Scott Siegel

My name is Scott Siegel and I am a “Double-Cane.” I earned my bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami (UM) in 1984. I returned to the University of Miami to earn my Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) degree in 1996. During my time at UM I participated in intermural sports and I was a part of the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee (SAFAC). I also participated in Carni-Gras, and Fun Day which is a community service experience helping adults with developmental disabilities. I am currently working for the University of Miami as the Development Director for Major Gifts under the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.

• Q: What made you decide to pursue a graduate education?

  A: Expand my knowledge of the physical universe, human discoveries and thought.

• Q: Why did you decide to enroll in a Liberal Studies graduate program?

  A: This was the best program to achieve the objective referred to above.

• Q: What was your favorite thing about the MALS program?

  A: Having written over 250 pages of essays and reports on a vast array of subjects from Big Bang Theory, 12^th Century Asian Literature, and Holocaust Studies to Lawrence of Arabia, Chaucer and Shakespeare, Political Philosophy, and the History of Miami.

• Q: What skills did you acquire from the MALS program, and how have these skills played a role in your career?

  A: It made me a better writer. It taught me research techniques. My degree was earned during the Internet’s infancy so I learned how to conduct research on the internet before Google! As a matter of fact, my essay on Big Bang Theory from the “Theories of the Physical Universe” class was one of the most clicked on essays on Big Bang Theory in the history of the Internet. From about 1997 until about 2007, it was among the top ten search results for “Big Bang Theory” accessed millions of times and incorporated into the curriculums of hundreds of secondary and post-secondary education. The paper still has over 4,000 search results even today (click here to read it).

• Q: Why would you recommend the MALS program to a student interested in attending graduate school?

  A: I would recommend the MALS program to anyone who wants to learn more towards becoming, for the lack of a better term, “an intellectual”. This degree can provide you with an intellectual spring board that will continue after graduation. It will allow you to deepen your understanding of both our physical Universe and our human experience across a wide spectrum of academic interests.