Master of Liberal Arts students have the option to participate in the University of Chicago Residential Seminar, which takes place twice yearly in the Spring and Autumn Quarters.
During these experiences, you’ll complete an accelerated course on campus and earn credit toward your degree.
You’ll spend a week immersed in studying a fascinating topic and working face-to-face with many of the peers you’ve met in the virtual classroom. The seminars are also open to students in other programs, giving you a chance to meet and interact with members of the wider UChicago community.
The residential experience is optional. If you prefer, you can complete all requirements for the MLA online.
During the residential seminar, I was able to go into the classroom and dive really deeply into original thinking. We were able to challenge each other as students and learners with great guidance from our professors. We’ve also gotten to know each other, and I made new friends. That was really special.
When you attend a residential seminar, you’ll enjoy the historic buildings, intellectual atmosphere, and cultural richness of UChicago’s beautiful campus firsthand. You’ll have ample opportunities to network, beginning when you meet with your peers for an opening reception dinner, as well as explore the diverse and historic Hyde Park neighborhood. Most importantly, you’ll have illuminating conversations and discover valuable insights in an immersive one-week course.
Each day, residential seminar students attend both morning and afternoon class sessions. These classes follow the same Socratic seminar format as your online courses, emphasizing open, respectful dialogue in response to assigned texts. A member of our distinguished faculty will guide a group of students with widely varied professional and educational backgrounds as they engage with one another’s viewpoints and think their way through complex issues.
When you’re not in class, available activities include:
Lunch and learns with guest speakers who are respected experts in a range of fields.
Guided campus tours to enjoy our beautiful architecture and botanic garden.
Dinner groups to socialize, network, and build community with fellow classmates.
It’s been exciting to see some student colleagues that I’ve been in three virtual classes in a row with, and now we get to experience a seminar in each other’s presence. Our interaction with the city of Chicago, the environment, the architecture, and the parks has been really rewarding.
Matthew Dean
MLA Student, Arts Administrator, and Professional Classical Singer
Prior Residential Seminar Topics
The Pivotal Decade: 1970s Literature & The Rise of Inequality (September 2023)
Digital Ethics (May 2023)
Foundations of Ethical Thought (September 2022)
Foundations of Humanistic Inquiry (May 2022)
Request Information
Request more information and download a brochure about the UChicago Master of Liberal Arts.
