St. John’s Undergraduate Program

At the heart of St. John’s is a liberal arts curriculum focused on reading and discussing many of the greatest books and most important questions in history. This is perhaps the most distinctive undergraduate curriculum of any college in America. Our students read the original writings of great thinkers across 3,000 years of history, engage in vigorous classroom discussion with fewer than 20 students around the seminar table, and study interdisciplinary ideas across the humanities and sciences without limiting students to the restrictions of siloed majors. Read about the program in the words of our faculty, and learn about the reading list, subjects, and classes below.

For a current schedule of seminar readings, see the Santa Fe Seminar Reading List Schedule or Annapolis Seminar Reading List Schedule

Reading List

The list of Great Books at St. John’s include classic works in philosophy, literature, political science, psychology, history, religion, economics, math, chemistry, physics, biology, astronomy, music, language, and more.

See the Reading List
Subjects Taught

St. John’s students don’t have majors but they learn about Classical Studies and Greek; French; History, Politics, Law and Economics; Literature; Mathematics and the Natural Sciences; Music and the Arts; and Philosophy, Theology, and Psychology.

Learn About the Subjects
Classes

All classes at St. John’s are conducted seminar-style with 20 students or fewer and faculty facilitating the discussion.

See the Types of Classes
Senior Essays

The senior essay is the signature effort of a student’s career at the college. Each senior selects a book, a question, and a faculty advisor to assist in the writing process.

See More About Senior Essays
Study Away

Students at St. John’s have two campuses to call home during the academic year, plus an array of domestic study away and international study abroad options during the summer.

Learn More About Study Away