whether working from personal experience or your imagination in your writing, this course will help you develop your ability to connect with an audience over our shared human experience. Taking inspiration from a wide variety of published writers, this course combines reading, writing, and peer review to develop your understanding of and skills in impactful storytelling.
Your ambition is the curriculum
Course offerings vary from term to term; the above courses illustrate creative pairings to spark your curiosity and represent only a fraction of the interdisciplinary opportunities offered each term through Penn’s Master of Philosophy in Liberal Arts. Available on a full- or part-time basis, with evening and online courses to suit your schedule, this advanced graduate degree opens doors across the University.
Contact our program director, Dr. Christopher Pastore, to schedule an appointment to review your current research and explore your options for pursuing a Master of Philosophy in Liberal Arts at Penn.
(215) 898-7326
lps@sas.upenn.edu
www.upenn.edu/mla-mphil
