BA in Liberal Studies, Shimer Great Books School
Naperville, USA
DURATION
4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
USD 42,866 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* tuition fee
Scholarships
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Introduction
Liberal Studies combines the examination of the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences, and prepares us to live a fully examined life.
Through the bachelor of arts in liberal studies, you will gain an understanding of the connections between ideas that form the core of the Shimer Great Books School’s unique curriculum. Examine primary sources written by groundbreaking, original thinkers and use the wisdom of these vastly different minds to refine your own pursuit of understanding.
About Shimer Great Books School
The Shimer Great Books School provides and preserves education centered on the discussion of enduring questions and issues. Here, you will immerse yourself in reading, writing, and discussion alongside other voracious readers who use what they read to engage with the world and understand their roles in it.
Learning is a constant dialogue where every opinion and every position is questioned and analyzed. You’ll discuss your ideas in a class with people who will push you to think more deeply about fundamental questions than you ever have before. Simply put, the Shimer Great Books School challenges you to delve deeply into the diverse and endlessly fascinating areas of thought and creativity in the company of similarly inclined students and teachers.
Curriculum
The Shimer School Liberal Studies Major comprises the entirety of the School's core curriculum. Liberal Studies majors take the full complement of courses in all three major areas of the curriculum: humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. Studying the breadth of human knowledge and creation, largely (but not entirely) in traditions from Europe and North America, allows Liberal Studies majors to integrate knowledge and methods from disparate fields and develop insights that transcend any given discipline of study. Like all Shimer School majors, those in Liberal Studies develop their insights through a combination of individual reflection; small-class discussions; intensive writing, peer-editing, and revision of essays; and the variety of practical exercises that reflect our readings in each area sequence of courses.
Breadth and depth of knowledge and skills characterize graduates of the Shimer School. Through the core curriculum of the Shimer School, they immerse themselves in major classic and contemporary works of human expression, social thought, and scientific knowledge and practice. Their broad familiarity with fundamental ideas and methods across the Liberal Arts provides the foundation on which they build increasingly refined understanding and skills in more specialized courses in chosen disciplines taught across North Central College. Shimer School graduates thus find meaningful employment in an unusually broad array of fields, including teaching, social work, law, small business, and entrepreneurial enterprise, and non-profit administration among the most common.
Major Requirements
Shimer School Liberal Studies Core Courses
- SGBH 101 - Art and Fiction
- SGBH 102 - Music and Verse
- SGBH 201 - Philosophy and the Nature of Thought
- SGBH 202 - Theology: Structures of Meaning
- SGBN 101 - The Shape of the World
- SGBN 102 - What is Matter?
- SGBN 201 - What is Motion?
- SGBN 202 - What is Life?
- SGBS 101 - Models of Social Thought
- SGBS 102 - The Western Political Tradition
- SGBS 201 - Critical Theories of Society and Politics
- SGBS 202 - Social Formation and Social Transformation
- SGBI 101 - The Classical Foundations: Logic and Math
- SGBI 102 - The Modern Foundations of Logic and Math
- SGBI 451 - Integrative Studies: Ancient Early Modern World
- SGBI 452 - Integrative Studies: The Modern World
- SGBI 496 - Thesis
Electives
- Four credits from SGBH, SGBN, or SGBS at the 300-level or above
Comprehensive Examinations
- Pass the Shimer Great Books Basic Studies Comprehensive Exam (following successful completion of at least six of the required courses at the 100-level).
- Pass one Area Studies Comprehensive Exam (SGBH, SGBS, or SGBN) after completion of the corresponding required courses at the 200-level.
Additional Requirements for the BA Degree
Students must demonstrate elementary competence in a foreign language.
Career Opportunities
The Shimer Great Books School at North Central College provides the tools, contexts, and habits of mind that make lifelong learning possible. At the same time, you will have immediate avenues to complement your studies with experiences that will prepare you for a host of professional opportunities designed to match your long-term interests, among them undergraduate research, co-curricular initiatives, and internships.
Internships
North Central’s internship program helps you apply what you’ve learned in the classroom in a workplace setting. Our location provides you with access to both a world-class city and a booming local high-tech corridor. From Fortune 500 companies to dynamic start-ups on the cutting edge, there’s bound to be a workplace well suited to your graduate school interests and career goals.
Careers
A Shimer School of Great Books education teaches students the critical thinking necessary to handle extraordinary intellectual challenges. Shimer graduates have had successful careers in a wide range of professions, including:
- Educators
- Attorneys
- Physicians
- Wall Street analysts
- Financial advisors
- Entrepreneurs
- Designers
- Engineers
- Artists
- Writers
- Marketers
Post-graduate
Shimer also ranks among the top colleges and universities in the percentage of graduates who earn PhDs.
Admissions
English Language Requirements
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