Why Liberal Studies?

The Graduate Liberal Studies Program seeks to achieve on the graduate level the education of the whole person which is the hallmark of a Loyola undergraduate education and to foster the development of eloquentia perfecta, one of the primary goals of a Jesuit education.

The Program seeks to "liberate" in the classic sense of that term. It exists for all who believe that the mind constantly needs to be enriched, and to be challenged to see new things, or to see old things in new ways. It exists, moreover, for those who are intellectually curious—people from all walks of life who feel the need to poke into corners of the modern experience just to see what is there. It serves the needs of those who want a rich and satisfying intellectual experience as well as enhancement of their analytical and communication skills.

The subject matter of Liberal Studies is the whole spectrum of human experience, particularly the American experience as well as the roots of that experience as we discover them in other times and cultures. Areas of study include, but are not limited to, literature, business, economics, the arts, politics, philosophy, science, as well as intellectual and social history.

The Program challenges students to continue their journey as citizens who:

• interact energetically and creatively with a changing world
• grow in their awareness of cultural tendencies
• cultivate their analytical and communication skills to reach their full potential
• develop and expand a commitment to others
• attain a liberal studies perspective on contemporary problems and opportunities
• become, in the highest Jesuit ideals of Loyola College's educational mission, men and women for others