St. John’s College Great Books Program Officially Recognized as a Triple Major in Philosophy, Literature, and the Natural Sciences
The college’s renowned undergraduate liberal arts Program renamed to benefit students and alumni
[August 21, 2026] — St. John’s College, the third-oldest college in America, with campuses in Annapolis, Maryland, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, today announced that its longstanding undergraduate Great Books program has been recognized by educational authorities as equivalent to a triple major. The degree will be renamed from a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts to a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Literature, and the Natural Sciences. The Class of 2027 will be the first class to graduate with the new designation. There is no other college in the country where every student’s degree is recognized as a triple major upon completion of the program of study.
“At St. John’s College, we offer an all-required, interconnected Program of Study across disciplines, and that isn’t changing,” says St. John’s College President J. Walter Sterling. “This new degree name allows the outside world to better understand what our students and alumni have always known: that this education prepares students to succeed across the humanities as well as math and science.”
Every student at St. John’s is admitted to an all-required comprehensive program in the liberal arts where they read more than 200 of the most important texts ever written and discuss them in small classes. This is a coherent program of study that does not follow traditional disciplinary boundaries.
“We hope this name change helps prospective students who are the right fit for St. John’s to learn about us and apply,” says St. John’s College Annapolis Dean Suzy Paalman. “Previously, students could search online databases for philosophy, literature, or science programs, and despite our rigorous classes that emphasize those areas of study. St. John’s wouldn’t show up. Now we will.”
The Maryland Higher Education Commission, the New Mexico Higher Education Department, and the Higher Learning Commission have officially recognized that the credit hours offered by St. John’s are the equivalent of a triple major in philosophy, literature, and the natural sciences. This recognition provides the St. John’s College undergraduate degree with three CIP codes (Classification of Instructional Programs), standardized codes developed by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics to identify and classify postsecondary programs of study across the United States. These codes are used in most college search websites and databases. Additionally, the college has applied to the Department of Homeland Security for STEM designation of the degree, which is expected to benefit international students and those pursuing postgraduate studies.
“The math and sciences have always been deeply rooted in what we do,” says St. John’s College Santa Fe Dean Sarah Davis. “We expect this STEM designation to attract students who heard ‘Great Books’ or ‘liberal arts’ and didn’t realize that our Program went beyond the humanities.”
In addition to the Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Literature, and the Natural Sciences, St. John’s College offers Master of Arts degrees in Liberal Arts, Eastern Classics, and Middle Eastern Classics through the Graduate Institute. To learn more and to apply, visit the college’s website.
For more information about the college’s undergraduate degree name change, see the Frequently Asked Questions web page.
ABOUT ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE
In an age of political division and digital distraction, St. John’s College offers the education America needs. Through close reading of 200 great books across 3,000 years—from Plato to Toni Morrison, Augustine to Charles Darwin, Euclid to Albert Einstein—students wrestle with the deepest questions of law, justice, freedom, and human good. At a time when many institutions chase trends, St. John’s returns to first principles. The third-oldest college in America, with campuses in Annapolis, Maryland, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, St. John’s is a refuge for civic renewal, civil discourse, and intellectual courage. Learn more about our undergraduate, graduate, and lifelong learning programs at sjc.edu.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Sara Luell, Senior Director of Communications and Operations, St. John’s College,