Meeting Interesting People, Doing Graduate-Level Studies

1Walk into a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) classroom, and you're going to meet a remarkable collection of people.

On a rainy Monday night, more than a dozen men and women sit around an oval table in Carr Building ready to talk about terrorism. Mark Powell grew up in the United Kingdom, traveled the world for four years, joined the Royal Air Force and got a law degree. Bill Stanfield owned a warehouse company, got an MBA and deferred retirement to work part-time. Paul Weinberg lives in South Africa, spent 25 years as a documentary photographer and now teaches at the Center for Documentary Studies.

Most of the students have already put in a full day's work.  Stanfield even drove more than two hours from Wilmington as he has once a week, every semester for three years. The MALS student body is diverse in age, profession, culture, gender and experience. What they have in common, however, is hunger for advanced academic study.

The MALS program began in 1984 with less than 20 students. Today, about to celebrate its 20th anniversary, it has blossomed to 165 students, making it the largest program in Duke's Graduate School. Headquartered in the Allen Building, the program is designed for working professionals. The degree requires nine courses and a final project. Most students take one course per semester to finish in four years.

Unlike other graduate degrees, the MALS program is meant to allow students to study across several disciplines "It provides a liberal arts education to those who may not have had the opportunity for such study in a focused undergraduate curriculum," said Director Donna Zapf. "The program is intended to be an intellectual exchange, an exploration of ideas for the discussion of serious issues across differences Because of their experience, MALS students come with a mature perspective."

Zapf said the program is described as open and non-competitive, but, she added, don't confuse this with "easy," "MALS is a serious graduate program. It's intellectually rigorous," she said.

That's how it goes in the class discussion on terrorism, led by the class instructor Duke history professor Martin Miller. He begins a discussion regarding how communism fits into the evolution of terrorism. Miller has been teaching "The Foundations of Modern Terrorism" since 1990 but says the class has changed since the 9/11 attacks.

"People are interested. I want to create an atmosphere where people want to talk," Miller said. "The students are very motivated." They're here because they want to be here," Miller said. "It's the greatest teaching there is."

Seated at the table, Miller blends in with his students. There are no podiums or lecture seats in this classroom. The class is truly held in round-table discussion style. The course is an historical account of terrorism and its roots. As Miller notes in the course description, terrorism is not a modern idea. It "has been an integral part of the politics and culture of many societies around the globe for centuries." This is evident as the class uses historical references to communist Russia and the battle for Irish independence as examples. Other discussions go back as far as the 12th century.

One student, a professional looking woman, makes slow, well thought out comments regarding Karl Marx "philosophy on terrorism. Surprisingly, the discussions aren't as heated as one might expect for such a controversial subject. The course, like the MALS program itself is geared toward an intelligent discussion of facts and perspectives. "None of our courses offer definitive answers, they only raise questions," Zapf echoed.

Third year student, Marilyn Knupp, a computer program analyst for Duke, juggles work and family but says MALS quenches her desire to keep learning. "People are interested in the courses. When I tell them what I'm taking, they say 'that's a course I'd like to be in,'" Knupp said.

Weinberg, the documentary photographer, said after working for 25 years he wanted to leave South Africa to take stock of his life, his career and the world. After searching globally, he applied and received a scholarship to the MALS program.  In fact, 65 percent of MALS students receive some form of financial aid. "I could never do anything like this in South Africa," he said. "There isn't anything like it."

The students around this table say they're not here for the prestige, or even the piece of paper. "It's a love of knowledge, a love of people and confidence," Powell said. "We all have respect for new perspectives. I'll walk away with my intelligence and character enhanced It's not about academics, but character."

MALS celebrates it 20th anniversary with a gala weekend beginning Oct. 15, as it launches its 2004-2005 academic year, "A Year of Ideas." MALS regularly holds prospective student information sessions. For information about the gala weekend and courses, click here.