The Core Curriculum is organized around three thematic phases.
Phase I, Foundations of Wisdom
Focuses on developing critical intellectual skills that students need to be active participants in academic inquiry, fostering a broad base of knowledge and cultural literacy, and strengthening the habits of mind and awareness that are critical to leading a thoughtful life. This phase consists of seven requirements:
- Composition and Argument
- Literature
- Mathematics
- Philosophy and Critical Thinking
- History
- Physical Science
- Fine Arts
Phase II, Person in Society
Asks students to wrestle with the question “what does it mean to be a responsible person in society today?” This phase juxtaposes and combines the insights of the social scientific and philosophical/theological traditions to explore the nature of society, the sources and potential remedies of systems of injustice and other social problems, and the nature of the individual as a member of society. This phase also helps students understand the methods of the social scientific tradition and explore the Catholic tradition. Four requirements are included in this phase:
- Social Science I
- Social Science II
- Philosophy of the Human Person
- Theology and Religious Studies (Phase II)
In Phase III, Responsibility and Service
Students explore how to use their education to make a positive impact on the world. This requires strengthening skills and habits of ethical decision making and exploring how our spiritual understanding can lead us to greater insight into important issues. In addition, this phase provides opportunities for students to synthesize their educations, by applying what they’ve learned in the Core to contemporary social problems and by integrating their Core and major experiences. There are four requirements in this phase:
- Ethics
- Theology and Religious Studies (Phase III)
- Interdisciplinary Course on a Social Problem
- Senior Synthesis
It is highly recommended that students approach the phases in sequence, completing Phase I before moving on to Phase II, and completing Phase II before enrolling in Phase III courses. We realize that this may not always be possible, but students will get the most out of the educational experience by proceeding in sequence as much as possible.