At the graduate level, “general studies” is not usually the title on the diploma. The graduate versions of this degree are the MA or MS in Interdisciplinary Studies and the Master of Liberal Studies or Master of Arts in Liberal Studies. The structure carries over from the undergraduate degree: a core in research method and interdisciplinary inquiry, then coursework drawn from two or more graduate departments, then a thesis, project, or portfolio that has to connect them. The listing below shows interdisciplinary studies programs at the master’s level along with related graduate programs, since schools file these degrees under several different titles.
This page explains how graduate interdisciplinary programs are structured, who they genuinely fit, where a named master’s is the better choice, and what to compare across schools.
Quick answers
Is there a master’s in general studies?
Not usually under that name. Graduate programs use Interdisciplinary Studies, Liberal Studies, Integrative Studies, or Multidisciplinary Studies. The idea is the same as the undergraduate degree – coursework assembled across departments under an approved plan – but graduate versions almost always add a research core and a substantial final project.
Who is a graduate interdisciplinary degree actually for?
People whose question sits between departments and who can name it. Common cases: a working professional whose job spans two fields, a teacher building content depth across subjects, a career changer bridging a technical background with a policy or management direction, and adults returning for graduate study for its own sake, which is much of what a Master of Liberal Studies is designed to serve.
Do I need a general studies bachelor’s to be admitted?
No. Most programs admit from any undergraduate field, including named majors. What they weigh is a statement of purpose that explains the combination you want and why it needs two departments rather than one. A vague statement is the most common reason these applications fail.
Is an interdisciplinary master’s respected?
By graduate faculty and by employers who read the transcript, generally yes. By resume screens looking for a specific credential, less so. If your target job posts “MBA required” or “master’s in public health required,” an interdisciplinary master’s does not substitute. Choose the named degree when the posting names it.
How long does it take?
Calendars vary by school, by whether the program is 30 or 36 credits, and by full-time versus part-time enrollment. Confirm total credits, whether a thesis or a coursework-plus-project track is required, and expected time to completion with each program rather than assuming a national timeline.
Thesis or project?
Most programs offer both. A thesis suits students who may continue to doctoral study or whose question is genuinely research-shaped. A project or portfolio suits professionals who want an artifact tied to their work. Ask which track the faculty actually supervise well, because programs are rarely equally strong at both.
At a Glance
- Degree titles: MA or MS in Interdisciplinary Studies; Master of Liberal Studies or MA in Liberal Studies
- Typical duration: Varies by credit total and enrollment intensity – confirm the catalog
- Admissions: Bachelor’s degree in any field, transcripts, and a statement of purpose naming the combination
- Capstone: Thesis, applied project, or portfolio depending on the track
- Accreditation: No programmatic accreditor for interdisciplinary or liberal studies; verify institutional accreditation
Schools to compare
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$101,028
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$88,174
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$124,080
Avg net price
$13,807/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 100
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
7%
Graduation rate
95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$82,735
Avg net price
$14,398/yr
TuitionIn‑state$67,832
Out‑of‑state$67,832
Key stats
- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 40
Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$88,665
Avg net price
$17,716/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 38
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 28
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$143,372
Avg net price
$20,111/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 99%
- Programs offered: 53
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$81,400
Avg net price
$17,379/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 95%
- Programs offered: 37
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Typical topics in a master’s program
| Course Topic |
What You Learn |
| Interdisciplinary theory and method |
How disciplines frame problems differently and what it takes to combine them honestly |
| Research design |
Choosing a method that fits the question, across qualitative and quantitative approaches |
| Graduate area of concentration I |
Departmental graduate coursework in your first field |
| Graduate area of concentration II |
Departmental graduate coursework in your second field |
| Writing for a mixed audience |
Presenting work to readers trained in a different field from yours |
| Thesis or project seminar |
Scoping the final work with a faculty committee drawn from more than one department |
| Portfolio or applied capstone |
An artifact tied to professional practice, in non-thesis tracks |
Interdisciplinary studies vs a named master’s, in practice
Choose the interdisciplinary master’s when the combination is the point and no single department houses it, when you have a faculty advisor who can supervise it, or when the degree is for its own sake rather than for a resume screen. A Master of Liberal Studies is explicitly built for the last case, and there is nothing wrong with wanting it.
Choose a named master’s when a specific credential unlocks the job. Management analysts, for example, had a median annual wage of $101,860 and 8.8 percent projected change from 2024 to 2034 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS; BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034), but consulting firms and internal strategy groups screen heavily on business, economics, and quantitative transcripts. If that is your target, a named degree does more than an assembled one. The same logic applies to public health, social work, accounting, and any licensed field.
The failure mode to avoid is choosing the interdisciplinary master’s because it looked easier to be admitted to. Admissions committees notice, faculty advisors notice, and the thesis committee will eventually ask what the two fields have to do with each other.
Skills and outcomes to compare
Programs differ more than their catalogs suggest. You can compare:
- Whether the degree is genuinely interdisciplinary or a single department’s master’s with an elective menu
- Which graduate departments actually open their courses to program students, and whether seats are guaranteed
- Whether the faculty committee can include members from both of your fields
- Thesis, project, and portfolio tracks, and which one the program supervises best
- Whether the research core is a real methods sequence or a single survey course
- Whether the program has a residency, an on-campus defense, or a synchronous seminar requirement
- Whether the degree feeds any doctoral programs the faculty can name
For pacing and delivery comparisons, see: How Online General Studies Degrees Work
How to compare online master’s programs
- Confirm the exact degree title and what will appear on the transcript.
- Read the required core and check that method coursework is included, not optional.
- Identify the graduate departments you would draw from and confirm online seats exist in those courses.
- Ask how the faculty committee is formed and whether cross-department advising is routine.
- Compare thesis and project tracks against what you want the degree to produce.
- Confirm any residency, synchronous seminar, or in-person defense requirement.
- Verify recognized institutional accreditation through the U.S. Department of Education database.
No accreditor evaluates interdisciplinary or liberal studies programs specifically – there is no programmatic accreditor for this field. Institutional accreditation is the check that matters. A graduate degree also does not substitute for a license in fields that require one.
Admissions requirements
Requirements vary by school, but most programs ask for a completed bachelor’s degree in any field, official transcripts, a resume or CV, and letters of recommendation. Standardized test scores are often optional. The distinctive item is the statement of purpose, which in these programs is doing more work than usual: it has to name the two or three fields, state the question that requires them, and identify the faculty who could supervise it. Programs that admit without asking for that are worth a second look, because it usually means the degree is a course menu.
Some programs also ask for a preliminary plan of study signed by an advisor before you matriculate. That is a good sign, not a hurdle. It means someone will be accountable for whether the combination makes sense.
Master’s vs a bachelor’s pathway
A bachelor’s in general studies is a completion credential: it gets you a degree in any field, absorbs scattered transfer credit, and clears the “bachelor’s required” bar. A graduate interdisciplinary degree is a different animal. Nobody enrolls in it to finish something; you enroll to pursue a specific combination, with a research or project outcome. If your goal is career advancement into management, compare organizational leadership and business administration before assuming an interdisciplinary master’s is the right lever.
Compare degree options:
For a value and fit discussion, see: Is an Online General Studies Degree Worth It. If broad humanities study is what you actually want, compare the Liberal Arts Program Guide.
Data verified: September 5, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
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