Liberal Studies, DLS

Mission Statement

Building on the Mission Statements of Georgetown University and on the School of Continuing Studies (SCS), the Graduate Liberal Studies Degree (GLS) programs (DLS and MALS degrees) at Georgetown University rest on the belief that human life and human action have meaning and that human beings, throughout their lives, must seek it out and live by its implications. Liberal Studies courses – which engage students in reading, reflection, writing, and discussion – are meant to bring students the range of knowledge and vision to lead wise and rewarding lives.

Modality

On Campus

Learning Goals

Students in the DLS program will:

1. Be led to determining specific research interests in the humanities and/or social sciences that will contribute to their personal and, perhaps, professional development
2. Learn rigorous interdisciplinary inquiry, i.e., how to engage various disciplines in the humanities and/or social sciences and integrate them in addressing topics related to their individual research interests
3. Gain knowledge of the methodologies, traditions, theoretical frameworks, and styles of argument of various disciplines in the humanities and/or social sciences sufficient to be able to engage those disciplines for their particular research interests
4. Master “research best-practices” by becoming familiar with library resources and research technology
5. Master skills for analytical and critical inquiry appropriate to graduate-level research
6. Engage in intensive writing assignments of varied character and length in order to develop proficiency appropriate to graduate-level research
7. Develop oral communication and argumentation skills commensurate with postgraduate education and standards of professional discourse
8. Develop the competence to consciously reflect on and assess their own scholarly development and that of their classmates with the aid of both faculty and peer review
9. Develop the ability to integrate their graduate level skills of research, analysis, argumentation, and effective communication through the writing of a thesis in their area of interest in the humanities and/or social sciences

To earn a Doctor of Liberal Studies, students must successfully complete the following curriculum: 

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Foundation Courses
LSHV 8000	DLS Foundational 1	3
LSHV 8001	DLS Foundational 2	3
LSHV 8002	DLS Foundational 3	3
LSHV 8003	DLS Foundational 4	3
Elective Courses		24
LSHV 9997	DLS Qualifying Exam	0
LSHV 9998	DLS Thesis Proposal	0
LSHV 9999	DLS Thesis Writing 1	0
Total Credits		36

¹

Students will register for LSHV 9999 in all Fall/Spring semesters until thesis is completed and published.

Elective Requirements

Students are expected to meet degree requirements by completing electives offered by the DLS program. In the event that a student has a thesis interest that cannot be met by the current course offerings, students may request permission from the Director of the DLS program to complete a Directed Reading or to register for a course through the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area. The Director of the DLS program has full discretion and authority for approving or denying requests based on academic merit and/or the student’s registration eligibility based on the stated policies and guidelines. 

Directed Readings

Students are limited to a maximum of three (9-credits) of Directed Readings as part of their academic plan. Directed Readings must be approved by the Director of the DLS program as part of the student’s curricular plan and directly related to the thesis topic. If approved, Directed Reading courses must be guided by a Georgetown University faculty member from any University department; exceptions to this requirement will be considered on a case-by-case basis pending the academic merit of the request.