Graduate Program: School of Humanities

The News Magazine of HCU

Submitted by Dr. Jodey Hinze, dean of the HBU School of Humanities 

HBU School of Humanities

As dean of the School of Humanities, I have the privilege of working with two distinct graduate degrees: the Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) and the Master of Arts in Philosophy (MAPhil). The MLA is an attractive degree for those interested in studying History, Philosophy and Literature in an interdisciplinary setting. The faculty disciplines range from literature to law, and all the liberal arts in between. It can be completed by those who just love learning, or by those interested in teaching in one of those disciplines.   

We have a classical education track as well, focused on those who wish to teach and lead in classical schools. As the trend in private classical education and public charter schools grows, HBU’s MLA is perfectly situated to empower and equip these leaders. There is also an MLA plan for public school teachers. Especially designed for those students who majored in something other than Education as an undergraduate student, the MLA with Education Specialization degree allows students to take up to 18 hours of education prerequisites in the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences – toward Alterative Certification – and then counts these hours toward the MLA. The fantastic track record of our Alternative Certification Program enhances the value for our students.  

Finally, for HBU undergraduate students in the Honors College and other high-performing students, the School of Humanities offers an accelerated degree, the AMLA. This program allows these HBU students to enroll as undergraduate students in MLA courses, and then reduces the total number of hours required from 36 to 30. This AMLA program can allow a bachelor’s and master’s degree to be completed in five years. 

Our Master of Arts in Philosophy is the degree for those with another undergraduate discipline who would like to eventually apply to doctoral programs in philosophy, or for those interested in other graduate work in Law, Government or Theology. The main reason to study here is our faculty, and the fact that you can learn alongside them. There are no big lecture halls here. Small classes with Christian faculty who love to think hard about important questions will frame your study of timeless questions without losing sight of our mandate to love God and others with our minds. In fact, students can earn a Certificate in Apologetics along with their MAPhil if they wish.  

If you would like to be around bright graduate student colleagues learning with faculty who wrestle with the hardest questions from a Christian framework, HBU is for you.