Great Books

Major Option

To major in the Great Books, one must use the BA / BS in Multidisciplinary Studies. This degree serves two purposes: to allow motivated students to design a unique curriculum in consultation with a faculty mentor, or to provide an umbrella under which small programs like ours may offer a major. Great Books faculty are ready to assist students in designing a curriculum that meets their needs. Interested students should contact the Director of Great Books, John Stevens in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, who can help with declaring this major and will serve as the default mentor and advisor (unless another is desired).

A major normally consists of 30 s.h. and has two required courses, MULT 3500 (thesis research) and 4999 (thesis). The 54-66 s.h. degree may be completed with an existing minor (or double major) or additional courses as agreed by the mentor and student (24 s.h.). Between the major and minor, at least 24 s.h. must be above 2999. To be eligible for admission, students are to have completed at least 30 sh with a 2.0 gpa.

The most natural format for a major in Great Books consists of the curriculum for the minor and the senior thesis courses (MULT 3500, 4999, 30sh).

Students wishing to make their degree comparable to those of other Great Books programs should add two foreign languages through level 1004, either Classical Greek and German (as at St. John's) or Latin and French (as at St. Thomas More).

The Great Books "Core"

Students who do not wish to major or minor in the great books may still use Great Books Seminars to satisfy general education requirements and are heartily encouraged to do so since these provide the best foundation for further inquiry in any field of study.