You can earn your master's degree in two years by enrolling in two classes per semester and taking summer courses.  If you work on a part-time basis it will take you longer, but how long depends on you.  Most MLA students earn the degree in about two and a half years. 

There are no requirements for continuous enrollment, but you must complete the degree within five years of the date of initial registration.  On occassion, students might take a semester off due to a demanding work schedule or family needs.  This is acceptable but you must notify the MLA director.  

There are three requirements to earn your degree:

1.  To earn your master's degree in the MLA program, you must complete thirty-six hours of course work.  This means twelve courses. 

2.  You must complete two required courses from the following list of four core courses: 

You may select the ten remaining courses from any offered during the time you are enrolled.  All of your MLA classes are worth three hours of credit.  Each class meets one time per week, generally for about three hours per session. Some summer courses are offered on a five and one-half week schedule, meeting twice per week. 

3.  You are required to maintain an overall 3.0 grade average with no grade acceptable lower than B.  You may transfer in a maximum of six graduate credit hours with grades of B or higher from an accredited institution as long as the credit hours are sufficiently grounded in the liberal arts (such as literature, history, or philosophy) and you did not already use these hours to earn a degree.

Because the MLA program is designed for working professionals with broad interests there is no thesis requirement.  However, each of your MLA classes has a substantial writing and research component.