Master of Philosophy in Liberal Arts

Chris Mustazza (Master of Philosophy in Liberal Arts ’15) had never taken a graduate-level seminar in the humanities when he realized he wanted to pursue a PhD in poetry. “I didn’t know at the time precisely the project I wanted to work on,” he reflects. “I just knew I wanted to work with poetry and the digital recordings of poems, and do something nobody had done yet.” To prepare for his future doctoral studies, Chris enrolled in the Master of Philosophy in Liberal Arts (MPhil) program, which gave him the flexibility to dive deep into that particular intersection of interests.

When Daniel E. Murray (Master of Philosophy in Liberal Arts ‘19) completed his first Master of Liberal Arts degree, he knew he had a compelling research topic: physician-assisted suicide (PAS) laws in the US. He also felt that he had more work to do before he could do this topic justice in his doctoral research. Penn’s Master of Philosophy in Liberal Arts proved to be an ideal next step. As a student in the MPhil program, Daniel had the flexibility to select courses from across the University and tailor his curriculum to his research and goals as a scholar.

“For the kind of program I was looking for—a self-directed post-graduate experience—Penn had it all. It was a perfect fit,” shares Professor Jeffrey LaMonica (Master of Philosophy in Liberal Arts ’17), the coordinator of the Global Studies program and History Program faculty member at Delaware County Community College in Media, Pennsylvania. With nearly 20 years of experience teaching history at the college level, he joined Penn’s Master of Philosophy in Liberal Arts (MPhil) program to ensure that his courses stay relevant. He adds, “The MPhil was a fantastic refresher for me.

For Jonathan Broder (Master of Philosophy in Liberal Arts ’19), balancing his professional and academic pursuits means bringing his passions into alignment: his workplace was the focus of his studies at the University of Pennsylvania. “I've always been a lifelong learner, and I'm very passionate about my company,” says Jonathan, who is both Vice President of Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer at Conrail. “I really wanted to tell this company’s story in a way that would keep the reader’s interest.”

When Karen Borek (Master of Philosophy in Liberal Arts ’19) completed her Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) degree at the University of Pennsylvania, she realized there was much more she wanted to explore. A student of African studies, Karen wrote her master’s thesis on The Cry of Winnie Mandela by scholar and novelist Njabulo Ndebele. Her deep dive into South African literature opened up to a larger sphere of South African culture that continues to inspire and challenge her.