Philosophy and Theology

• Fall & Spring
• Summer
• Low Residency Fall & Spring
• Low Residency Summer

Politics and Society

• Fall & Spring
• Summer
• Low Residency Fall & Spring
• Low Residency Summer

Mathematics and Natural Science

• Fall & Spring
• Summer
• Low Residency Fall & Spring

Literature

• Fall & Spring
• Summer
• Low Residency Fall & Spring
• Low Residency Summer

History

• Fall & Spring
• Summer
• Low Residency Fall & Spring

Eastern Classics Seminar Reading List

Fall, Spring, & Summer PDF

Eastern Classics Preceptorial Syllabi

Fall

1. Sima Qian’s The Records of the Grand Historian / Low Residency PDF  
2.  Mahabharata Syllabus PDF / Low Residency PDF 

Spring

The spring provides the opportunity for students to choose between many options. Spring preceptorials will be announced in December. 

Summer

The Tale of Genji  PDF

Prior to (or at) registration, students receive their individual student schedules that include tutors and class locations.

In Person

Fall/Spring (16 Weeks)

• Tutorial – Monday and Thursday, 5–6:15 p.m.
• Seminar – Monday and Thursday, 7:30–9:30 p.m. (the first eight weeks of each term)
• Preceptorial – Monday and Thursday, 7:30–9:30 p.m. (the second eight weeks of each term)

Summer (6 Weeks)

Seminar: 1:30–3:30 pm

• Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on Weeks 1, 3, 5
• Tuesday and Thursday on Weeks 2, 4, 6

Tutorial: 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m.

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday

Preceptorial: 1:30–3:30 pm

• Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on Weeks 2, 4, 6
• Tuesday and Thursday on Weeks 1, 3, 5

Low Residency

Fall/Spring (16 Weeks)

• Tutorial: Monday and Thursday, 5:45–7 p.m. MST
• Preceptorial: Wednesday, 6–8 p.m. MST
• Seminar: Monday, 8–10 p.m. MST

Summer (10 Weeks)

10 weeks, 3 nights/week. Tutorial meets each night. Seminar and Preceptorial meet alternating weeks of  “Seminar, Preceptorial, Seminar” and “Preceptorial, Seminar, Preceptorial.”  This gives us space for 15 seminars, 15 preceptorials, and 30 tutorials.

• Tutorial: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 8:15—9:30 p.m. MT
• Seminar: Monday and Thursday, 5:30-7:30 p.m. MT (weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9); Tuesday, 5:30–7:30 p.m. (weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10)
• Preceptorial: Tuesday, 5:30–7:30 p.m. MT (weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9); Monday and Thursday, 5:30–7:30 p.m. (weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10)

Prior to (or at) registration, students receive their individual student schedules that include tutors and class locations.

In Person

Fall/Spring (16 Weeks)

• Language Tutorial: Monday and Wednesday, 5–6:30 p.m. MST
• Preceptorial: Tuesday and Thursday, 4–6 p.m. MST
• Seminar: Monday and Thursday, 7:30–9:30 p.m. MST

Summer (8 Weeks)

• Preceptorial: Tuesday and Thursday, 3:30–5:30 p.m. MDT
• Seminar: Monday and Thursday, 7–9 p.m. MDT

Low Residency

Fall/Spring (16 Weeks)

• Language Tutorial: Monday and Wednesday, 3 to 4:30 p.m. MST
• Preceptorial: Tuesday and Thursday, 3 to 5 p.m. MST
• Seminar: Monday and Thursday, 6 to 8 p.m. MST

Summer (8 Weeks)

• Preceptorial: Tuesday and Thursday, 3:30–5:30 p.m. MST
• Seminar: Monday and Thursday, 7–9 p.m. MST

Weekend Schedule Spring 2023

See the current academic calendar for the Santa Fe campus.

See events calendar for the Santa Fe campus.

The St. John’s College Graduate Institute in Liberal Education administers the Liberal Arts and the Eastern Classics Masters’ programs, based on classic texts in the Western and Eastern traditions, respectively. Both programs are intended to create a deeper understanding of the fundamental and enduring questions raised by thoughtful human beings wherever an intellectual tradition is established and perpetuated. The programs lead to the degrees Master of Arts in Liberal Arts and Master of Arts in Eastern Classics. 

The Liberal Arts program is divided into five principal segments: Literature; Mathematics & Natural Science; Philosophy & Theology; Politics & Society; and History. 

The Eastern Classics program is a year-long program that concentrates on the works of India, China, and Japan.

Fall Semester 

1. Philosophy and Theology 
2. Politics and Society 

Spring Semester 

1. Literature 
2. Mathematics and Natural Science 
3. History (only offered on odd-numbered years) 

Summer Semester  

1. Mathematics and Natural Science (odd-numbered years) 
2. Politics and Society (odd-numbered years) 
3. Philosophy and Theology (even-numbered years) 
4. Literature (even-numbered years) 

MALA students will spend each of their four semesters studying in one of the following segments: Literature; Mathematics & Natural Science; Philosophy & Theology; Politics & Society; and History.

See which segments are offered in fall, spring, and summer semesters.

Graduate Convening Weekend

Low-residency graduate students will be required to visit the Santa Fe campus twice during their time in the program. Students are expected to come to campus for an initial orientation the week before classes start and are also encouraged to come to campus for activities related to Commencement at the conclusion of the program. Although only two are required, students are welcome and encouraged to attend as many weekends as they’d like. The residential requirement can also be satisfied by enrolling in one or more semesters of in-person classes on campus.

Technology Requirements

For more information and assistance visit the Technology Services page.

Virtual Communication and Expectations

The college’s default communication methods are email and Teams chat and audio/video conferencing. Please use your assigned SJC email account for these purposes. If you need technical assistance, you can create an ITS Help Desk ticket by emailing user.support(at)sjc.edu.

Students who have completed at least two segments in the Liberal Arts Program or one term in the Eastern Classics Program and have demonstrated considerable facility in writing and class conversation may petition the Associate Dean of Graduate Programs for permission to write an optional Master’s essay. [Academic Policies and Practices 121]. The essay may replace one Liberal Arts preceptorial or may be written in addition to the full program. In the Eastern Classics program, the essay may only be written in addition to the full program and is worth three credits. The content and goal of the Master’s essay should be the thoughtful examination of a text or several texts. The essay is not intended to be a piece of specialized research, but rather a sustained performance in the liberal arts. Essays are evaluated by a specially selected committee of three college tutors, including a committee chairperson appointed by the Associate Dean. A public oral examination is scheduled at the time the committee approves the essay. Essays are graded satisfactory or unsatisfactory; oral examinations are graded pass with honors, pass, or fail.

 See the Masters Essay Guidelines and Application for information on applying and writing an essay.  

While the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts degree is designed to give students a broad exposure to foundational texts across four of five segments, students also have the flexibility to build a Focus in one of the five segment areas if they so choose. In order to construct a focus, a student enrolls in preceptorials (electives) that all fall within the subject-area designated by one of the segment titles. For instance, a student might have a Focus in Literature, or Politics and Society. While some students find it useful or rewarding to concentrate their studies in this way, the majority prefer to choose the elective that most appeals to them each semester without the constraint of a Focus.

Liberal Arts Essays and Orals

1. Seminar Orals: In the seventh and eighth weeks of the term, Liberal Arts students meet with their seminar tutors for thirty-minute oral examinations. Orals are based on seminar reading assignments and, like seminars, they begin with a tutor or the student’s opening question and then proceed to a conversation that explores the question and related problems. Their purpose is to give students the opportunity to think through a problem or proposal using the same techniques practiced in the seminar in a more concentrated and self-directed way. Although students are expected to know and understand the main lines of thought or themes contained in the texts under discussion, this knowledge is not what is being tested. At its best, an oral generates new questions about, and understandings of, the text under discussion.
2. Precept Essays: Preceptorial essays are due near the end of the term on a date the preceptorial tutor sets. These essays must be substantial and demonstrate serious thought and inquiry. They are usually twelve to fifteen pages and are based on the readings. With the tutor’s approval, they may also refer to other program texts or related non-program works. The preceptorial essays replace the conventional Master’s thesis, and as such, they are a degree requirement that may not be waived. The essay written for any preceptorial is a class requirement that cannot be waived. The only exception to this rule is replacement of a preceptorial by a Master’s essay.

Eastern Classics Essays and Orals

1. Seminar Essay and Oral: Eastern Classics students are assigned a ten- to twelve-page essay based on seminar readings, usually due by the end of the tenth week of the fall and spring terms. These essays are intended to allow students to develop lines of thought outside the seminar conversation. The seminar essay is not a research paper with extensive footnotes and bibliographies, but rather an attempt on the student’s part to state in writing, as clearly as possible, his/her own thoughts on some aspect of a seminar reading. In the fall and spring terms, Eastern Classics students are examined on their seminar essays, which are usually submitted by the end of the tenth week. [Seminar Academic Policies and Practices 120]: Tutors conduct essay orals exactly as Liberal Arts orals, with the exception that the exam question usually arises from the essay.
2. Precept Essays: Eastern Classics essays are due in the last two or three weeks of each preceptorial. . These essays must be substantial and demonstrate serious thought and inquiry. They are usually twelve to fifteen pages and are based on the readings. With the tutor’s approval, they may also refer to other program texts or related non-program works. The preceptorial essays replace the conventional Master’s thesis, and as such, they are a degree requirement that may not be waived. Students enrolled in the Eastern Classics program must complete five preceptorials, and may complete a Master’s Essay in addition to the program; the Master’s Essay will not substitute the preceptorial requirements.

Conferences

The graduate student conference is a formal occasion scheduled by the Office of the Graduate Institute, at which the student meets privately with the tutors of the classes in which the student is currently enrolled. The conference’s goal is to enable all participants to gain a sense of the student’s work as a whole. The conference is usually scheduled for the sixth week of the term, but may be scheduled as early as the end of the fourth week. Eastern Classics conferences are held later in the term, after seminar essays are written. Conferences are required for all first term students, for those in bad academic standing, for students with “B” averages, and for students otherwise in difficulty. Other students who wish to have a formal opportunity to speak with their tutors may request conferences, and tutors may request conferences for students not included in the categories above.

Any Liberal Arts student in good academic standing and with no outstanding balance on his/her college account may transfer between campuses. Students who wish to transfer must submit an “Application for Intercampus Transfer” form available from the Graduate Institute’s Graduate Program Administrator to both campuses no later than 60 days before the beginning of the term. Applying to transfer does not guarantee a place in the term, and thus, it is best to apply as early as possible. Students who request to change campuses less than 60 days before the beginning of the term will forfeit $50 of their advance tuition deposit. Students on financial aid must also notify the Financial Aid Offices on both campuses (Santa Fe 505-984-6058, Annapolis 410-626-2502) 

If a Graduate Institute student wishes to audit a class, the student must obtain permission from the Associate Dean, Registrar, and the tutor prior to the first day of the term. Auditing is a privilege, not a right, and is allowed by some tutors and not by others. Tutors often base their decision to admit an auditor to their class on the auditor’s commitment to read all assignments and attend all classes, and on the number of students enrolled already. Academic Policies and Practices 128 Graduate Institute alumni may audit one preceptorial per term with permission from the Associate Dean and the tutor. Alumni may audit preceptorials under the following policy: Requests must be made through the Associate Dean, and only those classes with sufficiently small numbers, as they determine, will be eligible for auditing. After consulting with the tutors whose classes are eligible, the Associate Dean will notify the prospective auditor of the classes that may be audited. Auditor do not receive the benefits of a regular student; therefore, they cannot live on campus or purchase a meal plan; however, they may sign a “Borrower Agreement” at the library to borrow books. The audited class(es) will not be reflected on any documents or transcripts and students will not receive credit for the classes.

Approved applicants will receive a packet containing information about the steps they need to take to respond to their acceptance and to preregister for classes. Those who wish to enroll in a given semester and to secure a financial aid offer are required to submit a non-refundable advance deposit of $250. While deposit deadlines and policies vary slightly between the two campuses, applicants are advised that the earlier their deposits are submitted, the greater their chances of securing a place in the class for a given semester. 

Deposit Deadlines 

1. Summer Term: March 11 

2. Fall Term: July 1 

3. Spring Term: November 1

At the beginning of every fall, spring, and summer term all new and returning students must register for classes. Registration takes place from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. in Levan Hall, home of the Graduate Institute. Some registration materials will be emailed to students’ college email accounts in advance of registration. Students are expected to have paid their tuition and housing bills by the Monday before classes begin. All students provide their local residential/mailing addresses and telephone information to the Graduate Institute at the beginning of each term and within two weeks of any change. Failure to do so may result in a $30 fine. 

The $250 graduate advance deposit is required for each semester for ALL students regardless of housing status or scholarship/fellowship payment program. The deposit is due in the Office of the Treasurer by April 25 for summer, July 1 for fall, and November 1 for spring, and is applied to the student’s account as a payment for the semester. Provided that other financial obligations to the college are met, the advance deposit primarily secures the students’ place in class whether they choose to live on- or off-campus.

All first-term graduate students participate in a seminar on Plato’s Meno in the week prior to the start of classes.

Convocation is the occasion when new students are welcomed into the college and are invited to sign the college register. Returning and transfer students are warmly encouraged to attend. Students who must miss convocation should notify the Graduate Institute Office ahead of time.

The college conducts a May and August formal commencement each year. Graduate students who complete the Liberal Arts program in December receive a January degree-earned endorsement on their diploma and transcripts. These December graduates participate in the May commencement ceremony. All completing students will be charged a graduation fee during their final term, whether or not they participate in the commencement ceremony and related commencement week activities.

St. John’s College recognizes that grades often do not give a complete picture of student achievement. Emphasis on grades may also encourage thoughtless competitiveness among students, suggest an unexamined sense of success or failure, or imply wrongly that the teacher is in control of the student’s learning. Therefore, the primary assessment of student achievement is made in the don rag and in less formal communications between the tutor and student during the course of the semester. Students are not informed of their grades routinely and are not encouraged to be concerned about them. However, students have the right to see their grades at any time convenient to the Registrar. The Assistant Dean also welcomes the opportunity to talk with students about their grade records.

Official Transcripts can be ordered online by filling out a request form on mysjc.sjc.edu or by visiting the Transcript and Records Request page.

Each student is provided with an email account and personal folder on the student servers. You will be able to use Outlook Web Access to access your mail, from any Internet-accessible computer anywhere in the world. Instructions, rules and guidelines will be provided to you during the registration process. Contact Information Technology Services if you need assistance.

Mailboxes for new students are assigned on the day of registration. Please ask the switchboard operator for your box number and combination. Continuing students’ box numbers and combinations will change for the summer term. You should check your box regularly throughout the term for notices of academic and social events. If you expect to receive mail from outside the college, you should publish your address as your name, St. John’s College, 1160 Camino de Cruz Blanca, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Please do not use your box number or include the Graduate Institute in your address or it will delay delivery of your mail. 

Information for Santa Fe Graduate Institute students can be found in the current Santa Fe Student Handbook.

Office of Personal and Professional Development

The Office of Personal and Professional Development (OPPD) assists students with a comprehensive set of career services to Santa Fe Graduate students and alumni. Visit OPPD for more information on services offered and to schedule an appointment.

Bookstore

The St. John’s College bookstore stocks all the texts on the reading list. For hours, please see the Santa Fe campus bookstore .

Meem Library

For hours and catalog, visit the Meem Library.

MySJC

Log in to your mySJC portal to access fee statements and other information individualized for you.

Health Office

For location, appointments, and services, visit the Health Office.

Counseling Services

Visit the Mental Health Services for information on scheduling an appointment and location of the offices.

Student Activity Center

Visit the Student Activity Center (SAC) for information about hours, events, and services.

Help Desk

Contact the Help Desk  at user.support(at)sjc.edu if:

1. your college computer, printer, phone, or application is not working properly  
2. your access to the campus network is not working properly  
3. you are having problems accessing your college email or the Web  
4. you have a quick question about how to do something on your college computer e.g., how do you set a right Tab in Word, how do you save a file to your network folder  
5. you have an in-depth question or problem regarding an Office application or Outlook  
6. you want to check on the status of an ITS service  
7.  you have other IT questions that you would like to get to the right person in ITS

Dining Services

Visit Dining Services for hours and menu.

The Graduate Council is a representative body of graduate students in both the Liberal Arts and Eastern Classics programs. The council’s two main purposes are to provide a vehicle for student involvement in college administration and to organize social events. Two representatives from each tutorial are elected to the council at the beginning of each term.

The William Darkey Graduate Common Room is reserved for regular after-seminar gatherings on Thursdays. The Graduate Council, which arranges Thursday evening gatherings and other social events, welcomes your membership and your ideas. Individual students or groups of students may also contact the Graduate Institute Office or the Student Activities Office for assistance in planning social and recreational activities.

Learn more about Graduate Institute tuition and fees, and financial aid.

Student Accounts are processed on mySJC under Financial Aid.

You can also contact the Financial Aid Office at 505-984-6058 or santafe.financialaid(at)sjc.edu for questions and concerns.