The Huygens Master’s Program in Liberal Arts offers students the opportunity to take classes in the Netherlands and at St. John’s College in Maryland, New Mexico, or online

[April 15, 2026] — St. John’s College, the third-oldest college in America with campuses in Annapolis, Maryland, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the Pascal Institute, located in Leiden, the Netherlands, have partnered to offer the Huygens Master’s Program in Liberal Arts, Europe’s first Great Books master’s program. The program will launch in September 2026, and applications are now being accepted.

“At St. John’s we offer a truly distinctive education, one built on civil discourse and close reading. This education is more relevant now than ever before, and we are excited to be able to engage with a new audience in Europe,” says St. John’s College President J. Walter Sterling. “The Huygens Master’s Program builds on other recent successful efforts to bring the St. John’s method worldwide, including through online graduate programs and other partnerships in Korea, China, and beyond.”

“This is a dream turned into reality. Together with St. John’s College, we are proud to bring Europe its first Great Books master’s program, the Huygens Master’s Program in Liberal Arts, launching in September 2026 in Leiden. Years in the making, and we couldn’t be more excited,” says Jordi Wiersma, President of the Pascal Institute.

Students will spend one or two semesters in the Netherlands and can choose to complete their studies at either of St. John’s College’s campuses in Maryland or New Mexico, or to take courses online. The curriculum, grounded in the works of Plato, Thucydides, Shakespeare, Newton, Tocqueville, and others, encompasses five core domains: philosophy, literature, history, politics and society, and mathematics and natural science. Students select four of the five focus areas, allowing for both breadth and depth. Teaching takes place in small, discussion-based groups designed for concentration, conversation, and reflection. Upon completion of the program, graduates will earn a Master of Arts in Liberal Arts from the St. John’s College Graduate Institute.

The Huygens Master’s Program in Liberal Arts is named for Dutch mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer, and inventor Christiaan Huygens, who played a key role in the Scientific Revolution and whose works are studied at the college.

“Naming this program after Christiaan Huygens is very fitting. His inquiries into fundamental features of the physical world model the kind of rigorous and intense inquiry that is pursued at St. John’s, at the Pascal Institute, and now, happily together,” says St. John’s College Associate Dean for Graduate Programs Brendan Boyle. “He serves as a model for students and faculty alike. His name draws attention to the very capacious way both institutions understand liberal education. For St. John’s and Pascal, a real liberal education comprises not only humanistic inquiry but also the kind of natural scientific inquiry for which Huygens is justly famous.”

The Huygens Master’s Program in Liberal Arts will begin welcoming students to the Netherlands in fall 2026. European applicants are encouraged to learn more and apply at pascalinstitute.com/pascal-masters-program-2026.

The St. John’s College Graduate Institute offers three Master of Arts degrees: the Liberal Arts, exploring the classic texts of the West; Eastern Classics focused on texts of India, China and Japan; and Middle Eastern Classics, exploring texts of Jewish and Islamic civilization. Courses may be completed over the summer or during convenient evening hours in the fall and spring, in person at the college’s Annapolis or Santa Fe campuses or online through the low-residency program. Applications are currently being accepted for the summer and fall terms of 2026. For more details and to apply, visit sjc.edu/academic-programs/graduate.

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.

ABOUT THE PASCAL INSTITUTE

The Pascal Institute, located in Leiden, the Netherlands, was founded on the belief that the liberal arts cultivate profound thinking and wise judgment. Our mission is to provide this transformative education in the best way possible. The institute offers courses and lectures for students, professionals, and lifelong learners. Learn more at pascalinstitute.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Sara Luell, Senior Director of Communications and Operations, St. John’s College, sara.luell(at)sjc.edu