From our students and alumni

As an undergraduate at Dartmouth, I was able to explore so many things I didn't previously have access to. I found community in dance groups, the Gospel Choir, the Education Department at The Hood Museum of Art, Afro-American Society, and many other spaces that made me feel seen, heard, and creatively open-minded. Besides my campus jobs and rigorous coursework, I was able to count on faculty and administrative staff to help me thrive academically, even pointing me toward funding opportunities to do research outside of my other student work. I made a way for myself despite it being unconventional to many, and my time at Dartmouth made that possible. It's part of the reason I now work for the College.

As a MALS student graduating this year, I feel like I've had an incredibly similar experience. I was able to choose my own path that gave me the flexibility to accomplish things never done before, like partnering with Design Initiative at Dartmouth, the Library, and Black Sound Lab for my studies. The research I've been wanting to do for over a decade is what led me to apply to MALS, and I discovered an interdisciplinary program that affords students a community of individuals who are all given the freedom to do the things they envision. Being a MALS student has meant being supportive to classmates while dialoguing with them about important world issues. It has also meant being encouraged by the attentive faculty and staff who wanted to see me succeed; this care has made such a big difference in my experience. My life has been altered by my time as a MALS student, and I feel confident in whatever I decide to do next. MALS's impact on me makes me feel like the sky is always the limit toward my goals and dreams now and into the future.

Richel Cuyler D'06, MALS '25

I entered my MALS program as an experienced history teacher and was looking for a program that would "feed my soul" in terms of my appetite for learning a range of subjects taught by professors from different departments and therefore representing different perspectives. I've earned 3 masters degrees in my 35 years as an educator. My MALS degree inspired me to become a better teacher but also a better human. The connections I made with other students and professors, both from Dartmouth and visiting professors in the summer, are connections that I have carried with me since. I have stayed in touch over the years with many of my professors and cohort. A few years ago, when I met with Don Pease (who was my thesis advisor) to discuss an initiative to attract more educators to the program, I was heartened to see that not only did he remember me, but he immediately began discussing some of the aspects of my thesis that he found particularly compelling. That kind of connectability doesn't happen by accident and I see it as a mark of the commitment to learning that is the hallmark of the MALS program at Dartmouth. As a current head of school of a boarding school with a healthy international population, I find that I pay close attention to many of the issues that I learned about in my Liberal Studies programming at MALS. Being familiar with the roots of the geopolitical complexities facing our students and families today helps me to be more empathetic in my leadership and I credit much of that to my Dartmouth experience. Since I graduated, I have been a champion for what I consider to be one of the most rewarding graduate programs available at one of the finest institutions on the planet. I'm grateful for the experience and proud to continue to support MALS by encouraging as many folks with an appetite for learning as possible to attend.

My MALS degree has opened doors for me that I didn't even realize existed. This degree fast-tracked me to where I am today. But bigger than the status my MALS degree from Dartmouth provided, it was the diverse group of students with different backgrounds and experiences, the diverse perspective of the affiliated professors, and their diverse subject matter. MALS opened my eyes to different ways of being and moving throughout the world not only based on book smarts (although there's a lot of that at Dartmouth), but more based on the constant conversations and dialogues that began before classes, in between and in classes, and some continue until today. The MALS program at Dartmouth was the best decision I've ever made in my scholarly or academic life.

The M.A.L.S. program at Dartmouth shaped me in profound and lasting ways, both intellectually and personally. First and foremost, it broadened my thinking by encouraging an interdisciplinary approach to education. I learned to see beyond the boundaries of individual disciplines, connecting ideas from literature, history, science, and philosophy to understand complex issues more holistically. That ability to draw from multiple fields has been invaluable in professional contexts and in how I navigate the world.

The program also challenged me to take ownership of my learning. Being able to design a curriculum around my interests and passions was empowering. It pushed me to ask bigger questions and to pursue topics that genuinely mattered to me, which fostered a deeper level of engagement than I had experienced before. This personalized academic journey nurtured intellectual curiosity that continues to guide my career and personal growth.

The M.A.L.S. community was another critical influence. Being surrounded by diverse, thoughtful peers who brought different perspectives was a constant source of inspiration. The discussions I had in and out of the classroom with people from varied professional and academic backgrounds opened my mind to new ideas and ways of thinking. It wasn't just about gaining knowledge but learning how to engage with it meaningfully and creatively.

Most importantly, M.A.L.S. instilled in me a habit of lifelong learning. It helped me cultivate a mindset that values questioning, exploring, and adapting—essential qualities in today's rapidly changing world. The program didn't just shape what I know; it shaped how I think, approach problems, and continue to grow as a person. That's the most significant impact it had on me, and it's something I carry with me every day.