What is an Open Curriculum?
An open curriculum is a course structure where there are no or very few required core courses. This system allows students to pick a schedule that lets them fully dive into classes that interest them. Furthermore, they can dip their toes into many different types of classes that intrigue them without worrying about certain core requirements to graduate. Check out some open curriculum colleges below.
Examples:
Brown University
Providence, RI
Founded in 1764, Brown University is distinct from the other Ivy League schools in that it is one of the open curriculum colleges. In fact, Brown is the only school on this list with absolutely no core requirements. Brown emphasizes the importance of learning for the sake of learning and for a “deep sense of purpose.”
Key features of their curriculum:
- Have a completely open curriculum where no specific courses are required
- No GPAs or class rankings exist and all classes can be taken for a grade or for a Satisfactory/No Credit
- Students have a choice of 80 concentrations
Want to learn more? https://college.brown.edu/design-your-education/explore-open-curriculum
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA
Founded in 1846, Grinnell is a small, liberal-arts program with about 1,750 students. With most classes having fewer than 20 students, Grinnell’s student-faculty ratio is 9:1. Grinnell also boasts having over 3,000 internship opportunities in their Center for Careers, Life, and Service. Furthermore, Grinnell has over 500 free events every year, including lectures, symposia, and performances.
Key features of their curriculum:
- Have only one required class called the First-Year Tutorial, which is a writing-intensive class that students choose with 35 topics to pick from
- Offers majors, minors, and concentrations
Want to learn more? https://www.grinnell.edu/admission/why-grinnell/academics/individually-advised
Amherst College
Amherst, MA
In 1821, Amherst College was founded by a congressional clergy including the grandfather of poet Emily Dickinson. Originally founded as an institution that would educate poor and talented men for the ministry and other vocations, it has become a sought-after liberal arts program with a flexible and student-oriented curriculum.
Key features of their curriculum:
- Only core requirement is that freshmen take an interdisciplinary seminar
- Required to major in a topic
Want to learn more? https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/open-curriculum
Smith College
Northampton, MA
After receiving a large fortune at age 65, Sophia Smith founded Smith College in 1871 for “the design to furnish for my own sex means and facilities for education equal to those which are afforded now in our colleges to young men.” To this day, Smith is an all-girls, liberal-arts college of over 2,500 students and, most years, has a student-faculty ratio of 8:1. In addition, Smith is one of the open curriculum colleges, because the philosophy of making learning your own experience is important to Smith’s mission. Furthermore, additional learning opportunities are available for students as Smith is a member of the Five Colleges Consortium with Mount Holyoke, Amherst, UMass Amherst, and Hampshire.
Key features of their curriculum:
- Has only one required class: a writing-intensive class
- Only other curriculum requirement is that you complete a major by the time you graduate
- Offers majors, minors, and concentrations
Want to learn more? https://www.smith.edu/academics/our-approach-learning/open-curriculum
Hamilton College
Clinton, NY
With a strong belief in the importance to “know thyself,” Hamilton College strongly believes in allowing students to craft a curriculum that fits them. Founded in 1793, Hamilton College has around 2,000 students, with a student-faculty ratio of 9:1. Fun fact: Hamilton sits on a 1,350 acre campus on a hill overlooking Clinton, NY.
Key features of their curriculum:
- Only requirements are a writing-intensive requirement, a quantitative and symbolic reasoning (QSR) requirement, and a physical education requirement
- Has 58 areas of study, and requires that students have a concentration in a field
Want to learn more? https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/open-curriculum/open-curriculum
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY
Vassar College was founded in 1861 as a women’s college “to provide women an education equal to that once available only to men.” It eventually became co-ed in 1969, and now is a well-known liberal-arts school with 51 majors, around 2,400 students, and a 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio. In addition, Vassar is among the open curriculum colleges, with only a few required classes.
Key features of their curriculum:
- Only required classes are a First-Year Writing Seminar, Quantitative Course requirement, and Foreign Language requirement
- Has 30 programs, 14 multidisciplinary programs, 3 interdepartmental programs, 50 majors, and over 1,000 courses
Want to learn more? https://www.vassar.edu/academics
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY
Founded in 1850, the University of Rochester has over 11,000 students but still maintains a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio. In addition, it is known for its research opportunities and offers over 200 degree programs.
Key features of their curriculum:
- Only required classes are a primary writing requirement and a cluster of three thematically related courses, where students can choose from hundreds of themes
Want to learn more? https://www.rochester.edu/about/curriculum.html
There are other kinds of non-traditional curriculums out there as well. Ever heard of the Block Plan?
Image References
Brown University, “Campus Tours and Information Sessions”
Grinnell College, “About”
Amherst College, Homepage
Smith College, “Visit the Campus”
Hamilton College, “Directions to Campus”
Vassar College, “Vassar on Demand”
University of Rochester, “Points of Pride”