Curriculum

The program is centered around three themes:

• The History of Ideas and Institutions
• The Structure and Functioning of those Ideas and Institutions
• The Creative Process and Modes of Creative Expression

Students are required to complete at least one course from each of the three modules in the course of their studies.

Historical Approaches: (Courses numbered 600-639 and 700-729)
The courses in this segment are essentially historical in nature. They emphasize the origin, evolution, and development of ideas and movements crucial to the modern American experience.

Themes in the Modern Experience: (Courses numbered 640-669 and 730-759)
The courses in this segment are organized around the structure of an idea or institution. They concentrate on the central elements of the structure and ways in which these elements contribute to the uniqueness and relevance of the idea or institution.

Creative Process: (Courses numbered 670-699 and 760-789)
The courses of this segment stress the importance of students discovering their own forms of expression. Emphasis is on the communication of ideas. Traditional research is encouraged, but students are also encouraged and taught to employ film, paint, and other media.