The Graduate Institute

We are currently accepting applications for the spring, summer, and fall 2023 terms.
Apply to the Graduate Institute

St. John’s College is not like other colleges and universities. Whether you are pursuing the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts, the Master of Arts in Eastern Classics, or the Liberal Arts Education Certificate, our radical vision of education is simple: the study of great books and the discussion of those books in great classroom conversations. Complete your degree or certificate on campus or online through our low residency program.

Our Pedagogy

The Graduate Institute is a unique and welcoming community of students with different life experiences who value thoughtful discussion about great works and big ideas.

Learn more about our pedagogy

Master of Arts in Liberal Arts

From Aristotle to Aquinas, Wordsworth to Woolf, Herodotus to Hegel, students pursuing the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts explore some of the greatest thinkers of all time in a truly interdisciplinary and coherent academic program.

Learn more about the MALA

Master of Arts in Eastern Classics

On the Santa Fe campus, students pursuing the Master of Arts in Eastern Classics examine the great books of India, China, and Japan in an Asian studies program that provides an introduction to the breadth and richness of these traditions.

Learn more about the MAEC

Flexible Schedule On Campus or Online

Graduate students at St. John’s often take classes in the evenings and summers. Many work full time while completing their degree. For the MALA, start in fall, spring, or summer. For the MAEC, start in the fall. Complete your degree or certificate on campus or online through our low residency program.

MALA Schedule MAEC Schedule

Liberal Arts Education Certificate

For teachers seeking a great books qualification in just two summers, the Liberal Arts Education Certificate explores foundational texts while studying pedagogy to bring back to their classrooms.

Learn more about the Certificate

Combined Degrees

St. John’s offers a combined MA/JD degree program with the University of Maryland Carey School of Law.

Learn more about Combined Degrees

Graduate Student Life

On both the Annapolis and Santa Fe campuses, students immerse themselves in a vibrant intellectual community and local culture. The Graduate Institute attracts students of varied ages, backgrounds, and experiences.

Learn more about student life