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Pursue the inquiry that ignites your curiosity in Penn’s Master of Philosophy in Liberal Arts
So you completed a master’s degree—but you felt your time in the program was short, and wish you had an opportunity to dig deeper. Or perhaps you’ve discovered a new line of research, and feel that you could write a book on the subject if you had all the resources of a top-tier university at your fingertips. The Master of Philosophy in Liberal Arts (MPhil) at the University of Pennsylvania is an advanced graduate degree that answers that need: you define your own research, choose the courses that complement your interests, and design the thesis project of your dreams.
Every MPhil thesis project is as different as the individual that designs them. As the culminating project of the degree, the thesis draws on methods and knowledge domains from your interdisciplinary coursework, resulting in a unique perspective on your subject. For example, the following three projects were completed by students who graduated in the same year; they range widely in focus and scope, bringing different tools and methods to bear on very different topics.
Deepen your understanding of biological processes
Neurooncology is the study of neoplasms or tumors that develop in the central nervous system; e.g. the brain and spinal cord. Immunooncology is the study of how the immune system interacts with and defends itself against cancer. At the intersection of these fields is neuroimmunooncology, an integrated study of neural, immune, and oncologic processes. In his thesis project “Neuroimmunooncology: From Translational Frontiers to Clinical Horizons,” James Baraldi (MPhil ’26) looks at experimental findings in the field and contextualizes them with historical and biological insight. “Understanding how tumors recruit immunosuppressive cell populations, manipulate metabolic pathways, or interact with neural signaling networks may reveal opportunities to enhance immunotherapeutic or targeted treatment approaches,” he explains in his introduction; in other words, knowing how cancer cells exploit and interact with existing biological systems can lead to more effective therapy and ultimately improve patient care for central nervous system tumors. “A primary objective of research in neurooncology is to deepen biological understanding. The ultimate objective is to improve clinical outcomes,” writes James. “By connecting experimental findings with ongoing efforts in immunotherapy and cellular therapy, the work aims to contribute to a broader research program focused on developing more effective treatments for patients with CNS malignancies.”
Applying an architectural lens to medical industry events
Healthcare providers, researchers, and representatives of the biomedical industry regularly converge at medical congresses: large-scale events with exhibit halls and educational sessions. Ideally, these events would bring medical providers and practitioners into alignment over the shared goal of improving patient care. Instead, writes Stephen Mapes (MPhil ’26), “qualitative research suggests that healthcare
professionals often experience these environments as alienating—overwhelming sensory spaces functioning as spectacle and epistemic brand stages that reinforce biomedical knowledge and power rather than dialogue.” In his thesis “Adverse Events: An Architectural and Phenomenological Critique of the Misalignment in Physician-Biomedical Engagement at Medical Congress Exhibits,” Steve draws on ethnography, architectural theory, experiential phenomenology, and his own professional experience to interrogate the unique built environment of a medical congress—and to suggest improvements. “Based on my 40 years of experience with medical congresses and exhibits, I have worked alongside countless professionals at biomedical companies who are deeply committed to developing therapies to help make patient lives better,” he writes. “This paper presents opportunities to more fully understand the dynamics of the congress exhibit environment, and through those insights, introduce principles that could reframe the environment in a positive way—and perhaps, altruistically, improve lives of patients as well.”
Telling the story of a life through narrative theory
Narrative identity theory proposes that our individual identities are formed through the stories we tell ourselves and others. After interviewing a culturally diverse group of six men and women over age 70, Heidi Borstler (MPhil ’26) hypothesizes that our life stories often have a turning point. “Everything I studied, whether written or told as oral history, involved turning points recollected by the protagonist, usually accompanied by a statement such as ‘I became a new person after that’ or ‘I found a new way,” she writes. “My research has examined the ways that life narratives depict the struggles within the individual between staying with the familiar and risking the unknown.” In her thesis “Turning Points: Extraordinary Stories of Ordinary Americans,” Heidi applied a narrative theory lens to her subjects’ biographies and analyzed the socioecological and cultural factors that influenced their choices at their turning points. Her work drew on courses in myth, folklore, and storytelling as well as ethnographic methods to honor and understand their stories.
Your ambition is the curriculum
The interdisciplinary MPhil degree requires five courses—taken across two or more academic departments—and an independent study to develop your thesis. Available on a full- or part-time basis, 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
