St. John's College, Annapolis

There is no other college quite like St. John's. Through sustained engagement with the works of great thinkers and through genuine discussion with peers, students at St. John’s College cultivate habits of mind that last a lifetime.

The interdisciplinary curriculum focuses on the foundational works of philosophy, literature, history, political science, theology, economics, music, mathematics, and the laboratory sciences. Classes are small, with between 14 and 20 students, and are conducted as seminars; the faculty-student ratio is 1:8. Students develop strong critical thinking skills through their close interaction with faculty and as they delve deeply into the most important and influential works of all time. The college also offers a graduate-level program based on these same principles.

The Classes

Everyone at St. John’s takes the following classes:

Four years of language (Ancient Greek and French)

Four years of mathematics

Four years of interdisciplinary study

Three years of laboratory science (biology, physics, chemistry)

One year of music

Two eight-week elective discussions - Preceptorials

A once-a-week lecture for the college as a whole

The Mission of Liberal Education

St. John’s College is a community dedicated to liberal education. Such education seeks to free men and women from the tyrannies of unexamined opinions and inherited prejudices. It also endeavors to enable them to make intelligent, free choices concerning the ends and means of both public and private life.

At St. John’s, freedom is pursued mainly through thoughtful conversation about great books of the Western tradition. The books that are at the heart of learning at St. John's stand among the original sources of our intellectual tradition. They are timeless and timely; they not only illuminate the persisting questions of human existence, but also have great relevance to contemporary problems. They change our minds, move our hearts, and touch our spirits.

The Graduate Institute

In 1967 The Graduate Institute in Liberal Education, based on the principles of the St. John's undergraduate program, was established. The Master of Arts in Liberal Arts Program is offered on both campuses. Since 1994 the Santa Fe campus has offered the Eastern Classics program, a structured reading of literary, philosophical, and theological texts of India, China, and Japan.