Antioch University prepares students to act with purpose, advance social justice, and engage communities. The online, self-designed MA in Humanities turns those values into a flexible graduate path you shape around your goals. You study on your schedule with close mentorship—ideal for socially conscious adult learners ready to align advanced study with impact.
What Makes This Program Unique?
Build a self-designed curriculum by choosing or combining specializations that speak to your interests and social impact goals. The program emphasizes inclusion, equity, and environmental and social responsibility while allowing you to blend writing, philosophy, history, the arts, and intercultural studies for real-world application.
Aligning Your Studies with Purpose
Connect coursework to community engagement, advocacy, and applied projects. Intercultural Studies can deepen work on equity and cultural understanding; Creative Writing can amplify marginalized voices and public scholarship. Program outcomes focus on critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and practical problem-solving that you can take into nonprofit, education, public sector, or further graduate study.
Flexible, Mentored Learning
Multiple start dates each year, combined with the fully online format, help you balance work and life. You’ll collaborate with a faculty mentor to design an academic plan that reflects your intellectual aims and ethical commitments, all within small classes that encourage dialogue and reflection.
Specializations You Can Choose or Create
- Creative Writing: strengthen craft while exploring cultural expression and the public role of writing.
- Intercultural Studies: study cultural systems, social justice, and communication across communities.
- Interdisciplinary Humanities: combine philosophy, literature, history, arts, and religious studies for a holistic lens.
- Or design your own specialization that aligns with Antioch’s mission and your professional goals.
Program Structure & Requirements
Start with foundation courses in research, ethics, and humanities methods. Add specialization courses tailored with faculty. Finish with a Capstone (3 credits) or Thesis (6 credits) and a zero-credit portfolio that showcases interdisciplinary and socially meaningful work. Many students complete the degree in under 24 months and may transfer up to 15 credits (including up to 9 for approved professional experience).
Who Should Consider This Program
Choose this path if you want a purpose-driven graduate education that connects learning with social impact; if you need flexible, online study with mentorship; or if you plan to explore the humanities through an ethical, social justice lens while preparing for leadership or further study.
Online Learning Experience
Courses are run fully online, utilizing interactive platforms that support collaboration, discussion, and reflective practice—hallmarks of Antioch’s experiential approach. Expect projects, portfolios, and applied work rather than relying only on exams.
Admission & Enrollment
You’ll need a bachelor’s degree; no GRE required. The application includes a brief essay (500 words or fewer) describing your goals, your self-designed focus, and your commitment to social impact. Multiple annual start dates and financial aid options make planning easier, and admissions staff can help you map your timeline.
Why Choose Antioch University
Antioch integrates learning with social justice, ethics, and community impact. You personalize your studies to reflect your values and career goals, supported by a long-standing commitment to inclusion, experiential learning, and interdisciplinary scholarship.
Explore the MA in Humanities, Self-Designed program page, request information, and start your application online. You can also schedule a conversation with admissions or attend an info session to see how a flexible, mentored, online MA humanities degree can advance your purpose and impact.
