Core Curriculum

At Saint Michael’s, we want our graduates to take on the world as thoughtful intellectuals who aren’t afraid to take risks and think differently.

Our Core Curriculum will help you do just that.

We prepare you for life after college with a dynamic range of courses designed to foster intellectual curiosity and exploration and help you answer life’s most profound questions.

You’ll be introduced to the breadth and diversity of knowledge itself. You’ll be exposed to many academic disciplines that will challenge you to think critically, express yourself, and become a lifelong learner. And you’ll learn what it means to contribute to the common good as a concerned and thoughtful citizen.

Curriculum

Our curriculum embodies the tradition of a liberal arts education in light of the Catholic faith, which emphasizes a concern with ultimate questions and personal and spiritual development within a diverse world. The Core Curriculum prepares students for global citizenship, stewardship of the Earth, and a productive career by cultivating a passion for intellectual life, a commitment to moral responsibility, and a desire to improve the human condition through socially conscious citizenship.

Courses taken by all: these courses provide a foundation for academic life at the college, explore questions of ultimate meaning, and engage with the broad questions of liberal education.

  1. Introduction to Purposeful Learning
  2. First-Year Seminar
  3. Fundamental Philosophical Questions (PH 103)
  4. Study of Christian Traditions and Thought (RS 100-level)
  5. Junior Seminar

Intellectual Exploration: Intellectual Exploration courses expose students to the breadth of disciplinary learning and the various ways of looking at and understanding themselves and the world. Students will take (or satisfy through transfer equivalent) coursework in each subject area in any semester prior to graduation.

  1. Literature & the Arts
  2. History & Society
  3. Scientific Inquiry
  4. Quantitative Reasoning
  5. Second Language for students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts

Edmundite Tradition: Courses in the Edmundite tradition explore the Society of Saint Edmund’s rich heritage of Catholic intellectual thought and abiding commitments to social justice and inclusion. Students will take one course with each of the following designations. These courses may also fulfill areas listed above or may reside in the majors and minors:

  1. Catholic Intellectual Tradition
  2. Engaging Diverse Identities

Professional Competencies: A Saint Michael’s education will also develop skills essential to every career choice. Each major has been designed with the following learning outcomes:

  1. Ethical Decision Making
  2. Information Literacy
  3. Oral Communications
  4. Written Communications

Career Paths

The liberal arts and sciences are the firm foundation for every career. Throughout your working life you will need to be able to absorb new information, think critically, write and speak clearly, form and defend arguments, adapt to new situations, and understand cultural contexts. The liberal arts and sciences train you in these core competencies so you are ready to meet a variety of challenges.

Curriculum

Our curriculum embodies the tradition of a liberal arts education in light of the Catholic faith, which emphasizes a concern with ultimate questions and personal and spiritual development within a diverse world. The Core Curriculum prepares students for global citizenship, stewardship of the Earth, and a productive career by cultivating a passion for intellectual life, a commitment to moral responsibility, and a desire to improve the human condition through socially conscious citizenship.

Courses taken by all: these courses provide a foundation for academic life at the college, explore questions of ultimate meaning, and engage with the broad questions of liberal education.

  1. Introduction to Purposeful Learning
  2. First-Year Seminar
  3. Fundamental Philosophical Questions (PH 103)
  4. Study of Christian Traditions and Thought (RS 100-level)
  5. Junior Seminar

Intellectual Exploration: Intellectual Exploration courses expose students to the breadth of disciplinary learning and the various ways of looking at and understanding themselves and the world. Students will take (or satisfy through transfer equivalent) coursework in each subject area in any semester prior to graduation.

  1. Literature & the Arts
  2. History & Society
  3. Scientific Inquiry
  4. Quantitative Reasoning
  5. Second Language for students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts

Edmundite Tradition: Courses in the Edmundite tradition explore the Society of Saint Edmund’s rich heritage of Catholic intellectual thought and abiding commitments to social justice and inclusion. Students will take one course with each of the following designations. These courses may also fulfill areas listed above or may reside in the majors and minors:

  1. Catholic Intellectual Tradition
  2. Engaging Diverse Identities

Professional Competencies: A Saint Michael’s education will also develop skills essential to every career choice. Each major has been designed with the following learning outcomes:

  1. Ethical Decision Making
  2. Information Literacy
  3. Oral Communications
  4. Written Communications

Career Paths

The liberal arts and sciences are the firm foundation for every career. Throughout your working life you will need to be able to absorb new information, think critically, write and speak clearly, form and defend arguments, adapt to new situations, and understand cultural contexts. The liberal arts and sciences train you in these core competencies so you are ready to meet a variety of challenges.